He Says to Grant Foster Some Slack in Poly Incident

Eric Sondheimer’s column about the Poly High football team forfeiting three games was titled “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Play Hole Card.” If a less-biased reporter--one who isn’t a Poly graduate--would have written it, the headline might have read “Cheaters Never Prosper.”

Sondheimer implied someone from Grant should have called Poly and warned them to take a look at George Lomavita’s eligibility. So where do the responsibilities of Poly’s coaches and administrators end and those from Grant begin?

Sondheimer seems to think Grant Coach Bill Foster should make sure all 45 of his players are academically and physically eligible, and then go through all of the rosters of all the other teams he will play in a season and make sure their coaches have done the same thorough job.

It is also unreasonable to expect Coach Foster to realize that the student he had always known as Siosi Lomavita was now using the first name George--until he had seen him on the football field. Sondheimer shouldn’t rip a guy who is playing by the rules. The rules are spelled out very clearly every semester for students and coaches at a required meeting held on every campus.

I feel sorry for Poly football players who have worked very hard and long to achieve their goals. But lets not allow an obvious bias cloud the judgment of a reporter who wants to put the blame anywhere but where it should be.

JEREMY LAWRENCE

Van Nuys

Note: Lawrence is baseball coach and a varsity football assistant at Grant.