San Fernando Sends Back to N. Hollywood

Maurice McFarland, a running back who was suspended from San the Fernando High football team last week, has been transferred to North Hollywood High and may play for the Huskies against Van Nuys on Friday night.

McFarland, San Fernando’s leading rusher last year as a junior, changed schools under the Los Angeles Unified School District’s opportunity-transfer program that is used for students in disciplinary cases or for the student’s protection.

North Hollywood Coach Fred Grimes met with McFarland on Wednesday and then welcomed him to practice, during which he worked out with the team. McFarland will enroll in school officially today.

“From watching him work out today, it’s obvious he’s got a football future,” Grimes said. “If he’s serious about playing football, he’ll play for us. If he’s not, we’ll get rid of him.”

Grimes said that he will decide after today’s practice whether McFarland will play in Friday’s game.

McFarland was suspended from the San Fernando football team after an incident Sept. 28 at the Crenshaw-Kennedy game in which several San Fernando players were ejected from the Kennedy campus stadium after verbal exchanges with Granada Hills High players.

McFarland did not play in San Fernando’s 28-0 loss to St. Paul the following night, the second game that he missed in the season’s first three weeks. He was benched for the opening game at Fontana because he missed practice.

San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez accepted McFarland’s equipment Tuesday and wished him well at North Hollywood.

“He never did anything outrageous with us,” Hernandez said. “There was just a long line of things of him getting into trouble at school.

“I hate to see him go because none of his problems have been solved. But at least this is one way to keep him in school.”

McFarland rushed for 670 yards last year but has gained only four yards this season.

“He wasn’t playing at last season’s level,” Hernandez said. “There just seemed to be too many other things he was doing. He worked hard to get in shape, but then he’d come back after the weekend after tearing down his body and he had to start over again.”