Garnett passes his judgement

Charles Rich and Hamlet Nalbandyan

GLENDALE -- o7 Odds and ends from the local high school girls’

basketball scene:f7

Sorry, wrong number: Here’s a memo to the Glendale High girls

basketball team: don’t bother asking Coach Errol Garnett to bend the

rules.

Flattery and influence won’t get them anywhere. Discipline will win

the athletes positive points provided they don’t surpass Garnett’s

minus-point system.

Glendale found out firsthand at halftime of its 58-46 Pacific League

home victory against Pasadena on Tuesday.

The players expected to retreat to the locker room at intermission to

regroup and discuss second-half strategy. Garnett had other ideas and

instead offered a succinct reason to keep his players in the gymnasium

after Glendale had built a 25-12 lead.

Garnett said players are allowed up to five judgmental errors per

quarter. Should that number be surpassed, a series of calisthenics must

be performed on the hardwood.

Unfortunately for Garnett’s players, they passed Garnett’s grace

number twice during the game.

He counted seven errors in the second quarter. That resulted in the

athletes doing three sets of wind sprints at halftime.

Things got worse. Garnett counted eight third-quarter miscues and

requested that the players do push ups adjacent to the team bench.

Garnett didn’t try to sugarcoat his feelings.

“Sometimes when you get a lead, you tend to lose focus on the game and

certain errors start happening,” Garnett said. “The errors can be

offensive, defensive or improper positioning. My job is to keep

motivating them and put us in a position to win.”

At least Glendale overcame the extra exercise sessions and had enough

energy to topple Pasadena.

No workout sessions were held after the contest.

Family first: Glendale High boys’ basketball player Riley Van Patten

made it no secret as to which team he was rooting for during the Jan. 18

girls’ basketball meeting between the Nitros and archrival Hoover.

The charismatic Van Patten shouted constant words of encouragement

from the bleachers, but it wasn’t directed for the school that he plays

for.

The Nitro senior -- who attends Clark Magnet School -- was cheering

for the Tornadoes, who are coached by Riley’s father, Jack Van Patten.

Despite Riley’s endorsement, the Hoover ladies couldn’t overcome a

tough shooting night to fall, 55-36.

To make matters worse, the Hoover fans didn’t return the favor when

Riley played in the boys’ game.

The Tornado hecklers shouted “Ri-ley,” throughout the Pacific League

contest, only to watch the guard lead Glendale to a 46-39 victory.