18 Orange Lutheran Players Are Suspended

Orange Lutheran has suspended 18 football players for violating school rules, said Coach Jim Kunau, whose team is ranked No. 17 in the Southland by The Times and will play host to No. 9 Santa Ana Mater Dei on Saturday at Brea Olinda.

Five players will serve two-game suspensions and 13 will miss three games. The Lancers defeated Lancaster, 27-14, on Saturday without the 18 players.

“This is a group of good kids who made some poor choices and are being held accountable,” said Kunau, who is also the school’s athletic director. “This is not a crisis for us. What’s happening in Louisiana is a crisis. We have plenty of quality kids who are available to play Saturday, and we expect them to play well.”

-- Martin Henderson

The relocation of high school athletes affected by Hurricane Katrina has already benefited City title favorite Woodland Hills Taft, where 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior tackle Darrion Weems enrolled Tuesday.

Weems started in his team’s season-opening game for New Orleans McMain before the hurricane struck. His family evacuated from New Orleans and has come to live with a relative within Taft’s attendance boundary

The CIF is expected to decide on an eligibility policy for Katrina transfers by the end of the week. “The influx of these kids could change teams in certain states,” Taft Coach Troy Starr said.

Weems is not eligible to play in Taft’s season opener tonight against Crenshaw.

Quarterback Samson Szakacsy officially enrolled at Camarillo on Wednesday after checking out of Ventura St. Bonaventure.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Cross-Country

Senior Emily Spiker, the top returning runner for Ventura, the two-time defending Division I girls’ state champion, is out indefinitely because of a broken ankle, Coach Bill Tokar said.

Spiker, who finished seventh at the state finals last year, injured her ankle last month on a training run, Tokar said. The fracture was diagnosed Friday.

“I’m pretty much assuming she’s not going to be competing this season,” Tokar said.

The Cougars, who open their season Saturday at the Morro Bay Invitational, also have juniors Molly Bailey and Laura Mason, who finished 13th and 14th, respectively, at the state finals.

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The Laguna Hills Invitational is Saturday at Laguna Hills High, where Lake Forest El Toro, Corona del Mar, Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula and Huntington Beach Marina are among those scheduled to compete.

The Seaside Invitational is Friday at San Buenaventura State Beach Park in Ventura, and the Bronco Invitational, hosted by Cal Poly Pomona, is Saturday at Prado Park in Chino.

-- Dan Arritt