Snub Upsets Lynwood Coach

The Southern Section announced its football playoff pairings Sunday, and Lynwood High School, the odd team out in a three-team coin flip for second and third places in the San Gabriel Valley League, did not receive an at-large berth in the Division III field.

Dana Hills, fourth in Orange County’s South Coast League, was named an at-large entry over Lynwood based on its overall record of 7-3, compared to Lynwood’s 5-5.

According to the Southern Section playoff handbook, the determining factors in the selection process, with none carrying more weight than another, are these: (a) head-to-head competition; (b) overall strength of the league; (c) overall won-lost record; (d) record against common opponents; (e) strength of schedule, and (f) strength at the end of the season.

Using this information, Dana Hills gets the nod over Lynwood in the overall-record category, but Lynwood Coach Joe Hembrick believes that the Knights have a strong case in the other categories.

Dana Hills dropped three of its last five games of the season, losing to the top three teams in the South Coast League--Capistrano Valley, El Toro and Mission Viejo. The Dolphins scored five of their victories over nonleague opponents, including three over Division VIII teams and one from Division IV.

Lynwood lost two of its non-league games early in the season to City powers Carson and Crenshaw, games they played without injured senior quarterback Charles Levy, considered one of the top players in the Southland. Its other losses were to league rivals Cerritos and Compton Dominguez while Levy was still slowed by his hip injury, and to La Puente Bishop Amat, a seeded Division I team.

With Levy at full strength, the Knights defeated two San Gabriel Valley League playoff qualifiers, Gahr and Division III defending champion Paramount--the Pirates’ only loss of the season.

“Without a doubt, I feel that we should have received an at-large bid,” Hembrick said. “According to their information, we only lose out in comparing overall records, but Dana Hills played weaker teams. And they lost to all three of their league qualifiers while we defeated two of ours.”

In defense of the Southern Section’s decision, Dana Hills lost only to teams that were ranked first or second in Division III at the time they played, and it defeated Trabuco Hills, the Division VIII defending champion.

Hembrick said he wrote a letter to the Southern Section selection committee last week and collected information sheets on all Division III teams from the Southern Section office Saturday.

“I just wanted them to look at who we’ve played and defeated compared to any other team,” Hembrick said. “We actually finished second in our league but lost on a coin flip, while (Dana Hills is) 2-3 in their own league.

“The kids have really come together since our early season problems. I do not think that there is any team in our division that would want to play us now. At this point in the year, we are definitely the better team.”

Bishop Amat Coach Mark Parades, whose Lancers defeated Lynwood, 28-21, late in the season, gave high marks to the Knights but also said he understands the Southern Section’s position.

“Lynwood was one of the best teams we played this year,” Paredes said. “Levy is the best player we saw this year. When he is in there, they are a totally different team. However, the Southern Section is pretty consistent and sound in making its decisions. I know it is tough on Lynwood, but they must have fallen short in the Southern Section’s playoff criteria.”

With three Orange County schools receiving at-large berths out of the nine divisions, Hembrick wondered whether the Southern Section tends to side with certain schools when decisions are made.

This question was also raised last spring when San Bernardino protested the Southern Section’s decision to move a State semifinal playoff basketball game between the Cardinals and Glendora to UC Irvine’s Bren Center.

“We figured that this would happen because these Orange County schools always get more preference,” Hembrick said. “The Southern Section just ought to move its office (from Cerritos) to Orange County.

“Our kids are hurt because we know that we were really playing well. We are going to take any recourse necessary so that this will not happen to anyone else again.”

Last Thursday night, in a City Pacific League game, Dorsey led Crenshaw, 28-6, with 9:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, when gunshots were fired outside Jackie Robinson Stadium, causing the game to be stopped.

Said Crenshaw Co-Coach Robert Garrett: “It was like the Fourth of July out there. We thought we would be able to continue with the game after five minutes, but it got worse. The shooting came from behind Dorsey’s stands, causing their fans, players and coaches to run toward our sideline. Shots then came from near us, making everyone go to the middle of the field.”

According to witnesses, the firing lasted for nearly 20 minutes. No one was injured, but it was an experience that affected everyone.

“All of the kids were shaken up, and even some of the coaches panicked,” Garrett said. “It was like Vietnam warfare without any foxholes to jump into. There were shots coming from all angles.”

Prep Notes

In Division VI, Savanna had to withdraw from the playoffs after it was discovered that the Rebels used an ineligible player, forcing them to forfeit their six wins. Brea will replace Savanna and host Fullerton Friday in first round play. . . . Los Altos has the longest Southern Section streak for consecutive playoff appearances with 18. Anaheim Servite’s streak ended at 17. . . . One of the most interesting playoff matchups could be in Division VII, between Lompoc and Gardena Serra. Lompoc, behind the 1,538 yards rushing by junior tailback Napolean Kaufman, has been the class of the Northern League. Serra, with former Anaheim Servite Coach Leo Hand, has defeated opponents by lopsided scores all season. . . . Bakersfield became the third school in state history to win its 500th game, a 21-14 win over Foothill Bakersfield last week. Berkeley leads with 514 wins, followed by Santa Monica with 506.

In the City Coastal Conference, Manual Arts has come back from its 1-8-1 season in 1988 and an 0-4 start in 1989, and will play at Palisades Friday for the Metro League championship. Manual Arts (4-5 overall and 4-2 in league play) has won four of its last five games. . . . In the Western League, Venice (9-0) will play host to Westchester (8-1) Friday night in the title-deciding game. Both have 6-0 league records.