Canyon and La Canada Will Play on Thursday

Changes have been made to the schedules for some high school football first-round playoff games this week.

Canyon High’s Southern Section Division II game against Peninsula High will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at West Torrance High.

La Canada will play its Division IX game against Gladstone at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Citrus College.

On Friday night, Littlerock will play Ayala in a Division II game at 7:30 p.m. at Walnut High, and Mammoth will play Flintridge Prep at 7 p.m. at Duarte High in a Division XII game.

Start times have been changed on some games Friday, when Newbury Park plays host to Arroyo Grande in a Division III game at 7 p.m., and Roosevelt plays at El Camino Real High at 2 p.m. in a City Section 3-A Division game.

In the Southern Section Division X, Calabasas plays St. Bonaventure at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Lancaster Bethel Christian will be at West Shores High of Salton City at 1 p.m. Saturday in an eight-man Large Schools Division game.

BASEBALL

Vacancy: Montclair Prep is searching for a baseball coach after the resignation of Mike Cicione. Cicione coached for one season.

BASKETBALL

Post-marked: Post players Marilyn Howard and Leah Rice have signed letters of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Howard is a 6-foot-4 sophomore at Moberly Junior College in Missouri, ranked No. 3 in the nation. The graduate of Pontiac North High in Michigan is averaging 12.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Rice is a senior at El Camino High in Sacramento. As a sophomore, she led El Camino to a Sac-Joaquin championship, averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds.

BOXING

Double trouble: Lance Whitaker, the 6-8 heavyweight from Granada Hills, continues on a rampage of pounding his opponents.

Whitaker recorded his 11th knockout in as many professional fights Friday with a second-round victory over Marcus Rhode of St. Joseph, Miss., at South Padre Island, Texas. Whitaker, who turned pro in July 1996, has disposed of all opponents in less than two rounds. Rhode fell to 20-7.

On the same card, junior-welterweight Rafael Ruelas of Sylmar recorded a seventh-round technical knockout over Rodney Wilson of Chicago. The victory raised Ruelas’ record to 50-3 with 40 knockouts. Wilson dropped to 23-10 with one draw.

WATER POLO

Apperson questionable: Ryan Apperson of Royal High collapsed in the dressing room Friday after the Highlanders’ 12-8 victory over Lompoc in the Division IV water polo playoffs at Rancho-Simi Community pool.

Doctors at Simi Adventist Hospital diagnosed a concussion and Apperson might not play today against Ventura.

According to Royal Coach Steve Snyder, a Lompoc player punched Apperson, then kicked him in the head as Apperson swam away. The Lompoc player was ejected from the game.

Apperson, a junior, remained in the game. He fainted while changing clothes afterward.

Apperson was at school and practice on Monday. A decision on whether or not he will play will be made at game time.

Royal has been without Evan Bradbury since midseason because a shoulder injury.

YOUTH FOOTBALL

Title time: The Valley Youth Conference will hold its football championships Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Granada Hills High.

The featured games match the Castaic Cougars and the San Fernando Braves in the Pee Wee division final at 3 p.m. and the Northridge Knights against the East Valley Trojans in the midget final at 5 p.m.