Season Might Be Over for Valley Schools

All athletic events in the Los Angeles Unified School District have been postponed for the second week in a row, and at least two schools have expressed interest in canceling their seasons.

As the nation’s second largest district attempts to get back on track after last week’s earthquake, the news has not been good for sports. A meeting has been scheduled for this afternoon at Grant High in Van Nuys to discuss options.

“The toy store of life has been put on hold,” said Dick Browning, district senior high superintendent. “It’s too difficult to focus on athletics right now.”

Barbara Fiege, district athletic commissioner, said administrators from Van Nuys and San Fernando told her that their teams might not want to continue because of mounting problems.

“Under the circumstances, we certainly cannot mandate that teams continue to play,” said Fiege, who has been the commissioner since last October. “In many cases, gymnasiums have been condemned or are being used as shelters. Some athletes are homeless.”

Fiege said 23 of the district’s 49 high schools have been affected by the quake. Gymnasiums at Granada Hills Kennedy, Sepulveda Monroe, Chatsworth, Verdugo Hills, Reseda and San Fernando are damaged and closed indefinitely.

Most schools will resume classes today for the first time since the quake.

The winter season, which is half completed, includes boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer and wrestling.

Although many coaches want to continue the season, it might be difficult for the majority of schools in the heavily hit San Fernando Valley. Several gymnasiums that are not damaged are being used as shelters, leaving few facilities available for games or practices.

“Yeah, playing games is nice, but not at the cost of making them into a negative situation,” said Jeff Halpern, boys’ basketball coach at Reseda. “Basketball is a good diversion, but will the kids have their hearts in it after all that has happened? I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

Steve Miller, boys’ basketball coach at North Hollywood, said he favors trying to salvage the season.

“If people take the time and have flexibility, schools that want to play should be able to,” he said. “Kids and coaches have invested a lot of time in the season.”

Fiege said she will attempt to accommodate all schools that want to continue. She said schools with available gyms might have to share practice time with other teams. Games might even be played on Saturdays.

All schools, whether back in session or not, may begin practicing today. Practice was not allowed while the district was closed.

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Several Southern Section schools have also been affected by the quake. Mission Hills Alemany, a Catholic school with 1,600 students, has been condemned, with most buildings severely damaged. Classes will resume on double shifts Feb. 1 at the nearby Queen of Angels Junior Seminary.

The school’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will continue with their seasons, however. The boys will practice at Woodbury University and the girls at Burbank Bell-Jeff High. Game sites are still undecided.

The Alemany girls have one of the top teams in the Southern Section with a 16-0 record. Coach Melissa Hearlihy said she and her players are looking forward to resuming the season.

“We’re a very close-knit group and we all want to continue,” said Hearlihy, whose Granada Hills apartment was demolished. “We’re going to lose our home-court advantage, but at this point we’re just happy to be playing. We’re excited at seeing each other again.”

Gymnasiums at L.A. Baptist in North Hills, Simi Valley, Crescenta Valley and Newhall Hart are also closed indefinitely and administrators were scrambling Monday to decide what to do.

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With one week remaining before the national football signing day, two of the Southland’s top prospects have made unwritten commitments. Quarterback Keith Smith of Newbury Park said he will attend Arizona. Running back Rodney Sermons of La Puente Bishop Amat chose USC.

Smith, 5-10, 175, led Newbury Park to a 15-0 record and the Southern Section Division III title last season. He is the state’s career passing leader with 9,715 yards, including 3,988 yards and 38 touchdowns in 1993.

“As soon as I got off the plane, I saw myself being there,” Smith said of his trip to Tucson in mid-January. “I think there’s a real great opportunity for me there.”

Sermons, 6-0, 185 pounds, was one of the area’s most recruited running backs. In his two seasons as a starter, Bishop Amat had a 26-1 record, including the Southern Division I title in 1992. He finished with 2,844 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.

USC has also received a commitment from defensive back and kick returner Grant Pearsall of Villa Park.

Prep Notes Paul Muff, athletic director and boys’ basketball coach at Encino Crespi, died last Thursday of an infected leg. He was 46. Muff started at Crespi in 1976 and coached basketball for 14 seasons. He had a record of 204-124, including four Del Rey League championships. The Celts postponed all games last week. . . .The Irvine University wrestling team, one of the best in Orange County, forfeited 11 dual-match victories for using an ineligible athlete. The Trojans are 11-13-1. . . .Jaime Martinez, a standout cross-country runner from Orange, has made an unwritten commitment to Azusa Pacific.

Jason Quinn, an assistant junior varsity boys’ basketball coach at Mater Dei, was suspended for two games last week for his part in a fight during a game against Dana Hills at UC Irvine on Jan. 7. Quinn instigated a fight with assistant coach Dennis Dickens of Dana Hills and the two had to be separated by campus police. Dickens was not punished. . . . John Reardon, football coach at Oxnard Rio Mesa since 1967, has resigned. He had a record of 154-119-4 in 26 seasons with the Spartans, including a Southern Section championship in 1971.

Times’ Top 20 Basketball Polls

The Times’ top 20 high school basketball polls, with teams from the City and Southern Sections. BOYS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Mater Dei SS I-A 21-0 1 2. Crenshaw City 4-A 14-2 2 3. Westchester City 4-A 16-3 3 4. Dominguez SS II-A 17-2 4 5. Fontana SS I-AA 18-1 5 6. Inglewood SS II-AA 17-3 6 7. JW North SS II-AA 18-0 7 8. Los Alamitos SS I-AA 17-3 8 9. St. John Bosco SS II-A 17-2 9 10. Hart SS I-A 18-1 10 11. Santa Barbara SS II-AA 18-2 12 12. Manual Arts City 4-A 13-4 13 13. Warren SS I-A 16-4 14 14. Verbum Dei SS IV-A 14-2 15 15. Trabuco Hills SS II-AA 17-4 16 16. Fairfax City 4-A 13-4 17 17. LB Poly SS I-AA 14-6 20 18. Loyola SS I-A 11-5 18 19. Glendora SS II-AA 19-2 19 20. S. Ana Valley SS I-AA 18-3 11

GIRLS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Brea-Olinda SS III-AA 19-0 1 2. Lynwood SS I-AA 19-1 2 3. Buena SS I-A 13-1 3 4. Alemany SS II-A 16-0 4 5. Gahr SS II-AA 5-14* 5 6. Woodbridge SS II-AA 18-0 6 7. Peninsula SS I-AA 14-3 7 8. St. Bernard SS IV-AA 17-4 8 9. Carson City 4-A 15-2 9 10. Ch. Islands SS I-A 15-2 10 11. B. Montgomery SS III-AA 15-5 11 12. Cypress SS II-A 19-2 13 13. Bishop Amat SS II-A 17-1 14 14. LB Poly SS I-A 16-3 12 15. Valley Chr. SS IV-A 17-2 15 16. Mater Dei SS II-AA 15-3 16 17. Ocean View SS II-AA 17-3 NR 18. San Bernardino SS II-A 16-3 NR 19. Thousand Oaks SS I-A 13-5 17 20. Lakewood SS I-AA 16-4 NR

* Indicates 10 losses by forfeit.