Cougar Eligibility Probe Praised, Ridiculed

News that the Crenshaw High School basketball program may have violated eligibility and recruiting rules and could be stripped of its City Section and State titles has left some competing coaches in disbelief, but others have little sympathy.

“I am so happy to see (Coach Willie) West under all this fire,” South Gate Coach Tak Aoki said. “I hope they find him guilty and strip him of his title.”

Five weeks after Crenshaw won the State Division I basketball championship, The Times published an investigation on May 8 which revealed that four of the team’s nine transfers were not living at addresses listed on the school’s eligibility roster, and that at least one of the four was living outside the Crenshaw school district.

The players in question were:

* Reggie McFerrin, who played last season at Gardena Serra,

* Calvin Valrie, from Hamilton;

* Ronnie Arch, from Westchester;

* and Rico Laurie, from Westchester.

Of the four, only McFerrin started throughout the season.

Questions were also raised on whether two Crenshaw assistants used undue influence to attract players to the team, in violation of California Interscholastic Federation City Section rules.

Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan said it was “hard to believe that Crenshaw would get caught in that situation.”

“It’s the job of the athletic director and the principal to make sure these players are eligible to play. I think West is a good coach.”

The Cougars are the most successful basketball program in the City Section. In addition to winning an unprecedented fifth state title, the Cougars also captured their 12th City title.

While the Cougars’ success has been unmatched, the program has been dogged by rumors of improprieties from rival coaches, players and parents. Past accusations included bribing players with amusement and athletic tickets to falsifying their grades, said West, who added that those charges proved false.

However, the Cougars were penalized during the 1971-72 season, when they forfeited their league title with two games left because one player had attended too many semesters of school.

This time it’s more serious.

At stake are the Cougars’ City and State titles if any of the transfers are found in violation of eligibility rules. City Commissioner Hal Harkness will begin an investigation Monday that he expects to take about three weeks.

Aoki, who has been coaching area basketball 23 years, said the investigation “is justified.”

“(Crenshaw) should have been investigated 20 years ago. Willie West doesn’t have the respect of coaches around the league because he has been recruiting talent.”

Said West: “I don’t cheat. I don’t need to cheat. The program itself recruits players. When will people accept the fact that I know how to coach?”

Even if the charges prove true, other area coaches said it is likely that Crenshaw is not the only school committing rules violations.

“This whole thing about rules and regulations are ridiculous,” said Los Angeles High Coach Craig Murray. “You see this kind of stuff happening and the City Section office halfway turns their back. Everyone is stealing players from each other, legally and illegally, and nothing is being enforced.”

“I think there should be open enrollment for athletes. Either that, or enforce the rules better.”

Inner-city students have been encouraged to transfer to suburban schools since mandatory busing began in 1978. Opportunity transfers and magnet programs are two of the avenues by which athletes can legally transfer to schools outside their attendance areas.

Dorsey Coach Kevin Gibson believes the busing program has been abused by coaches who recruit students solely for their athletic ability: “If the kids were allowed to stay in the Dorsey-Crenshaw-Manual Arts area, the City title would be shared between the three schools almost every year. But you got kids going to the Valley, out to the South Bay and everywhere but the inner city.”