Kennedy Replaces Moorman

Eric Moorman, a walk-on coach of the Kennedy High softball team the last two seasons, has been replaced by a credentialed teacher.

Barbara Rodrigue, a certificated physical education teacher who recently moved to the Los Angeles area from Reno and is scheduled to join the Kennedy staff when the school year begins Sept. 8, is expected to take over the softball program.

“I’m real disappointed,” said Moorman, whose coaching contract was not renewed. “I loved working with the girls. We had some good players and I was looking forward to coaching at Kennedy for a long time. But they just said that she’s credentialed and I’m not.”

Moorman, who recently was hired as freshman football coach at Crescenta Valley High, guided the Golden Cougars to two North Valley League championships and into the City Section 4-A Division final in 1997. He had a two-year record of 38-11.

The Golden Cougars were 17-6, including an 8-1 mark in Northwest Valley Conference play last season. They were upset by Carson in the quarterfinal round of the City Section playoffs.

“Basically, this has nothing to do with Eric or his performance,” said Pete Fries, Kennedy’s administrator in charge of athletics.

“It simply comes down to, we had an opportunity to hire a quality P.E. teacher who also is a qualified softball coach and who wanted to take the team.”

GOLF

Linda Olsen of Granada Hills defeated Linda Pearson of La Canada, 1 up, to win the 97th Annual Southern Championship at the Victoria Club in Riverside on Friday.

SOCCER

The Pepperdine women’s team was picked to finish seventh out of eight West Coast Conference teams in a preseason coaches’ poll.

Santa Clara was picked to win the conference, with Portland second.

BASEBALL

A winter high school league for teams and individuals will take place at Westhills PONY baseball starting Sept. 12.

Information: (818) 712-0174.

VOLLEYBALL

Beth Barrington had 11 kills and Katy Gibson added nine for The Master’s College in a 15-10, 15-5, 15-9 season-opening victory over Bethany College in Scotts Valley, Calif., Friday.

Becky Wagner had two aces for The Master’s.

Sherisa Livingston, former middle blocker at Royal High, saw her first action for Wisconsin in the State Farm tournament in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday.

The 6-foot-2 freshman played in two games during the Badgers’ 15-1, 15-7, 15-8 loss to USC. She had three errors and no kills.

Livingston was selected to The Times’ all-regional team last season.

Pepperdine was picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference in a preseason women’s poll.

Craig Buck, former Pepperdine middle blocker, will be inducted in the Volleyball Hall of Fame on Oct. 19 in Holyoke, Mass.

Buck, a two-time All-American at Pepperdine, was a member of the U.S. gold medal teams at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

TENNIS

Sergiu Boerica has been hired as an assistant to Pepperdine men’s Coach Peter Smith.

Boerica has spent the last seven seasons as men’s and women’s tennis coach at Chapman University in Orange, and also was an assistant coach under Smith at Long Beach State in 1990 and 1991.

BASKETBALL

Daniel Shell has been hired as an administrative assistant for the Pepperdine men’s team.

MISCELLANY

Michael Truschke, a former catcher at Pepperdine, was hired as athletic academic advisor for the school’s sports teams.