Fairfax Hopes for a Reprieve

Despite a City Section semifinal defeat that supposedly ended the boys’ basketball season for Los Angeles Fairfax (24-3), the Lions could still compete in next week’s Southern California Regional playoffs.

That’s the hope of Barbara Fiege, City Section commissioner, who said Wednesday, “I’m looking into whether there’s a process that would allow an additional entry from the City.”

Westchester and Woodland Hills Taft are the City’s two automatic entries, and all the at-large berths for the state Division I playoffs have been awarded. But Fiege wants to investigate the possibilities.

Cal-Hi Sports ranked Fairfax the No. 2 team in the state behind Artesia before its upset loss to Westchester last week.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Boys’ Soccer

Fountain Valley Los Amigos defeated Apple Valley Granite Hills, 2-0, in a Southern Section Division V semifinal Tuesday even though the match was stopped in the 67th minute when a player on the losing team punched a referee in the chest and was subsequently arrested and cited for alleged misdemeanor battery.

According to an incident report filed with the Southern Section office, the altercation occurred after Blake Harper issued a red card to a 17-year-old Granite Hills senior for using profanity at an opponent.

The offending player had previously been cautioned with a yellow card when he ran toward Harper while arguing a foul call.

Because of special circumstances attached by state law to cases of battery against sports officials, the player could be fined as much as $2,000, sentenced to as much as a year in county jail or both.

Granite Hills classes were on a half-session schedule Wednesday, and messages seeking comment were not returned.

-- Lauren Peterson