Incidents Shake Up Simi Valley

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for the Simi Valley High boys’ basketball team.

The problems began on Jan. 14 when Coach Dean Bradshaw shoved senior reserve guard Sam Rodriguez for not playing well during the fourth quarter of a Marmonte League game against Westlake. Rodriguez, pulled from the game, was walking toward the bench when Bradshaw grabbed him by the neck and shoved him to the floor.

Rodriguez was not injured. Simi Valley won the game, 51-44.

Bradshaw, who has declined to discuss the matter in detail, has been suspended from coaching while officials of the Simi Valley Unified School District review the case. His fate might be decided at a school board meeting tonight.

Besides not having a coach, the Pioneers are also without a gymnasium. Damaged in the Jan. 17 earthquake, it is closed indefinitely.

Simi Valley played for the first time since the shoving incident last Friday and defeated Camarillo, 59-49. The game was held at a continuation high school in Simi Valley.

Bradshaw did not attend the game, and his assistants, Steve Johnson and Christian Aurand, refused to coach in his place. Filling in was Brian Saunders, a Simi Valley lawyer who played one season in the NBA and has coached many of the players in youth basketball leagues.

Saunders returned to the bench Saturday night, guiding the Pioneers to a 63-49 victory over Newbury Park. With Bradshaw watching from the bleachers, Simi Valley improved to 14-5.

Bradshaw has been Simi Valley’s coach for the last six years. He won a Southern Section title in 1988 and his teams have reached the playoffs every season.

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Security will be heavy when Gardena Serra and Santa Monica St. Monica meet in a boys’ basketball game on Feb. 9 at Serra.

Principals of the schools have been ordered to meet during the next week in hopes of providing a safe environment for everyone. Tempers are still smoldering over a fight that broke out between the teams in a game last Monday.

With six minutes to play in the third quarter of the Camino Real League showdown, Ken Jackson of St. Monica and Duane Thalley of Serra fought for an inbounds pass. With neither player relinquishing possession, they began pushing and shoving each other.

Moments later, players and coaches from both teams and several fans rushed onto the court. Order was quickly restored, and Jackson and Thalley were ejected. After a 15-minute delay, play resumed and Serra won, 57-51.

During the chaos, Serra Coach Dwan Hurt hit a parent who was hitting one of his players.

Merritt Hemenway, president of the Camino Real League and principal at Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart, headed a committee that reviewed the incident last Friday. They said videotape showed that Hurt did a good job of trying to restore order.

He added that there was no police security at the last game because the Santa Monica Police Department was on tactical alert after the earthquake and had no officers available.

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Lakewood Artesia’s dominance in boys’ basketball has come to a halt this season after the school had won three state titles in four years.

With the graduation of Charles O’Bannon and Avondre Jones, who are now playing at UCLA and USC, respectively, the Pioneers have not been the same. They are struggling with an 11-9 record, and their 52-48 loss to Lakewood Mayfair last week ended a 51-game winning streak in the Suburban League.

“This was a major deal in our area, to win this game,” Mayfair Coach Joe Tereschuk said. “We hadn’t beaten them in six years, and the game was on local cable television.”

The Monsoons held a 50-48 lead with 18 seconds left before Jason Birdwell made two free throws to wrap up the victory that gave them a 10-11 record.

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Girls’ basketball in California is expected to have a major rule change next season: The midcourt stripe will be used for the first time.

Currently, it is not a violation if the offense advances the ball to the front court and then returns it to the back court. The change would make the girls’ game the same as the boys’. The girls’ 30-second shot clock will remain in effect.

The rule proposal will be voted on next month during the CIF State Council meeting. The Southern Section will support it.

Prep Notes

Leodes Van Buren of Newbury Park, the state’s all-time leading receiver, said he will sign with Colorado on national signing day Wednesday. Van Buren, 6 feet 1 and 190 pounds, had 1,658 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, 4,446 yards and 44 touchdowns for his career. . . . Kicker Adam Abrams of La Jolla Bishop School said he would attend USC. Abrams is a consensus prep All-American and the most recruited kicker in the country. . . . Despite pleas from the Southern California Officials Assn., the Southern Section Council voted against a proposal to implement a 10-run mercy rule. Officials wanted the rule change to make their time more cost effective. Most area baseball coaches, however, were opposed to it. . . . Ed Zintel, formerly sports editor of the South Orange County News, is the new media director for the Southern Section.

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 23-0 1 2. Crenshaw City 4-A 14-2 2 3. Westchester City 4-A 16-3 3 4. Dominguez SS II-A 19-2 4 5. Fontana SS I-AA 20-1 5 6. Inglewood SS II-AA 19-3 6 7. JW North SS II-AA 20-0 7 8. Los Alamitos SS I-AA 18-3 8 9. St. John Bosco SS II-A 18-2 9 10. Hart SS I-A 19-1 10 11. Santa Barbara SS II-AA 20-2 12 12. Manual Arts City 4-A 13-4 12 13. Warren SS I-A 17-4 13 14. Verbum Dei SS IV-A 16-2 14 15. LB Poly SS I-AA 15-6 17 16. Fairfax City 4-A 13-4 17 17. Loyola SS I-A 14-5 18 18. Glendora SS II-AA 20-2 19 19. S. Ana Valley SS I-AA 19-3 20 20. Orange SS I-A 18-2 NR

GIRLS

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

* Indicates 10 losses by forfeit.