Brison’s Odyssey Takes Him to Las Vegas

Brian Brison, the former San Fernando High athlete who was suspended from athletics for one year by the City Section, has enrolled as a junior at Eldorado High in Las Vegas, his fifth high school.

Brison, 16, had lived with his mother in Pacoima until he moved this summer to Las Vegas, where his father resides. He joined the football team the day after Eldorado started summer football practice Aug. 20.

Eldorado opened its season last week with a 27-0 victory over Clark of Las Vegas, but Brison missed the game because of a broken thumb. He injured his right thumb in practice and will miss at least one more game.

Despite the injury, Brison has impressed Eldorado Coach Gary Mitchell. The 5-foot-9, 191-pound Brison will play running back and defensive back.

“He’s one of the better ballplayers I’ve seen in a while,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “He has the ability to help us in a lot of different positions. We look for a lot of big things from him.”

Brison was suspended from San Fernando in May after he was arrested and charged with punching Birmingham High track Coach Scott King. He completed the spring semester at Jane Addams continuation school in Granada Hills.

Brison was arrested April 30 after his father James accompanied him and a contingent of San Fernando track athletes to Birmingham. Because San Fernando had failed to request permission to use the track, King asked the athletes to leave, prompting an argument between King and James Brison. The younger Brison then punched King, according to a police report.

Los Angeles police referred his case to juvenile authorities, who placed him on six months’ probation. In June, the City Section’s Interscholastic Athletics Committee banned him from athletics for one year, retroactive to April 30.

The committee had considered a permanent ban but chose the less-severe punishment because members were impressed with Brison’s contrition and his character.

City Section Commissioner Hal Harkness learned of Brison’s transfer this week and will not contest his eligibility.

“First, there is no jurisdiction for us to do that, but even if there was, I’m not going to make an issue of it,” he said. “I have no ax to grind with the boy. I want the young man to get on with his life.”

Brison transferred because of the City Section ban and said he is content at his new school.

“I couldn’t play in California, so I came here,” he said. “This is a nice school with a nice atmosphere. I’m happy being here.”

He started his high school career at Westlake, moved to Alemany halfway through his freshman year and then moved to San Fernando midway through his sophomore year.

Brison had 238 yards rushing and 208 receiving last year at Alemany. He was one of the area’s top sprinters last spring, posting times of 10.8 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.2 in the 200 for San Fernando.