Otis’ Acquittal Pleases Coaches, Players

Coaches and players at Compton Dominguez High were relieved after former coach Russell Otis was acquitted earlier this week on charges that he sexually molested a player last fall.

Robert Sommers, an assistant at Dominguez for three seasons, said the team remained supportive of Otis throughout the season and the trial.

“Hopefully he can pick up the pieces,” Sommers said. “He has a great support group around him and he should be able to start his life over just like before all the allegations started.”

Otis, who guided the Dons to four state titles, missed all of this past season after his arrest in November.

Otis, 38, was suspended after he was arrested. He was fired by the Compton Unified School District in February because, a state-appointed administrator of the district said, he had failed over 14 years of teaching to obtain permanent credentials.

Steve Singleton, named interim coach shortly after Otis’ arrest, guided the Dons to their third consecutive Division II state title.

Otis has said that he considers a return to Dominguez as one of his options, and Leonard B. Levine, Otis’ attorney, said Otis, “cleared up the credentials problem.” But a district spokesman said he could not speculate about whether Otis could return to coach the Dons.

Sommers said players and coaches want Otis back.

“We hope to move forward in a positive direction,” Sommers said. “This is Coach Otis’ program.”

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Jim Nielsen, who guided the Redondo Union boys’ basketball team to its first Southern Section title since 1943, called his recent hiring as a Pepperdine assistant “a dream come true.”

Nielsen, 51, taught and coached at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa for 17 years and has been at Redondo Union for nine.

“I always thought I might get an opportunity at a JC or a small college and then this opportunity presented itself,” Nielsen said. “I’m thrilled and ready for a new challenge.”

Nielsen is the second coach of a recent section champion to leave his position to coach in college. Jeff Klein, who guided the Upland boys’ basketball team to the Division I-AAA title, will coach at Chaffey College next season.

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All-star basketball games pitting seniors from Southern Section schools against seniors from City Section schools will be played Saturday at Long Beach Poly High.

USC-bound Errick Craven of Torrance Bishop Montgomery and Arizona-bound Isaiah Fox of Santa Monica Crossroads are among the Southern Section players. Co-City players of the year Andre Patterson of Washington and Kenton Paulino of Fremont will also play.

Elizabeth Rivera of Bell Gardens and Mary Turner of Chaffey are among the players on the Southern Section girls’ team. Yeisha Bacon of Crenshaw and Tremaine Parker of Washington lead the City.

The girls’ game begins at 4 p.m., the boys’ game at 6.