Varsity

The junior varsity basketball team at Serra High in Gardena has been given an unexpected boost--but it comes at the considerable expense of the varsity. James Moses, a former Alemany swingman who transferred to Serra last month, has been ruled ineligible for varsity basketball competition this season by Ray Plutko, commissioner of the Southern Section of the California Interscholastic Federation.

Want to know the most surprising development of the 2012 high school football season? It's the rise of a new group of quarterbacks few envisioned would become standouts so quickly. They have come seemingly out of nowhere - well, really off the junior varsity team or as unsung varsity backups. They were inserted into the starting lineup at the most important position, embraced the challenge, and look what they have accomplished. Ian Fieber, a junior at Mission Viejo who was a backup at Orange Lutheran, has led the Diablos to a 7-0 record.

The red-and-white championship banners hanging from the rafters in Albright-Van Woy Gymnasium are reminders to all who enter that Inglewood Morningside High is a basketball school. The retired jersey numbers of Byron Scott (11) and Elden Campbell (14) hang above one side of the court, and those of Lisa Leslie (33) and Tina Thompson (14) hang above the other.

Four students at La Puente High School were arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with allegations they sexually hazed younger boys on the varsity soccer team with a pole, authorities said Monday. A coach, who was not named, has been placed on administrative leave. Holding placards and banners and chanting "justice" and "no more hazing," about 30 parents protested outside the high school Monday after the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Special Victims Unit and the school district revealed the arrests and the soccer coach's possible involvement.

Word has been slowly trickling out about high school freshmen who could be major varsity contributors this season. Fans get excited because a freshman on the varsity means the future is bright. Coaches get nervous because it can be tricky starting a freshman over a senior. Sportswriters get pumped because they think they could be watching the next big star. It's wise to be appreciative, but stay calm as these members from the class of 2014 begin to emerge. They're going to be fun to watch, but starting on varsity as a freshman is no guarantee of a college scholarship.

On the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Steven Manfro of Valencia did his best to make a statement that life must go on. He's 16 now and living far away from New York, where he was in 2001. "I was in school," he recalled. "It was pretty traumatic, and the fact it almost killed my father made it worse." His father, Marc, was a New York police officer who became ill in the aftermath of the attack. The family moved months later to Castaic to start a new life.

WATER POLO Position: Varsity and junior varsity water polo. School: Pacifica. Basics: Looking to hire a varsity coach, who will then have a hand choosing the junior varsity coach. No teaching position available. Prefer someone with previous varsity experience, but open to all applicants. Prefer to hire someone by Aug. 11. For information: Call Athletic Director Chris Hurst, (714) 663-6515.

Tom Meylor has been named Loara High School's boys' varsity basketball coach, Athletic Director Ray Moore announced. Meylor has served as the Saxons' interim coach since May when first-year coach Craig Conrad resigned his teaching position was transferred to another campus. Meylor has taught business at Loara for two years and had positions as junior varsity and freshman coach.

Taft High baseball Coach Art Martinez and assistant Rolf Rahl, under fire since early May, will remain in their positions as varsity and junior varsity coaches, said assistant principal Larry Messenger on Tuesday. A meeting Monday night between Taft administrators, parents and baseball coaches culminated weeks of conjecture that Martinez would not return as varsity coach next season.

'We're very honored, but we realize it is a great responsibility to play in the JV game. We have ... to make sure the fans stay around to watch the varsity game.' Gregg Popovich, San Antonio basketball coach, on playing the first game of a TV twin bill

The varsity football players at Torrance Bishop Montgomery High might want to start practicing salutes to kicker Jonathan Kim, because he figures to one day join his brothers Michael and Justin at the U.S. Military Academy and become an officer. Michael is a senior and Justin is a freshman playing for the soccer team at West Point. Jonathan has started the process of trying to join them, but in football. He has been a four-year varsity kicker and made a 47-yard field goal last week in Bishop Montgomery's season opener.

There's a train wreck slowly unfolding in high school sports, and it's time to examine the damage that might take place. Next month, the 10 sections that make up the California Interscholastic Federation will vote on a proposal to revise transfer rules. Under the current rules, an athlete who transfers without moving has to sit out one varsity season unless receiving a hardship waiver. It's designed to prevent athletes from switching schools simply for sports reasons. Now a new proposal, part of a package of changes being sold to schools, would require a 30-day sit-out period as the lone penalty for transferring.

Quarterbacks, beware when passing the football in the direction of junior cornerback Dashon Hunt of Westlake Village Westlake. He knows how to spring a trap and produce a game-changing interception, as was the case last weekend against rival Oaks Christian. "He swooped in like a hawk after a wounded rabbit," defensive coordinator Richard Fong said. Hunt returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown, the sixth time he has scored on an interception return in two years of varsity football.

Ryan Alexander is a 14-year-old freshman at Lake Balboa Birmingham who is so small that he could fit in his school locker. He wears size 5 shoes, stands 4 feet 11 and weighs 85 pounds. "I don't think people stop and say, 'Boy, look at that kid. He must be an athlete,' " cross country Coach Scott King said. Underestimate Alexander if you like, but he can probably outrun any football player going three miles or longer. "When he trains, you can tell right away he's a special talent," King said.

It's pure speculation and gratuitous hype to label a 15-year-old freshman baseball player as a "can't miss" professional prospect. But identifying a top freshman and pointing out that he has the physical and mental maturity to be an immediate varsity standout is fair game, and 6-foot-3, 175-pound freshman Jack Flaherty of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake deserves the early attention. He has the cool, calm, confident demeanor of a young Trevor Plouffe, who started as a freshman for Encino Crespi and went on to become a first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins.

Word has been slowly trickling out about high school freshmen who could be major varsity contributors this season. Fans get excited because a freshman on the varsity means the future is bright. Coaches get nervous because it can be tricky starting a freshman over a senior. Sportswriters get pumped because they think they could be watching the next big star. It's wise to be appreciative, but stay calm as these members from the class of 2014 begin to emerge. They're going to be fun to watch, but starting on varsity as a freshman is no guarantee of a college scholarship.

Valley College evened its nonconference basketball record to 1-1, beating the Azusa Pacific junior varsity team, 93-79, Saturday. Guard Gary Goodrich led the scoring for the Monarchs with 17 points. Forward Fred Louis had 16, forward John Windham had 12 and center Mario Lopez 10.

* Joe Frazier--married at age 15 * Michael Jordan--cut from high school varsity, age 15 * Mary Decker--first world record, age 15 * Margaret Court--60 trophies, age 15 * Pele--first pro soccer contract, age 15-x x-Earned $75 per month Source: World Features Syndicate

Citing the economic downturn and decreased state funding, the University of California announced Tuesday that it will eliminate four varsity sports programs ? including baseball ? at the end of the 2011 academic year. Men's and women's gymnastics and women's lacrosse also will be cut, and the men's rugby team will be reduced to a club sport. "Clearly, this is a painful outcome after months of deliberation, analysis, and the examination of every viable alternative," Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said in a statement released by the university.

When El Camino Real High School senior Daniel de Haas earned the highest score at last month's California Academic Decathlon, he proved himself to be one the smartest kids in the state. But you wouldn't know it from his grades. The 17-year-old's report cards are riddled with Bs, Cs and the occasional "fail." Thanks to a requirement that teams include students with a range of grade-point averages, each nine-member Academic Decathlon squad in the country has at least a few kids like De Haas: bright but uneven students who may chafe in a traditional classroom setting.