Fairfax Clamps Down, Beats Westchester, 58-54

Los Angeles Fairfax held host Westchester scoreless for the last 2 minutes 45 seconds of their Western League game Wednesday, ending a nine-game losing streak against the Comets with a 58-54 victory.

The Lions, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, trailed No. 5 Westchester by 14 points at the half and by nine after three quarters.

A three-point basket by Ahmaad Cook gave the Comets (13-4, 3-0 in league play) a 54-49 lead with 2:45 remaining, but Matt Shaw made two free throws and JaShon Hampton scored on a layup after stealing the inbounds pass to cut the lead to 54-53.

Chace Stanback then scored on a fastbreak dunk and the Lions (13-2, 2-1) led for the first time since the first quarter.

Westchester missed two free throws with 57 seconds remaining and misfired on its last four field-goal attempts, including a potential tying three-pointer with 6.1 seconds remaining.

“It’s like a dream come true to finally beat them,” said Stanback, who scored 16 points.

Hampton scored 18 points to lead Fairfax.

Cook scored 15 points to lead Westchester, which was coming off a 69-52 loss to No. 4 Compton Dominguez on Saturday.

-- Dan Arritt

In an offense-minded Coliseum League showdown, Troy Gillenwater scored 25 points and Troy Andrews had 19 to help host Los Angeles Fremont hold off Los Angeles Crenshaw, 99-92.

The 14th-ranked Pathfinders (15-3, 2-0), who led by seven points at halftime, opened a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, relying on numerous offensive options to offset the two-man attack of Traveion Finister, who scored 31 points, and Darnell Gant, who had 18, for No. 23 Crenshaw (14-4, 2-1).

-- Eric Sondheimer

Mike Acheanpong resigned as boys’ basketball coach at Lynwood in the wake of the school’s investigation into his use of an ineligible player in a tournament game Dec. 28, Athletic Director Rick Smith said.

The player, 6-foot-5 senior forward Josh Guillory, who has received scholarship offers from USC and Pepperdine, played for Lynwood last season but moved to Decatur, Ga., in the off-season to live with his sister.

He was the sixth man this season for Tucker High, the top-ranked team in Class AAAA, but after returning to the Southland for a visit over the holidays, he never returned to Decatur.

“I missed my mom,” said Guillory, who was prompted to move to Georgia after the murder of his 19-year-old brother, Justin, in August 2004.

While in Southern California but still enrolled at Tucker, Guillory played for the Knights in a 58-56 victory over Los Angeles Jordan in a consolation game of the Lynwood tournament, making him ineligible to play for Tucker again this season.

“I didn’t think [the game] counted,” Guillory said. “It was a mistake.”

Smith said the victory would be forfeited, dropping Lynwood’s record to 6-9.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Smith said. “He can’t play back there and the only way he can play here is if he’s granted a hardship [waiver].”

Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons said his office was contacted by a spectator who attended the game and, after reading a story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about Guillory’s absence, section officials contacted the school, which began an investigation.

Guillory, 18, said Wednesday he was in the process of enrolling at Lynwood and hadn’t given up hope of playing for the Knights this season.

-- Dan Arritt

Football

The Los Angeles City Section announced that it was putting the football program at San Pedro on probation through the end of the 2006 season for school personnel’s failure “to act in a timely manner” after claims that an assistant coach cheated during a game last fall.

Last month, the section issued a lifetime ban from coaching in the City Section against volunteer Paul Bryan, who continued to coach during the team’s last three games after it came to light that he moved a first-down marker for his team’s benefit.

Commissioner Barbara Fiege said the probation amounts to a warning, but any violation of section rules or unsportsmanlike acts, including those of students, associated with the football program could result in significant penalties.

Toby Gerhart, The Times’ player of the year, committed to Stanford to play football and baseball.

Gerhart, the state’s all-time rushing leader who led Norco to a Southern Section Division V title, said Stanford was aware that he could forgo college if he is selected in the amateur baseball draft.

-- Martin Henderson

Miscellany

Establishing a Masters Meet in swimming, similar to that of track and field in which the top athletes in each division would have the opportunity to compete against one another, is one of three proposals on which the Southern Section Council is expected to take action during its 9 a.m. meeting today in Long Beach.

There is also a proposal to amend the playoff grouping procedures so that re-grouping takes place every two years, instead of the current policy of every four years. Another proposal calls for a revision of the start date for girls’ golf to allow extra time for a round of regional individual tournaments during the postseason.

-- Peter Yoon