Notre Dame Wins Releaguing Appeal

A football realignment plan in which Notre Dame and Alemany highs were scheduled to switch leagues and divisions next season was overturned Wednesday by the Southern Section Executive Committee.

Notre Dame, which opposed the move approved in September by the Catholic Athletic Assn., will remain in the Division III Mission League for at least the next two seasons.

Alemany will remain in the Division I Del Rey League.

Releaguing is permitted every four years under Southern Section bylaws. The CAA’s proposal called for releaguing after only two years.

The section’s executive committee ruled that releaguing may take place more frequently than every four years but only by a unanimous vote of members.

“We’re exactly where we want to be,” Notre Dame Principal David Doyle said. “We like the Mission League and it’s competitive. That’s really why we fought to stay.”

Notre Dame, which lost to Westlake, 28-21, in a Division III football quarterfinal last week, is three-time defending league champion.

Last season, the Knights won their first section championship in the school’s 48-year history.

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X-rays on the left shoulder of Cal State Northridge’s Eric Gray proved negative, meaning the Matadors’ best shooter might be able to play Saturday in the team’s home opener against Cal State Fullerton.

Gray, a 6-6 forward, strained muscles in his shoulder during practice on Monday and did not dress for Northridge’s game Tuesday night at Fresno State.

He said Wednesday he felt a little better, but still could barely move his left arm. A magnetic resonance imaging examination will be conducted if his condition does not improve in the next few days.

Gray’s loss would be yet another blow for the Matadors, who have had seven players miss practices or games because of injuries or illnesses this season.

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Running back Rickey Estrada and lineman Johnny Palomino of St. Genevieve High have been selected to the All-Santa Fe League offensive team by a vote of league coaches.

Lineman Chris Tincher of Bell-Jeff was voted to the all-league defensive team.

Baseball

Larry Beinfest, a former standout at Chatsworth High, has been named Director of Player Development for the Seattle Mariners.

When he was a senior at Chatsworth in 1982, Beinfest shared West Valley League most valuable player honors with Bret Saberhagen of the Cleveland Indians.

Motor Racing

NASCAR drivers Ron Hornaday Jr. and Sean Monroe will be on hand to sign autographs at the Checkered Flag racing store in Camarillo on Sunday from noon--4 p.m.

Hornaday finished third in the SuperTruck racing series standings this season. Monroe competes in the Southwest Tour series.

Girls’ Volleyball

Jennifer Joseph, Pamela George and Michelle George of Chatsworth High have been named to the All-City Section 4-A Division team.

On the All-City 3-A team, Anne Guevarra of Sylmar and Jane Ahn of Van Nuys were named co-most valuable players.

Other 3-A selections include Lotoya Seeley, Patty Sandoval and Marlena McLarkin from Poly, Angela Eckmier and Mira Lew from Van Nuys, and Carmen Avila and Patricia Mendoza from Sylmar.

Contributing: Jeff Fletcher, Vince Kowalick, Bryan Rodgers, Peter Yoon.