Randall Out as Coach of Heralds

Whittier Christian High is looking for a football coach after deciding not to renew the contract of Steve Randall.

“We want to go in a different direction,” Athletic Director Carl Martinez said.

Randall’s firing is another in a series of staff changes that began last spring, though Martinez said the move is not part of any broad-based plan. Randall had coached at the school 14 years and had a 15-36 record in five seasons as head coach of the Heralds.

* Doug Nienhuis, an offensive tackle at Woodbridge High, canceled recruiting trips to Hawaii and Villanova and has committed to play at Oregon State, his mother, Joyce Nienhuis, said.

SOFTBALL

Two El Toro players have accepted college scholarships, according to coach Jim Daugherty.

Sondra Milchiker, an first-team All-Sea View League outfielder, will attend Cal State Northridge.

Second baseman Nicole Everett, also a first-team all-league player, will attend UC Santa Barbara.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

La Habra backup guard Amy Ortiz suffered a sprained back Wednesday in the Highlanders’ loss to Sunny Hills, but she will probably return to the girls’ basketball team after getting a week to 10 days off.

“She’s about 5 feet 6 and very thin, and the weight of the pile doubled her over,” La Habra Coach Frank McCarroll said. “It was a freak thing. It was like you fold up a beach chair. She felt a lot of discomfort in her back.”

Ortiz, a senior, was taken to Whittier Community Hospital by paramedics. The game was stopped with 1 minute 31 seconds remaining and Sunny Hills leading, 65-40.

“There was no reason to go on--we weren’t going to score 26 in 1:31,” McCarroll said.