Coach Costs Burroughs Girls’ Basketball Victory

Burroughs High must forfeit a girls’ basketball victory because Coach Doug Nicol attended a game when he was serving a one-game suspension.

Nicol was ejected from a game against Burbank on Jan. 30 and, under Southern Section rules, was barred from being present at Burroughs’ next game.

Nicol was a spectator at the Indians’ 49-44 Foothill League victory against Valencia on Feb. 3.

“I’ve known at least five other coaches who have been suspended and gone to the next game,” Nicol said. “I talked to people at our school and was told I could be there. If I knew the rule . . . I never would have been there.”

Valencia is two games ahead of Burroughs in second place.

FOOTBALL

Signing on: Cal State Northridge has signed tight end Nate Davenport, quarterback Dan Ehler and nose guard Sean Beard.

Davenport, 6 feet 5 1/2 and 215 pounds, is from Cathedral City High.

Ehler, 6-4 and 200, is a transfer from Citrus College and a former minor league pitcher.

Beard, 5-10 and 235, is a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College.

The Matadors expect to sign running back Melvin Blue, a transfer from Utah State who is enrolled at Northridge. Matador assistant Jeff Kearin said Northridge is awaiting a release from Utah State.

SOCCER

Unofficial: One of the most eagerly awaited games of the boys’ high school soccer season was postponed Tuesday when referees were not available for the El Camino Real-Birmingham match at Birmingham.

The Northwest Valley Conference game, the second between the circuit’s top two teams, was rained out on Friday. The game is tentatively rescheduled for next Tuesday, the last possible day of the regular season.

Birmingham Athletic Director Lou Ramirez said he was unable to get referees Tuesday because of a full slate of regularly scheduled games and makeup contests in the region.

Coach David Hussey of El Camino Real, which leads Birmingham by three points, said he won’t be upset if the game isn’t played.

“They need to play us a lot more than we need to play them,” he said.

BASEBALL

First-run: Former Chaminade High catcher Ryan Hamill, a freshman at Nevada Las Vegas, hit his first college home run on Friday against Utah.

BOXING

10-count for Vargas: Former U.S. Olympian Fernando Vargas of Oxnard will fight his first 10-round junior-middleweight bout against Dan Connolly of Pittsburgh on March 13 at Miccosukee Indian Reservation near Miami.

Vargas, 20, has knocked out all nine opponents since turning pro last March. Connolly is 19-3 with 11 knockouts.

In the main event, Robert Garcia of Oxnard and Harold Warren meet for the IBF junior-lightweight title.

Return event: Boxing returns to the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City with a program Feb. 27 that will include heavyweight Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills.