Beverly Hills to Host First Night Game

The first night home football game in the 72-year history of Beverly Hills High will be played Friday when the Normans play host to Culver City in a Bay League game.

Temporary lights will be installed at Nickoll Field for the homecoming game at a cost of $1,500.

Ben Bushman, Beverly Hills’ principal, said the game will begin at 6 p.m. because “we didn’t want to have a late-night event where we might have a problem with the community.”

Beverly Hills, which moved from Division IX to Division II this season, and Palos Verdes Peninsula are the only Southern Section schools in the 11-man division that play regular-season home games in the daytime. Under Southern Section rules, playoff games must be played at night, so home playoff games for Beverly Hills have been played at schools as far away as El Segundo.

“All of our players understand the significance of this game and they are excited because they know a lot of alumni and people from the community that probably wouldn’t come to a regular game will be there,” Beverly Hills Coach Carter Paysinger said. “We think it’s going to be a huge success and we’re hoping that it may open the door to playing other big games here at night.”

Bushman, who has worked at Beverly Hills High since 1965 and was football coach from 1972-74, said the local district of the American Youth Soccer Organization has pledged $40,000 toward the installation of permanent lights at the campus, which Bushman said would cost $250,000.

Bushman said the school is undergoing a major remodeling program and that any decisions regarding permanent lights at the school are “probably a year away.”

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Wide receiver Ricky Moore of Perris High has caught 76 passes this season, 16 shy of the state regular-season record of 92 set by Tim Overton of Perris in 1996.

The state and national record for receptions in a season is 121, set by Steve Martinez of Los Angeles Wilson in 1977.

Perris quarterback Garrett Ritchea is ranked second in the state in passing with 2,196 yards. Kyle Boller of Newhall Hart is No. 1 with 2,614 yards.