Daylight Dilemma

On a beautiful Friday afternoon at Crenshaw High, in the heart of South-Central Los Angeles, teams from Dorsey and Crenshaw played football. The play was spirited and the crowds in the stands and along the sidelines reveled in one of the best rivalries in Southern California.

But despite the pleasant ambience, Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett advocates a permanent eclipse of afternoon football games at his school.

“These kids want to play at their school, under the lights, at night,” Garrett said. “Just about every other community in the United States is able to come together on Friday nights. We should be able to do that too.”

The overwhelming majority of schools in the Southern and City Sections play football games at night. Most have lights on campus. Those that do not either share community facilities or play on fields at neighboring schools equipped with lights.

Crenshaw does not have lights and is one of 15 schools in the City Section--comprised of 49 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District--that plays home games in daylight.

In the Coliseum League, which includes Crenshaw, Dorsey, Fremont, Jefferson, Locke and Manual Arts, only Fremont has lights on campus. Dorsey plays home games at night at nearby Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Palos Verdes Peninsula is among few Southern Section schools that plays 11-man football in the afternoon.

“All games should be at night,” Dorsey linebacker Nicholas Thomas said. “The atmosphere and the environment are a whole lot better.”

Almost all players and coaches prefer to play at night, but they acknowledge some advantages to playing home games immediately after school.

In some cases, more students and faculty are able to attend because they do not have to leave campus and return hours later to participate in a school activity. There also may be a competitive edge to playing in the day.

“[Visiting] players--and coaches--are used to having some time to eat and to prepare mentally for a night game,” Marshall Coach Ray Avesian said. “Coming over here to play in the daytime throws their whole schedule off. They’re not always ready when the game starts.

Crenshaw defensive lineman Scott Cook said his team also benefits from playing at the same time of day that it practices.

“We’re out there at the same time every day and we’re in great shape,” Cook said. “We don’t get tired like teams that play at night all the time.”

But most coaches, including Avesian, say not having lights creates several disadvantages. For example, parents without flexible work schedules cannot attend games or must leave their jobs early to see their children play or perform with the band and cheerleaders. Garrett said some parents send their sons to schools other than Crenshaw so they can watch them play at night.

Scheduling nonleague games is also problematic for coaches at schools that play home day games because most opponents prefer playing at night.

When Manual Arts was searching for opponents before last season, Toiler Coach Glenn Bell contacted Corona Centennial, which also had an open date. Centennial welcomed the opportunity to play Manual Arts, but would not travel for a day game.

The absence of lights can also affect the postseason because although first-round games can be played in the afternoon, quarterfinal playoff games in the City Section must be played at night. Higher-seeded teams from schools without lights are forced to give up home-field advantage and find a neutral site.

Several schools in Southern California have installed permanent lights in recent years. Carson played its first on-campus night game last week. Highland Park Franklin, Tujunga Verdugo Hills and Woodland Hills El Camino Real installed lights in 1998.

“It took us 82 years to get them and we’re thrilled,” said Sheridan Liechty, Franklin’s principal. “It lets a lot more of the community participate and they are very appreciative.”

Beverly Hills has permanent lights this season after using temporary lights to play one home night game in 1998, three in 1999 and five last season.

“Our attendance has dramatically increased,” said Carter Paysinger, Beverly Hills’ coach and athletic director. “It’s been a very good thing for our community.”

Garrett said the same can happen at Crenshaw. He envisions a stadium that can be used for football games, youth sports and other activities and recreational use by the community.

Garrett said the school has secured a grant through LAUSD that will provide half of the $150,000 needed for lights. Crenshaw must raise donations for the rest by February, 2002, to qualify for the funding, Garrett said.

“One of my goals here is to win some championships,” he said, “but more importantly, I want to leave this community with some lights.”