BRIEFLY : Sims to Fight in Finals of Forum Tournament

After a break for the holidays, Valley-area boxers go back to work next month.

For North Hollywood’s Walter Sims (22-3-2, 14 knockouts), work means a $50,000 payday if he can beat Yogi Buchanan on Jan. 22 at the Forum in the finals of a lightweight tournament.

To get this far, Sims already has survived a near-knockout from the powerful right hand of Chris Calvin and a close fight against Joey Olivera, coming back to win decisions both times in the earlier rounds of the tournament.

After a December break, the Country Club in Reseda will resume its monthly shows on Jan. 27 with an as-yet-undetermined card, then come back on Feb. 6 with unbeaten North Hollywood middleweight Michael Nunn (20-0, 12 knockouts) fighting in the main event, to be shown nationally on the ESPN cable network.

Former Saugus Player Named to Senior Bowl

Tom Gibson, a 6-8, 265-pound defensive lineman at Northern Arizona University, has been selected to the North team for the Jan. 17 Senior Bowl to be played in Mobile, Ala. Gibson also has been named the first alternate for the West in the East-West Shrine Game at Stanford on Jan 10.

Gibson, who attended Saugus High, is a two-time, first-team, All-Big Sky Conference selection. His 13 pass deflections this year is a school record for a lineman.

UCLA Softball Team Schedules Clinic

The UCLA women’s softball program will stage a one-day clinic on Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the intramural field on the Westwood campus.

The pre-enrollment fee is $25. Those paying that day will be charged $30. Those signing up as a team will receive a $5 discount.

Information: (213) 825-8699 or (213) 399-0872.

NOTABLE

Sean Howard, Crespi High linebacker, is a member of USA Today’s 1986 High School All-USA Football Team. Howard, a 6-5, 220-pound senior, had 87 solo and 127 assisted tackles for the Big Five Conference champion this season. Given honorable mentions on the All-USA team were running back Russell White, one of Howard’s teammates, Hart quarterback Jim Bonds and Harvard kicker Dominic Sandifer.

David Wilson, a junior linebacker at Reseda High, has been selected City 2-A Co-Player of the Year by the First Interstate Bank-Amateur Athletic Foundation.

Wilson had 11 sacks and 78 solo tackles to lead Reseda to its first City 2-A championship.

Paul Richardson, a wide receiver for City runner-up University, shared the honor with Wilson.

Joining Wilson on the All-City 2-A team were four Reseda teammates: running back Ronald Wilkinson, lineman Nate Session, kicker George Konstantinopoulos and defensive back Sam Edwards. Lineman David Nunez of Sylmar also made the squad.

Valley-area players named to the 4-A team were: running back Khalid Ali, tight end Sean Brown and quarterback Jeremy Leach of Granada Hills; lineman Ron Simmons, linebacker Andre Murray and defensive backs Dion Lambert and Stacy Ramsey of Kennedy and running back Albert Fann and lineman Chris Rheinstein of Cleveland.

Valley representatives on the 3-A team were: lineman Jeff Zentner and defensive back Mike Conover of Canoga Park, and lineman Kurt Moeller of Chatsworth.