Struggling Verdugo Hills Losing More Than Games

Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse for the Verdugo Hills High football team. . . .

The Dons, winless this season with 24 players on the varsity roster, only had 14 show up Monday for practice.

“It’s kind of hard to do anything on offense or defense with only 14 guys,” Coach Don Scott said. “One player came in and said he had something better to do on Friday rather than play football.”

Scott said giving up on the season isn’t an option.

“One way or another we’re going to play, even if we have to bring guys up from the frosh-soph [team],” Scott said. “I’m not going to let down the guys who are here to play.”

Not so Golden: Last week was a bad one to be a member of a Golden League backfield.

Palmdale running back Shaun Perez left Friday’s game against Quartz Hill with a concussion, Highland running back Brandon McElvaine carried the ball only once on Saturday before twisting an ankle against Lancaster and Littlerock quarterback Myles Meeden was sidelined against Antelope Valley with bruised ribs.

Antelope Valley saw three running backs go down with various injuries. Bruce Molock aggravated a sprained ankle, Nakia Manick sprained an ankle and Andrew Campbell left the game suffering from dizziness.

Heading south: Taft has already finalized its nonconference schedule for 1998, with games against Southern Pacific schools Banning, Crenshaw and Dorsey.

“We’re an official Southern Pacific satellite school,” Toreador Coach Troy Starr said.

Luck of the draw: Local teams in the new Catholic football leagues for next season have found out which teams they will play in two mandated nonleague games. A blind draw determined their opponents.

Notre Dame drew Crespi and Harvard-Westlake. Alemany will play Loyola and Harvard-Westlake. Chaminade picked up St. Francis and St. John Bosco. Crespi will face Serra and Notre Dame. Harvard-Westlake will get Notre Dame and Alemany. St. Francis drew Chaminade and Bishop Amat.

The Del Rey League will be comprised of Notre Dame, Loyola, St. John Bosco and Bishop Amat. The Mission League includes Alemany, Crespi, St. Paul and St. Francis. The San Fernando League is Chaminade, Harvard-Westlake, Serra and Bishop Montgomery.

GOLF

Fore more: Four City Section schools have added golf teams for the upcoming season, increasing the number of teams to 31, the most in Barbara Fiege’s five-year reign as City commissioner.

North Hollywood, El Camino Real, Washington and Los Angeles are the latest schools to add golf. Basketball Coach Steve Miller will relaunch the North Hollywood golf program after a six-year absence.

“Certainly the influence of Tiger Woods is adding to the numbers of players on teams as well as teams,” Fiege said.