Sanders Promoted at Westlake High

Rich Sanders, who replaced Gary Grayson as interim boys’ basketball coach at Westlake High in the middle of last season, has been hired on a permanent basis.

Sanders, 60, took over the Westlake program after Grayson was suspended for the remainder of the season following a 63-62 overtime loss to Newbury Park in a Marmonte League game on Jan. 7.

Grayson, who was in his 10th season, and Athletic Director Joseph Pawlick of Westlake have declined comment on the reasons for the suspension.

But sources close to the athletic department say it was related to an incident that took place in Honolulu in December when player Adam Mazarei missed the team’s return flight to Los Angeles a day after the Warriors won the Kona tournament.

Mazarei, a junior guard, has declined to say what happened, but has said Grayson did everything in his power to get him on the flight.

Westlake (13-14, 3-9 in league play) upset Thousand Oaks, 71-69, in overtime in its first game under Sanders, but the Warriors were 2-8 after that.

“Our goal is to make them competitive,” Sanders said. “If we can do that, then the rest will be up to breaks. . . . I think that we have the athletes and the ability is there.”

Westlake is expected to have eight returning letterman next season, including 6-6 forward Tyler Adamczyk, who averaged 18.4 points and 7.8 rebounds before missing the last five games of the season because of mononucleosis.

* Senior guard Joey Penberthy joined his brother, Mike, as the only Master’s College players to be selected to the NAIA All-American men’s basketball team.

Penberthy led Master’s (28-6 and quarterfinalists in the NAIA men’s basketball tournament) in scoring with a 20.2 average. He ranks sixth all-time among Master’s scorers with 1,876 points and his 81.2% free-throw shooting ranks No. 2 for the Mustangs. He was a third-team selection last year.

Senior forward Joclin Julmist, who became the first player in NAIA history to rank in the top five in rebounding each season, was selected to the third team after leading the nation in rebounding with an average of 14.2. He ranks third on Master’s rebounding list at 1,565 and is the only Mustang chosen to the All-American team three times.

Freshman center Leslie DuBois was chosen honorable mention among women. She led Master’s in scoring (18.1), rebounding (9.3) and free-throw shooting (77.8%).

* Tyler Newton of Burroughs High, Kris Rubio of Hoover and Jeff Brown of St. Francis will play in the Hall of Fame All-Star boys’ game matching top players from the San Gabriel Valley.

Courtney Adams of La Canada, Sinnamonn Garrett of Crescenta Valley, Hilary Driffill of Glendale, Tenie Hartounian of Hoover and Michelle Duncan of Burbank will play in the girls’ game.

The girls’ game will start at 6 p.m., with the boys’ game at 8 p.m. at Muir High.

FOOTBALL

* Ryan Fien, a former quarterback at Royal High, UCLA and Idaho, has been hired to coach quarterbacks at Thousand Oaks.

SOCCER

* The Valley United under-17 boys’ team won the Celtic Gold Cup in San Bernardino over the weekend, with Andy Dubin selected most valuable player.

Valley United, comprised of players from Calabasas, El Camino Real, Chaminade, Crespi, Kennedy and Burroughs high schools, allowed only two goals in winning five games. Its next tournament is the State Cup on April 1-2.