Valley Cleared to Take On Team From Marine Base

Valley College will play an exhibition game Oct. 19 against the U. S. Marine Corps’ El Toro Marine Air Station despite speculation that the Monarchs’ participation would cause eligibility and insurance problems.

According to Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero, the El Toro station fields six football teams that frequently play nonconference games against junior colleges. Last week, East Los Angeles played El Toro after learning that Los Angeles City College had dropped its football program.

“Junior college teams play Marine teams all the time,” Ferrero said. “Our athletic director has gotten everything that’s necessary taken care of.”

Walt Rilliet, Commissioner of Athletics for the California Assn. of Community Colleges, agreed with Ferrero, noting that junior colleges used to play Marine teams more often.

“We don’t care who they play as long as it counts in their (record),” Rilliet said. “Junior colleges often have to play some strange opponents in order to fill their schedules. As long as it does not count as an extra game, I don’t believe their playing an exhibition game is cause for disciplinary action.”

Several Valley College boosters and other junior college football fans had raised concerns that playing the Marines could violate eligibility rules or cause insurance problems because the game had not been officially scheduled or contracted. Some charged that if Valley players were injured in such a game, they could file suit against the college and coaching staff.

“This is a wildcat thing,” said Carl Mote, who described himself as a Valley booster. “It was not scheduled at the beginning of the season and was not sanctioned by the community college system. If one of the boys is hurt playing in such a game, the school could be subject to a lawsuit.”

Ferrero said the nonconference game would be covered by the school’s insurance. He said that a college team could incur insurance problems only by playing a semipro team.