Independent Investigation of Lynch-Cole Is Launched

Jack Parham, legal counsel for the Oxnard Union High School District, is conducting an investigation on behalf of the district into recruiting allegations involving Oxnard High girls’ basketball Coach Ryle Lynch-Cole.

District Superintendent Bill Studt said the probe is not being made by Oxnard school personnel because a letter signed by all seven rival Channel League coaches and sent to district trustees last week accuses Oxnard Principal Daisy Tatum of ignoring Lynch-Cole’s alleged rules violations.

“[Parham] will interview people who made the allegations to see if there is a basis for the allegations,” Studt said. “We wanted to do this in an independent way. We are taking these allegations very seriously.”

Baseball

Construction of the new minor league baseball stadium in Lancaster is a week ahead of schedule, said Dan Hubbard, Lancaster JetHawks director of public relations.

The 4,500-seat stadium is expected to be completed in late March. The JetHawks’ 140-game schedule begins April 4, with the first home game scheduled for April 16.

Football

Vince Bruno, a former Westlake High standout, has enrolled at Division I-AA Western Illinois for his final season of college football. Bruno was an All-Big West Conference linebacker at University of the Pacific, which dropped its football program last month.

Antelope Valley High linebacker-tight end Cade Smith has made a commitment to Idaho. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior had three interceptions and four receptions for 114 yards for the Antelopes.

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Contributing: Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad, Steve Henson.