Football: USC gets commitment from St. Bonaventure lineman

Giovanni DiPoalo, a top offensive lineman from Ventura St. Bonaventure, has committed to USC, his father, Joe, confirmed Friday. He was also considering Stanford.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound DiPoalo is known for his athleticism and versatility. It's no surprise he decided to commit early because lots of other offensive linemen are expected to follow in August trying to get their college choices out of the way before fall practice begins.

DiPoalo said he went to USC Friday to take an unofficial visit and ended up in Coach Pete Carroll's office with his family and an assistant coach.

"I said, 'I want to be a Trojan,' " DiPoalo said. "They all jumped up excited and clapped. It was great."

DiPoalo said he'll become a center at USC and is being compared to former Trojan Ryan Kalil.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: City Section is big-game hunting again

It should go down as The Lost Year in the City Section football annals.

The City recorded zero marquee victories in 2008 against its dreaded Southern Section rivals.

Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

The closest thing was Crenshaw's victory over Lakewood--and that was a forfeit victory awarded to the Cougars because the Lancers used an ineligible player.

Narbonne beat Mira Costa, 38-14, but that doesn't exactly induce goose bumps, now does it? Neither did Crenshaw's 21-14 victory over Culver City or Carson's 20-13 triumph over Redlands.

Truth be told, the City was so weak last year that its champion was crowned in fitting fashion: via a tie between Marine League rivals Narbonne and San Pedro.

Given this brief history lesson, here's a bold prediction: The City will do something big in 2009.

There are plenty of opportunities. Crenshaw opens its season against Lakewood on Sept. 4--the same day that Carson, a triple-overtime loser to Mater Dei last year, gets another crack at the Monarchs. Los Angeles Jordan seeks some payback against Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei after going 0-3 against the lot last year. And Narbonne takes on Long Beach Poly, Orange Lutheran and Los Alamitos.

A breakthrough is going to happen. It's just a matter of time. And we're not talking until 2010.

--Ben Bolch

Football: Home, sweet home for L.A. Jordan?

Los Angeles Jordan had to play its home football games off campus last year so that lights could be installed and a track could be constructed around the playing field.

That was the plan, anyway.

Bulldogs home games will be held back on campus this year, but they will be played in the afternoon because the lights were never added. (There is a nice new rack encircling the field, if it's any consolation.)

Coach Elijah Asante is resisting the temptation to perpetually shake his head in frustration.

"We try to stay focused on football itself," he said. "If you get caught up on other things it gets discouraging."

The Bulldogs' 2009 home schedule is a doozy, especially nonleague games against Southern Section powers St. Bonaventure on Sept. 18 and Mater Dei on Sept. 25. The Mater Dei game will be held at L.A. Southwest College to accommodate the Monarchs' large contingent of fans.

Jordan went 0-3 against Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei last year but is expecting different results this time around.

"We didn't schedule these teams so we could keep losing to them," Asante said. "We're going after them. We expect to win when we step on the field."

The Bulldogs feature star receiver Deshawn Beck and a roster that numbers about 40 players, nearly double that of last year's squad. Jordan often wore down in the fourth quarter last year against deeper opponents.

"People said you need to be in better condition," Asante said. "Well, there's no getting in condition for that."

--Ben Bolch

Football: Pac-10 relying on SoCal standouts

After spending all morning at the Pacific 10 Conference football media day on Thursday, it's clear that lots of former high school standouts from Southern California will be heard from this coming season.

Former Crenshaw linebacker Reggie Carter was on the podium with UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel. Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh was raving about his running back, former Norco standout Toby Gerhart, who mentioned that his real passion is for football even though he's also a top outfielder for the baseball team.

Arizona State Coach Dennis Erickson has high regard for kicker Thomas Weber from Los Angeles Loyola.

USC Coach Pete Carroll has turned to Orange County for his quartebacks, Aaron Corp from Orange Lutheran and Matt Barkley from Santa Ana Mater Dei.

And just wait until this incoming freshman class gets on the field.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Explanation given for new Dominguez coach

The associate superintendent of Compton Unified School District said "a renewed focus on athletic accountability" led officials to replace former NBA and USC player Duane Cooper as coach of Compton Domiguez High's elite program.

Cooper, whom the district described as an interim walk-on replacement to the legally imperiled former Dons coach Russell Otis, expressed disbelief last week when he was replaced after one season by little known Jordan Littlejohn. After Otis led the Dons to 10 Southern Section titles and six state championships since the late 1980s, Cooper directed Dominguez to a Southern Section semifinal and to the state playoffs.

Credentialing has been an issue at Dominguez in the past. District officials cited Otis' lack of a permanent credential as its reason for firing him in 2001, the year he was acquitted of sexually molesting one of his players.

Otis had coached Dominguez from 1987 to 2000 without obtaining a permanent teaching credential, according to records from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. During those years, he used a series of temporary credentials to remain eligible to teach at the school. Otis obtained a permanent credential in 2001, the records show. The Compton Unified School District re-hired Otis as Dominguez’s coach in 2002.

Otis’ second stint as Dominguez’s coach lasted until 2008, when allegations of unwanted sexual advances on a player and commercial burglary surfaced.

