Temblor Disrupts Schedule : Burwell Hearing, Events Postponed

The earthquake that struck Southern California forced the cancellation or postponement of all City Section athletic contests Thursday. Also postponed is a ruling on the athletic eligibility of junior running back Sean Burwell.

Three football games scheduled for Thursday night--Granada Hills at Chatsworth, Grant at Birmingham and Taft at Crespi--were rescheduled. A game between Monroe and Reseda, scheduled for Thursday night at Reseda, has yet to be rescheduled.

“The superintendent of schools felt that there was still a possibility of danger,” said Lee Joseph, City Section assistant commissioner. “Principals and staffs are checking facilities today for safety hazards and structural damage. Games may be rescheduled if the principals of the schools can agree on playing.”

Grant will play at Birmingham on Monday at 6 p.m. Granada Hills will play at Chatsworth on Saturday at 8 p.m. Taft will play Crespi, a Southern Section team, at Taft on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Crespi was scheduled to play host but cannot Saturday because of activities that will be conducted at that school by a neighboring church.

The City rules subcommittee had intended to make a final determination on Burwell’s emotional-hardship petition to play football at Cleveland High, but the scheduled meeting was postponed because downtown City Section administrative offices were evacuated after the temblor struck at 7:42 a.m.

City Director Hal Harkness said the City Section probably will reschedule a meeting for next week, which means Burwell will miss Cleveland’s game at Canoga Park at 2 p.m. today.

Other canceled events involving Valley-area City Section schools included seven girls volleyball matches, six girls tennis matches and three cross-country meets.

Because all are nonleague events, they will not be rescheduled, Joseph said.

The Southern Section left decisions to postpone or cancel events up to individual schools.

Agoura’s football team was scheduled to play at Monrovia, but the game was postponed until 8 p.m. Saturday at Agoura.