Depleted San Fernando Team Loses by 28

The San Fernando High boys’ basketball team, scratching for a playoff berth, was declawed and then mauled by El Camino Real on Friday night in a West Valley League game at San Fernando.

San Fernando starters Michael Wynn and Sean Williams were permanently removed from the Tiger roster for breaking team rules, Coach Dick Crowell said. Crowell then had the displeasure of watching his team get taken apart by the Conquistadores, 70-42.

According to Crowell, Wynn chose to attend a party in Lancaster on Friday night instead of the game against El Camino Real.

“If he isn’t going to play here tonight, I didn’t know if he would play in the next two games either,” Crowell said. “Michael had a decision to make. He made it, so I removed him from the team.”

Williams, who was suspended from a game earlier in the season, was removed from the squad after missing 2 team meetings this week. Crowell refused to blame his team’s lopsided loss on the absence of Williams or Wynn.

“We have not played well in our last three games,” he said. “Maybe we were playing over our heads earlier and than we peaked, but we can’t find our rhythm.”

El Camino Real, which improved to 7-8 overall, 4-4 in league play, jumped to a 21-7 first-quarter lead and won going away.

And while the Tigers (8-12, 2-6) were missing 2 players, the Conquistadores found one. Senior Ken Findley, in his second varsity start, scored a career-high 13 points and dished out 8 assists to pace El Camino Real, which plays Chatsworth on Wednesday for the league title.

Said Findley: “I tried to contribute as much as I could. I was mostly concerned with playing good on defense and getting the big guys in the game.”

Forward Brent Lofton led El Camino Real with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Marco Renteria scored a team-high 16 points for San Fernando.