Wright Joins New Mexico Movement

Quincy Wright of El Camino Real High became the fifth player from the region to commit to New Mexico.

Wright, a three-year starter at tailback, gained 2,146 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a senior for the Conquistadores, who won the City Section 3-A Division title.

Wright, 5 feet 9 and 170 pounds, joins Justin Mobley and Joe Manning from Antelope Valley High, Jeff Macrea from Valley College and Larry Lovett from Moorpark College.

Former Valley College and Cal State Northridge Coach Jim Fenwick was named offensive coordinator at New Mexico earlier this month.

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Headed north: Kennedy High defensive end Armand Seals has committed to Oregon State. Seals, 6-3 and 230 pounds, was an All-Northwest Valley Conference and All-City selection.

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Landing on his feet: Tim Johnson, who resigned as Chaminade High football coach last month, has been hired as defensive coordinator at Lindenwood University, an NAIA Division I school in St. Charles, Mo.

Johnson clashed with Ed Croson, who recently succeeded Johnson after resigning as Chaminade athletic director.

“They said it wasn’t a good fit, whatever that means, and that I resigned,” Johnson said. “They fired me and I was never told why.

“But I loved the Chaminade community. The bitterness comes from only one or two people there.”

Johnson is familiar with the Heart of America Conference in which Lindenwood competes. He played for William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., and coached at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., before to arriving at Chaminade.

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Committed: Larry Jones, a running back-defensive end from Taft, has committed to St. Mary’s. Jones helped Taft reach the City 4-A final last season and is the defending City Section champion in the 400-meter dash.

GOLF

He’s in: Paul Holtby of Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks parred the fifth playoff hole on Tuesday to win a five-way playoff and earn a berth into the PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.

Holtby birdied the 18th hole in regulation for a score of 70 that got him in the playoff. The Buick Invitational is Feb. 5-8 at Torrey Pines.

SOCCER

Appeal fails: Frank Parodi, fired in November as coach of the Moorpark College men’s team, said his request to the school administration that he be reinstated has been denied.

Parodi, who coached the Raiders since 1989 and whose record in 14 junior college seasons was 115-77-33, said after his firing he would pursue legal action against Moorpark.

Wednesday, however, Parodi said he has dropped that plan.

On Monday, former Raider assistant Mike Evans, whom Parodi blamed in part for his firing, said he has withdrawn from consideration to succeed Parodi.