Jim Patterson

A crisis center was set up Monday to help Thousand Oaks High School students overcome the weekend deaths of three students in a traffic accident. During one morning session, the center--set up in a school counseling office--was filled with about 30 students, said Principal Lance Erie. More than 250 of the school's 2,400 students had received counseling by noon, school officials said.

Esperanza High School coaches, parents, and players reacted with shock Wednesday to the news that Chris Lee, the boys' varsity basketball coach, was arrested on suspicion of having sex with two female students over the past year. Lee, 41, a first-year varsity coach, was described as a respected teacher by parents and school officials. Lee, who has been placed in a non-teaching assignment, had been an English teacher at the school for three years.

What began as a bad week for the Rancho Santiago College baseball team got worse Friday. Last Tuesday, Rancho Santiago's troubles started when second baseman Rob Reimers was hit by a pitch during practice and broke his left arm. Reimers was the fourth Dons' infielder injured this season. Riverside handed out more bad news Friday, beating the Dons, 14-7, in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs at Riverside.

San Clemente receiver Trevor Insley was off on another precision pass route Friday night. At the same moment, a sideline official turned away from the field to talk to Triton coaches. When the ball arrived, not only was Insley smacked by a Mater Dei player, but he was blindsided by the official. Or did Insley blindside him? Hard to tell, since the official was still facing backward. No matter. Insley made the catch and San Clemente upset Mater Dei, 23-17.

Cypress College pitcher Rich Lodding struggled early, but recovered to help the Chargers to a 7-2 victory over Golden West in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Thursday at Golden West. Lodding, a sophomore right-hander from Western High School, allowed eight hits and two runs in the first five innings. Josh Bammer had a two-out single in the fifth for Golden West, but that was the last hit the Rustlers got.

Bring on those 9-0 pitchers. For the second time in three weeks, Cal State Fullerton dealt a top Big West Conference pitcher his first loss of the season, defeating Cal State Long Beach, 6-3, Friday at 49er Field. Long Beach's Todd Taylor entered the game 9-0, just as Fresno State's Jim Patterson before he faced Fullerton early this month. But both left with 9-1 records. The victory moved Fullerton (31-12, 12-4), ranked No.

The coach of boys' varsity basketball at Esperanza High School in Anaheim has been arrested on suspicion of having sexual relations with two female students over the past year in school classrooms, his home and at other locations, authorities said Wednesday. Christopher Michael Bruce Lee, 41, was arrested Tuesday evening at the high school on suspicion of oral copulation with a minor, sexual assault and penetration with a foreign object, Brea Police Lt. Tom Christian said.

What is this, football? Hockey? Maybe whatever passes for pro basketball these days? Paul Ladin of Westlake Village had just finished the second round of the State Senior Amateur Championship when he began tossing around words like aggressive and attack , terms not typically associated with the genteel game of golf. In short, Ladin said he played defensively and promised it wouldn't happen again. Today, he attacks--even if he dies trying.

After making his first and only birdie putt of the day, an eight-footer on the 18th hole at Poppy Hills Golf Course, Paul Ladin raised a hand over his head and barked loud enough to rattle the dishes in the clubhouse kitchen. "Finally," he said. His play wasn't that bad. Not by a long shot. Ladin fired a one-over-par 73 Wednesday, good for fourth place after the first round of the 3rd State Senior Amateur Championship, for players 55 and older.

A lightning bolt hit a light standard at Westminster High School Thursday night, darkening the stadium and forcing the postponement of Westminster's nonleague football game against Servite. The lightning struck on the visitors' side of the field at 7:02 p.m. while 90 players, 15 coaches and five officials were preparing for the game. About 150 spectators were sitting in the stands.