Campbell Hall Loses Appeal of Forfeitures : High school basketball: Section panel orders eight victories overturned for using ineligible player.

The Southern Section on Wednesday denied the appeal of the Campbell Hall High boys’ basketball team and ordered it to forfeit eight victories for using an ineligible player.

In upholding a section decision last week, a panel of three Executive Committee members ruled that the family of junior starter Rowan Pearson had maintained dual residences in violation of state rules.

Despite an often-emotional plea from Pearson’s father, Alvin, the panel voted unanimously to affirm the section’s initial ruling.

Campbell Hall, the top-ranked team in Division V, may appeal to the California Interscholastic Federation or seek Pearson’s reinstatement through legal means, section officials said. School officials said they were considering their options, though time is running short.

The forfeitures, which include six Delphic League victories, drop Campbell Hall’s record to 6-16 and 4-7 in league play with two games remaining. The forfeitures all but kill Campbell Hall’s bid for a playoff berth. Playoff brackets will be announced Sunday and postseason play will begin next week.

Rowan, a 6-foot-3 forward who averaged 10.6 points and six rebounds, will be eligible for his senior season in 1993-94.

The Pearsons had sought to gain varsity eligibility for their son, a transfer from Granada Hills High, by moving to another residence as outlined under state rules. However, panel members said they had trouble believing some of the family’s explanations as to why two residences were maintained.

“I have empathy for Mr. Pearson and what he went through,” said Corona del Mar Principal Tom Jacobson, a panel member. “But there are so many coincidental circumstances that it makes me wonder about the legitimacy of the move.”

Panel member Edna Herring, principal at Eisenhower High, said she also questioned the sequence of events surrounding the change of residence. Herring pointed to the section’s denial of the player’s hardship eligibility appeal on Oct. 29, followed by Pearson’s rental of a Van Nuys apartment and separation from his wife on Nov. 1 to be more than coincidental.

Pearson admitted during testimony that he routinely drove Rowan back and forth to the original family home in Northridge in order to visit the rest of the family. Pearson’s wife, Skeet, and younger son, Cody, were living at the Northridge address.

Southern Section administrators last month were informed that the Pearsons were maintaining dual residences.

The day after hearing of the possible violation, Commissioner Stan Clark and basketball administrator Dean Crowley staked out the Pearson residence in Northridge and verified that members of the family were still living there. Crowley said it was the second time in 17 years he had been involved in field surveillance.

Alvin Pearson said that he and his wife agreed to start legal separation proceedings at the same time he signed a rental agreement for the Van Nuys apartment Nov. 1.

Utility company receipts Pearson provided to support his claim that he and Rowan moved to the apartment were dated in mid-December, however.

Oakwood Athletic Director Eric Walter had alerted the section to the dual-residence situation last month after he staked out the family’s Northridge address on six occasions. Walter said at the hearing that he already has received two harassing phone calls regarding his part in the investigation.

Alvin Pearson’s familiarity with athletics undermined his credibility and damaged any chance of having the eligibility decision overturned, according to panel member Frank Cano, the principal at Alhambra. During testimony, Alvin insisted that his son had transferred to Campbell Hall for academic reasons. Cano pointed out that Alvin also said that he intended for Rowan to attend a large “Division I” college after high school. Cano also alluded to the father’s statement that he immediately sought varsity eligibility for his son at Campbell Hall.

BACKGROUND

Rowan Pearson transferred to Campbell Hall High last fall and failed to gain varsity eligibility through a hardship appeal. Pearson’s father then rented an apartment in Van Nuys and notified the school of the address change. School administrators initially allowed Pearson to play, then briefly sent him to the junior varsity while the change of address was re-verified. Pearson was reinstated on the varsity in early January. However, Southern Section administrators staked out the family home in Northridge on Jan. 29 and later ruled the family in violation of CIF guidelines regarding dual residency.