Palisades High Quarterback Klein Transfers to Carson

Perry Klein, a highly regarded quarterback who set national and state passing records last football season at Palisades High School, transferred to Carson High School Friday, according to his mother.

Diana Klein said her son, a junior, will begin classes at Carson Monday, when the new semester starts. She said the family, which resides in a Malibu beach house, is renting an apartment in Carson and will begin living there Monday.

Perry Klein and his father, Danny, were unavailable for comment.

Mrs. Klein said the family is making the move so her husband can live closer to work during the week. Danny Klein owns Space Age Metal Products, a business located in Gardena that sells surplus electronics and computer parts.

“The last few years it’s been a hardship for my husband to drive Pacific Coast Highway,” she said. “It’s much more convenient to live near his place of business. Since Perry is close to his father, he wanted to live with him.”

Mrs. Klein denied that the move was because of football. Carson, the L.A. City 4-A Division runner-up last season, is traditionally one of the top teams in the Southland.

Palisades Coach Jack Epstein said he first heard rumors in February that Klein planned to transfer to Carson. He said Klein is the only returning starter from last season’s team that was runner-up in the 3-A Division.

Klein, a 6-foot 3-inch 170-pounder, who was named 3-A player of the year, completed 323 of 483 passes for 3,899 yards and 36 touchdowns last season. His completion total set a state record and his average passing yards (325 per game) set a national mark.

“They just want the boy to be on a winning team,” Epstein said. “The family owns a million-dollar house in Malibu and they’re going to live in a two-bedroom apartment in Carson? You’re talking a joke here.

“It’s not sour grapes on my part. I’ve been around too damn long. I just feel the ethics are not there. The loyalty is not there. It would have been a good lesson for this boy to find out how far he could take a team like ours. Anyone can win with a bunch of kids from Carson.”

Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle is speaking at a football clinic at the University of Arizona this weekend and was unavailable for comment.