October 16, 2007

Ineligible player will cost Venice football team
Gondoliers will probably forfeit many victories from their 9-3 season in 2006.
From Times Staff Reports

Venice probably will have to forfeit many of its victories from the 2006 football season because it used an ineligible player. The City Section Rules Committee will meet Tuesday to officially sanction the Gondoliers.

"I haven't heard from them officially," Coach Angelo Gasca said. "But it's a done deal."

Gasca said the school offered to forfeit the games because it learned too late that the player, who Gasca declined to identify, was not academically eligible. The student, who was a senior last year, is no longer at Venice.

"He came over here on a transfer and he came out late for football," Gasca said. "We screwed up. We inadvertently didn't know his GPA was not up to par."

Gasca said the senior played in nine games, sitting out one because of injury. Venice had a 9-3 overall record in 2006, reaching the City championship quarterfinals.

"It's obvious we have to forfeit. We were wrong," Gasca said. "We'll just try and be diligent to keep it from happening again."

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Boys' Soccer

Defender Omar Elmasri of Arcadia and forward Mario Ledezma of Sylmar, both members of Chivas USA's Under-18 Team, have been called up to the U.S. Under-18 Men's national team for the Limoges tournament in Limoges, France.

The U.S. will play games against three international opponents: France on Oct. 29, Turkey on Oct. 31 and Scotland on Nov. 3. Coach Thomas Rongen's roster also includes 11 players from the recent FIFA Under-17 World Cup in South Korea, where the U.S. advanced to the Round of 16.

For the complete 18-player roster, go to www.ussoccer.com.

College Commitments

Aaron Hicks from Long Beach Wilson, one of the top outfielders in the nation, said Monday he intends to sign a letter of intent next month with USC, although he could be a high pick in the June draft.

USC has signed a number of top high school prospects recently, only to lose them to the major leagues. Last June, the No. 2 pick in the draft, Mike Moustakas, was a USC signee and chose the money offered by the Kansas City Royals. Ditto for second-round pick Mike Stanton.

Receiver Marvin Jones of Etiwanda and offensive lineman Kyle Johnson of Norco made commitments to California and Arizona State, respectively, after taking recruiting visits last weekend. Jones caught 63 passes last season. Johnson, 6 feet 7 and 265 pounds, is one of the Southland's top offensive linemen.

Danny Pulfer, a shortstop who transferred to Cypress from Huntington Beach Marina, has committed to Oregon, making him the first Southern California prospect to commit to the Ducks' new coach, George Horton, formerly at Cal State Fullerton.

Pulfer's teammates, pitcher Matt Sisto and center fielder Chase Koissian, each have committed to Hawaii, and junior second baseman David Nick has committed to UCLA.

Infielder Matt Akiyama of Torrance Bishop Montgomery has committed to Cal State Bakersfield, which will start play in NCAA Division I in 2009, and left-handed pitcher Ryan Dejesus from Westlake Village Westlake has committed to San Francisco State.

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Coaching Changes

Mark Cippola has been hired as boys' soccer coach at Alemany, and Kiel McClung has been hired as his assistant.

Cippola, who graduated from Quartz Hill in 2001 and played soccer at San Francisco State, is currently an assistant coach at Mission College. McClung, who graduated from Quartz Hill in 2003 and played soccer at UCLA, is currently a grad assistant with the Bruins.