Centennial Transfers Its Way to Victory

Compton Centennial High Coach Rod Palmer was quoted in a Sports Illustrated article earlier this year on the sordid state of high school basketball in Southern California as saying he wanted to use Compton Dominguez as a model for building his Apaches into champions.

Palmer said he meant that he wanted his teams to replicate the Dons’ tenacious defense and exemplary work ethic, not Dominguez’s practice of bringing in top players from across the country, as the article insinuated.

Nonetheless, Centennial solidified its reputation as a transfer haven this week when two senior transfers--from, interestingly enough, Dominguez, by way of other schools--made their debuts in Apache uniforms.

Forward Darius Sanders and guard Saul Lankster III, who helped Dominguez win three consecutive state Division II championships, looked impressive as Centennial coasted to the Washington Prep tournament title. Sanders started and averaged 21.6 points in three games while Lankster brought intensity off the bench as the team’s sixth man.

“It felt good to finally get out there and play again,” said Sanders, a 6-foot-6, 240-pounder who is being more heavily recruited as a football player.

The transfers make already formidable Centennial (6-0), No. 12 in the Times’ rankings, the odds-on favorite to challenge No. 11 Pasadena Muir (11-0) for the Southern Section Division III-A title.

But they also raise the troubling specter of transferring solely for athletic purposes. In joining Centennial, Sanders and Lankster transferred for the second time this school year.

Sanders left Dominguez and enrolled at Lynwood over the summer when it looked like former Dominguez coach Russell Otis might take over the Knights’ program, but Otis later withdrew his name from consideration for a teaching position. Sanders starred at defensive end for Lynwood during the football season before moving on to Centennial.

“[His family] wanted him to come with us,” Palmer said of Sanders. “I wasn’t going to turn him down.”

Lankster started the school year at Long Beach Poly, where he hoped to play basketball for the Jackrabbits. But after Southern Section officials denied his hardship waiver several weeks ago, Lankster enrolled at Centennial.

“The kid loves Poly, but he wants a [college] basketball scholarship,” said Saul Lankster II, the player’s father and a board member of the Compton Unified School District.

“I am happy for him because this is what he wants to do.”

Said Mel Collins, co-principal at Long Beach Poly: “Families and parents make those decisions [regarding transfers]. Whether they’re making them for the right reasons, I don’t tend to get into [that].”

The younger Lankster played in two games for Centennial during a tournament in Sacramento before section officials cleared the way for Sanders to join him in the lineup.

Because of past indiscretions, the Apaches must submit all transfer paperwork to section officials for approval.

“I’m glad to do it,” Palmer said. “We know that we have all our Ts crossed and I’s dotted. We can just go on and play.

“Whatever people say can’t hurt us because [section officials] have all our paperwork.”

Centennial forfeited 11 games last season after section officials determined that the school had not submitted required paperwork documenting the move of standout center Tony Key, a 6-11 transfer from Kentucky.

Section officials also determined that Key was living with someone who was not his legal guardian, prompting his return to Kentucky.

During the 1999-2000 season, Palmer’s first at Centennial, the Apaches had to forfeit five games for using another ineligible player.

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Scrappy little bunch: Despite having no player taller than 6-4, Santa Margarita is 11-0 because of tough defense and exceptional senior leadership.

The Eagles defeated Irvine Woodbridge, 60-48, Saturday night to win the Irvine tournament championship thanks to three seniors who are three-year starters--Lenny Collins, Brandon Rohe and Travis Smith.

Collins scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Santa Margarita outscored the Warriors, 24-13.

“Our coach tells us to be blue-collar players,” Rohe said.

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Short-handed: Playing without five regulars who were benched because of their involvement in a fight last week, Dorsey nearly defeated Knoxville (Tenn.) Austin East in the first round of the King of the Bluegrass Tournament in Fairdale, Ky. The Dons lost, 74-73, before being knocked out of the tournament by an 83-74 loss to eventual consolation champion St. Andrew’s (R.I.).

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Staff writer Eric Sondheimer and correspondent Todd Behrendt contributed to this report.