Montclair Prep Asks for Sanctions Review
Administrators from Van Nuys Montclair Prep have asked Southern Section officials to reconsider sanctions levied against the school last week.
Commissioner Jim Staunton said Montclair Prep officials met with him Tuesday. Staunton said he’ll meet with the section’s executive committee to review the case and that a decision could be made this week. Playoffs begin within two weeks.
Montclair Prep was put on probation and banned from postseason play in all sports for one year after a two-sport athlete filed a complaint, alleging the school’s principal said he’d have to leave school if he didn’t play football. Montclair Prep faced similar sanctions in 1991 for rules violations committed by the football program.
-- Dan Loumena
The civil trial in which a former Compton Dominguez boys’ basketball player is accusing Coach Russell Otis of sexual molestation has been continued to June 9. The jury trial in Compton Superior Court was originally scheduled to begin Monday.
In April 2001, Otis was acquitted in a criminal trial. The coach, fired in February 2001 for what Compton Unified School District officials said was his failure to obtain a teaching credential, was rehired by the same district last December by a 4-3 vote.
The district is also a defendant in the case, accused of negligence.
Conrad Kohrs, Otis’ attorney in the civil litigation, has brought a cross-complaint against the plaintiff for allegedly lying during the criminal investigation and trial.
-- Ben Bolch
Jerome Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound linebacker and tight end from Los Angeles Dorsey, has committed to Oregon. Today is the first day that high school players can sign a letter of intent.
Other football commitments:
* Alhambra running back Fred Colbert, who rushed for 2,087 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, to New Mexico.
* Receiver and safety Husain Abdullah of Pomona to Washington State.
* Tight end and defensive end B.A. Harrell of Quartz Hill to Weber State.
* Receiver Michael Chowtham of Bellflower St. John Bosco to Navy.
* Linebacker Raphael Quander of St. John Bosco to Weber State.
* Center Hercules Satele of Long Beach Poly to Hawaii.
* Receiver J.T. Tima of Chino to Wyoming.
* Offensive lineman Matt Kostelnik of Fontana Kaiser to Wyoming.
* Defensive back Richard Moore of Claremont to Cal State Sacramento.
Kristin Anderson, a forward in soccer from South Pasadena, has committed to Nevada.
Anderson, a four-year starter at South Pasadena, is an Olympic Development Player and member of the Southern California Blues club.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Injuries have sidelined three projected starters for the Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula boys’ soccer team for most of the season, but first-year starters Kyle Nakazawa and Mike Hale have helped the Panthers to a 17-3-3 record.
Nakazawa, a freshman midfielder, hasn’t been a big surprise because he was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America under-15 team for this season.
But Hale was projected to be the No. 2 goalkeeper after playing at the freshman-sophomore level last season.
He split time in goal with fellow sophomore Mike Villoria for the first 14 games but has posted five shutouts since becoming the Panthers’ starter for Bay League play.
“He made two very crucial mistakes,” Coach Jim Lillie said of Hale’s play in a 2-1 loss to Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley in a quarterfinal game of the South Torrance tournament in December. “But he started to come into his own after that. He’s made some big-time saves for us.”
Hale has recorded three shutouts and allowed eight goals in helping Peninsula to a 10-0 record in league play.
Santa Margarita has regained the No. 1 spot in Student Sports magazine’s national boys’ soccer rankings.
The Eagles, who are 18-1-3, were previously ranked third. But they moved up because top-ranked Coppell, Texas, and No. 2 Palm Harbor University, Fla., lost last week.
Irvine Woodbridge (12-1-2) is fifth in the national rankings for teams playing during the winter season, with Brea Olinda (14-0-3) ninth and Santa Ana Mater Dei (16-2-5) 10th.
-- John Ortega
It hasn’t taken long for the youngest members of the Woodland Hills El Camino Real girls’ soccer team to make an impact on the Conquistadores (16-1-2, 7-0 in West Valley League play), the two-time City Section champions and No. 8 team in The Times’ rankings.
Katie Oakes, the team’s only freshman, has team-high totals of 17 goals and eight assists while playing forward with occasional forays into the midfield.
“She is making a lot happen,” El Camino Real Coach Scott Holloway said. “And the scary thing is, she’s not even close to reaching her potential yet.”
Oakes comes by her talent naturally.
Katie’s older sisters, Krissy and Jill, each had standout careers in high school. Krissy collected 105 goals in three seasons at Lake Balboa Birmingham and led the Patriots to the City semifinals as a senior in 1999, when she had 34 goals and earned All-City honors. Jill, a North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake graduate, was selected the Gatorade national player of the year and The Times’ player of the year last season.
Katie is aware of the standards her sisters set, but Holloway says they’re no higher than Katie’s own standards.
“She’s the kind of player who puts a lot of pressure on herself,” he said. “I think what’s happening right now is that she’s starting to relax and be more comfortable out there.”
Oakes isn’t the only rising star who has made herself at home with the Conquistadores, who have won 11 consecutive matches since a 2-0 loss to North Torrance in the championship game of the South Torrance tournament. Nicole Walberg, a sophomore forward, is third on the team with 11 goals, and sophomore right fullback Ashley Zwoyer has started all season for a defense that has notched 13 shutouts.
Canyon Country Canyon beat Saugus, 2-0, Tuesday and is one victory from clinching its second consecutive Foothill League championship in girls’ soccer.
To beat second-place Valencia on Friday, the Cowboys (16-0, 7-0) will have to count on their defense.
It’s a strategy that has worked for the Cowboys, who are No. 10 in The Times’ rankings.
Canyon senior goalkeeper Lyndsay Taylor has 12 shutouts, and with help from junior sweeper Kayce Matsunaga, sophomore stopper Brianna Caceras and senior fullbacks Amber Anderson and Anna Porcellino, the Cowboys have surrendered three goals all season.
“We are incredibly deep this year, and the defense has just played exceptional,” said Jeremy Cook, Canyon’s co-coach.
Lauren Peterson
