It’s Thumbs Up for Vargas After Surgery on Left Hand

U.S. Olympic boxer Fernando Vargas, who underwent surgery last week in New York City to repair torn ligaments in his left thumb, returned to New York this week for a follow-up examination by hand specialist Charles Melone.

Vargas, 18, who was scheduled to make his professional debut next month in Oxnard, is expected to be sidelined for about three months.

Main Events Productions, which has signed Vargas to a four-year promotional contract, will reschedule Vargas’ debut at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center for February or March.

“We’re going to stick to that commitment,” said Dino Duva, Main Events president. “When he’s ready, we’re going to have him fight in Oxnard. The surgery went perfectly.”

Vargas injured the thumb Oct. 14 during training.

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Stop the clock: The CIF Southern Section Council last week overwhelmingly voted against a 35-second clock in boys’ basketball for this season. School officials voiced concern that they would not have enough time to adjust to the new rule (i.e. purchasing new timing equipment and changes to game plans).

However, the CIF Federated Council will vote on the same proposal at a meeting Friday and Saturday in Irvine. The Southern Section, the largest of 10 sections within the CIF, holds 25% of the vote on the Federated Council.

A 35-second clock is used in girls’ games.

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Lining up: City Section girls’ soccer has added five teams and been realigned for the third time in three years.

Van Nuys, Sylmar, Poly, Verdugo Hills and Carson each will field first-year teams. Thirty-six schools, divided into six six-team leagues, will participate this season, which begins Dec. 2.

The playoffs will include 16 teams split into 4-A and 3-A divisions.

* Harry Oei has been hired to coach the first-year girls’ soccer program at Glendale High.

Oei, 29, was a boys’ soccer assistant at Claremont High from 1989 to 1992 and has coached several club teams. He played from 1984 to 1987 at Pomona-Pitzer.

* Brett Stubbs was hired to coach the Littlerock girls’ soccer team.

Stubbs, 29, was baseball coach at Richfield High in Richfield, Utah, the past two years. He is a health teacher at Littlerock.

* Greg Johnson has been hired to coach the Monroe girls’ soccer team, defending City Section 3-A division champion.

Johnson, 27 and a teacher at Monroe, played soccer at The Master’s during the 1986 and 1987 seasons, helping the Mustangs win a National Christian College Athletic Assn. title.

* Bill Propster was hired as Westlake boys’ soccer coach, replacing Lalo Alvarado, who resigned.

Propster played at North Carolina from 1976 to 1980 and has coached club teams, in the American Youth Soccer Organization and at various camps.