Esperanza Loses Greer for Rest of the Season

Esperanza, seeded second in the Southern Section Division I-AA boys’ basketball playoffs, had a serious setback Monday when it learned that starting center Josh Greer is out for the rest of the season after breaking a bone in his right foot.

The injury occurred Friday during Esperanza’s 54-37 victory over Edison, which clinched the Sunset League title. Greer said he felt something “pop” in the third quarter and asked to come out of the game. Greer, who missed several games last year after breaking the same bone, had a screw inserted in the fifth metatarsal, or outside bone.

Greer had an MRI examination Monday at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Inglewood, according to Esperanza Coach Mark Hill, and might undergo surgery, perhaps as soon as next week, to put a bigger screw in place.

“It’s a shock.” said Hill, who is preparing the Aztecs for a first-round game Friday against Rialto Eisenhower.

“Right now it’s a matter of getting other people to step up. It will be a huge challenge to say the least. It’s not just his stats we’ll miss, it’s his experience. He makes other people better because he draws the attention of the [opponent’s] defense.”

A 6-foot-7 senior, Greer was Esperanza’s leading player, averaging 20.6 points and 10.6 rebounds a game.

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A starting player on the Trabuco Hills boys’ basketball team was declared ineligible by the Southern Section Monday. As a result, the Mustangs are expected to forfeit a number of games but will be allowed to remain in the Division II-AA playoffs.

Section Commissioner Dean Crowley said he received an anonymous phone call early Monday indicating that the player’s parents had provided incomplete information to Trabuco Hills about their son’s transfer. Crowley determined the mistake was not severe enough to remove the team from the playoffs.

“I’m sure that the administration at Trabuco Hills had no prior knowledge of this,” Crowley said.

Trabuco Hills Principal George Diedrich said he was trying to determine how many games the player appeared in before announcing how many games, if any, would be forfeited.

“We have given the league the information we have and what we do will be a result of what the league tells us to do,” Diedrich said.

Trabuco Hills (11-14) plays at Villa Park (18-5) Friday in the opening round of the Division II-AA playoffs.

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Aaron Santana, an El Modena senior, injured his ankle and defaulted in a 171-pound championship match Saturday against Calvary Chapel’s Chris Meineke at the Southern Section Division I Dual-Meet Championships. Coach Alan Clinton said the injury was not serious and Santana, ranked No. 1 in the county, will compete Friday in the section individual finals.

Santana missed the section individual finals last season after failing to make weight at the Century League final.

“He’s a tough kid and I know he’ll do well this weekend,” Clinton said.

* Staff writers Erik Hamilton and Paul McLeod contributed to this notebook.