Associate superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen said district policy requiring credentialed teachers to coach and CIF standards led the district to appoint Littlejohn.

"In hiring Littlejohn, we're following state case law and ... renewing our emphasis on both academics and athletics," Hansen said.

Cooper, who led USC to the NCAA tournament and played for the Lakers, said he was working toward his credential and was enrolled in a Master's degree program.

Littlejohn's coaching experience includes AAU coaching in Chicago, the girls' basketball varsity job at Los Angeles Locke High and as a frosh/soph boys' coach, Compton Unified's prepared news release said.

Already, two Dominguez standouts, returning San Gabriel Valley League MVP Keala King, and 6-feet-9 center Norvel Pelle, have expressed their interest in transferring. King is registered at Mater Dei, and Pelle is considering his options.

"I look forward to continuing the Dominguez tradition of state championships and focusing on the long-term academic achievement of our athletes," Littlejohn said in the news release.

--Lance Pugmire and Stuart Pfeifer 

   

Baseball: Agoura pitcher finally healthy after penguin encounter

Agoura senior left-hander Patrick Brennen is showing everyone how good a pitcher and hitter he is when he's healthy. He's 5-1 and batting .540 this summer in helping the surprising Chargers reach Friday's championship game of the Valley Invitational Baseball League.

But what's amazing is the story Brennen tells of how he broke his nose last fall. It sounds straight out of an episode of "The Simpsons." He was playing dodgeball in the gym and another student dressed in a penguin suit ran into him. The beak from the costume struck Brennen in the nose, requiring surgery and sidelining him several weeks.

He missed much of the 2009 season because of injuries, but he's back and doing well. Take a look at this video interview. Brennen explains what happened with great comedic effect.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Baseball: Agoura reaches VIBL championship game

After a last-place finish in the Marmonte League last season, Agoura is showing this summer that it could be one of the most improved teams in the Southern Section. On Wednesday, the Chargers earned a spot in the championship game of the Valley Invitational Baseball League playoffs with a 12-2 victory over Newbury Park.

Agoura will face Valencia West Ranch, an 8-7 winner over Encino Crespi, in Friday's 6:30 p.m. championship game at Lake Balboa Birmingham.

Senior left-hander Patrick Brennen struck out four, walked two and gave up six hits in a complete-game performance for Agoura. Clay Quina had a double and single for the Chargers, who broke open the game with a six-run sixth inning.

West Ranch is seeded No. 1 in the 31-team tournament and survived a six-run rally in the seventh by Crespi. Ryan Keller allowed one unearned run and one hit in five innings. Jared Ortiz and Randy Poe each had two-run doubles.

Michael Hubbard hit a grand slam in the seventh for Crespi.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Alston coaching at GBOA Summer Classic

It's been nearly two months since Rafer Alston's last visit to the Southland.

And who could blame him for not wanting to return? His most recent recent trip out West, during the first week of June, was with the Orlando Magic and the end result was a 101-96 loss to the Lakers in the second game of the NBA Finals. Not exactly a fond memory.

Plenty has changed since. The Lakers won their 15th Larry O'Brien championship trophy, defeating Alston & Co. in five games. Shortly thereafter, the 10-year veteran was traded to the New Jersey Nets. Remarkably enough, Alston is coaching nowadays.

Alston was stalking the sidelines during Wednesday's GBOA Summer Classic tournament at Long Beach Cabrillo High as coach of the New York Panthers, a 17-and-under club team from back East that could end up in Thursday's title game at 6:40 p.m.

"Here I am, back in Cali,'' said Alston, a New York native. "It's good to be back, actually. Good to be back with some kids from my old neighborhood. Basketball is in my blood, so coaching comes easy to me. It's what I'd like to do down the road.''

First things first. And that's playing well against a loaded field at the GBOA Summer Classic.

Alston and the Panthers must contend with the Compton Magic, featuring Los Angeles Price's Richard Solomon and Woodland Hills Taft's Bryce Jones. And there is the team fielded by Santa Ana Mater Dei, which includes Tyler Lamb, Gary Franklin and Keala King.

"I'm here, my team is here because we want to see how we stack up against some of the best teams the nation,'' Alston said. "We came to California for the competition. As a player, as a coach, that's what you want.''

In that case, welcome back.

-- Sean Ceglinsky

Football: Locals make national list of impact sophomore players

Maxpreps.com has come out with its list of impact sophomore players for the coming season, with several from Southern California making the list.

Among the players are receiver Jordan Payton from Westlake Village Oaks Christian, offensive lineman David Barajas from Ventura St. Bonaventure, receiver Kenny Lawler from Upland, running back Jacob Smith from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, linebacker Patrick Wooten from L.A. Jordan and linebacker Milton Williams from La Verne Lutheran.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Boys' basketball: Taft gets 6-6 transfer from Canyon Country Canyon

Woodland Hills Taft, certainly not lacking for basketball talent, has added 6-foot-6, 240-pound  sophomore Brandon Perry, a transfer from Canyon Country Canyon. He has officially checked into school.

It looks as if Taft, Crenshaw and Los Angeles Fairfax are all trying to catch up with defending City Section champion Westchester, which returns most of its team.

-- Eric Sondheimer