Bell Escapes Punishment for Kick

The Bell High football program will not be punished for a kicking incident during the Eagles’ City Section 3-A Division quarterfinal game last fall against Chatsworth.

A City Section committee made the ruling Thursday after reviewing actions taken by Bell against the five players involved in the Nov. 25 incident.

Two seniors were removed from consideration for postseason honors by Bell Coach Ray Galarze. Three juniors were declared ineligible to play in Bell’s first 1993 football game by school officials. One of the juniors was suspended from school for two days and declared ineligible to play sports for the rest of the school year.

Chatsworth was leading Bell, 31-6, with 6 minutes 6 seconds to play when the game was stopped because of continued violence between plays. One Chatsworth player, Robert Webb, had fallen and was kicked in the groin by a Bell player. Other Bell players celebrated the incident by inspiring their fans to cheer.

City Section Commissioner Hal Harkness said the California Football Officials Assn. reprimanded the officials for losing control of the game.