HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Tom Donahue, longtime Santa Paula High boys’ basketball coach who has built a reputation as one of the top technicians in Ventura County, will step down at the end of the season.

Donahue, who is in his 11th season, had a career record of 160-58 entering this season and won two Frontier League titles.

“I’m not burned out,” Donahue said. “It’s just the opposite. I’m too wound up over this job. It’s time to walk away.”

Donahue was influential in the careers of several coaches.

Agoura Coach Joe Riccio was Donahue’s longtime assistant and Oak Park Coach Rob Hall began as a junior varsity coach at Santa Paula.

“Tom is the best Xs and O’s guy in Ventura County,” Hall said. “He always has those [Santa Paula] teams trained to press and press you, wait till you make a mistake defensively, then kick it outside and stick a [three-pointer] in your eye.

“He was a guy a lot of younger coaches learned the business from.”