Westchester Starts Appeal Process

Westchester High filed an appeal with the City Section on Thursday, the first step in the school’s effort to overturn sanctions against its boys’ basketball team.

A three-person section panel will hear the appeal at a date to be determined. If that effort fails, Westchester can appeal to the California Interscholastic Federation state office.

The Comets, two-time defending state Division I champions, were banned from postseason play for one year after the City Section Rules Committee ruled Tuesday that an assistant coach recruited center Amir Johnson from Los Angeles Verbum Dei.

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 junior, was ruled ineligible for one year because he gave false testimony, and Comet assistant Marlon Morton was barred from coaching at Westchester or at any other City Section school for one year. Westchester also was placed on one-year probation.

Morton declined to comment. Westchester Principal Dana Perryman said she was unaware if Johnson’s family would attempt to obtain a restraining order to block the section’s ruling.

“I hope that they would pursue that,” Perryman said. “I think an injustice has been done to a fine young man and to a fine program.”

-- Rob Fernas

The pre-trial hearing for Glenn Thompkins, the former Rialto Eisenhower football coach, scheduled for Wednesday has been continued until Jan. 14 in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Fontana.

Thompkins is charged with five counts of statutory rape, five counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count of dissuading a witness, charges that carry a maximum prison term of 9 years 8 months.

Fontana will not retain Jeff Strycula as football coach because of what Athletic Director Ron Veach said were philosophical differences.

Strycula was 8-23 in three seasons, including a 5-6 record and a playoff appearance this season. Though the varsity improved under Strycula, the freshman and junior varsity teams combined for one victory this season.

-- Martin Henderson