In '69, Sittman set tournament mark that still stands

The year was 1969. While the war in Vietnam raged, at home gasoline sold for 35 cents a gallon and the Del Oro High Golden Eagles were getting set to host their 8th annual boys basketball invitational tournament being held the first week in March, because at the time the CIF basketball playoffs didn't exist.What transpired in that 1969 Del Oro tournament was one of the most incredible individual all-around performances ever witnessed in the 47-year history of the event.Thanks to the efforts of a lanky 6-foot-5 senior forward named Ron Sittman, the Golden Eagles nearly walked off with the top prize but had to settle for second place when Dennis Haines of Yreka hit a shot from just the other side of halfcourt to give the Miners a thrilling 60-58 win over the Black and Gold in the championship game, which was played before one of the larger crowds to witness a game in what is now the school's Yokote Gym.For Sittman, the tournament was a spectacular way to end a prep career.In the tournament opener, with Sittman hitting on 14 field goals and a perfect six for six from the line, his 34-point spree powered Del Oro past Anderson, 76-61.Friday's semi-finals saw Sittman continue to have the hot hand as he netted 13 field goals — before the three-point rule was in effect — and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul stripe. His 38-point scoring spree, then a one-game Del Oro Tournament record, was enough to lift the Golden Eagles past Tennyson of Hayward, 84-68.In the Saturday championship contest, both Del Oro and Yreka battled tooth-and-nail as the Golden Eagles fell behind early by as many as 10 points before coming back to forge even at 48-48 going into the final quarter.Sittman's 28 points in the title game gave him an even 100 in the three-day affair, a mark that still stands. He also led the tournament in re-bounding and not surprisingly was tagged as the tournament's MVP."The individual awards were nice but it took away from us as a team not winning the tournament," Sittman said. "It would have been nice to look back now and say we won it."Sittman still resides in the area living in Rocklin and co-owns R&S Auto Repair. He coached as an assistant a few years back at Del Oro and had children who played athletics. He now has a grandson who is a freshman at Del Oro.