GITTELSON BITS column

By Gerry Gittelson on May 22, 2007 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (341) |

Chandler is taking a chance on UNLV
GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

There was a lot of football recruiting activity this past week at Birmingham High in VanNuys, starting with receiver/defensive back Willie Chandler, who has committed to UNLV.

Considered one of the City Section's fastest players, Chandler caught 45 passes and scored 13 touchdowns - five on returns - and he also totaled four interceptions during his junior season.

"I think Willie has the potential to play right away as a freshman," Birmingham assistant Jim Rose said. "He's going to go to Las Vegas and compete for a job."

Also, Birmingham running back Milton Knox and linebacker Donavon Carter continue to be heavily recruited, and UCLA is in the mix with both. Carter reportedly was close to committing to the Bruins, but he's now considering other offers. Knox, who rushed for 2,374 yards and 29 touchdowns last year, probably will take several official recruiting visits before making a decision.

-- In other football news, the fifth annual Next Level Sports All-Star Game, matching senior standouts from the San Fernando Valley vs. the San Gabriel Valley, is at 5 p.m. today at Granada Hills High.

Oregon State-bound defensive lineman Taylor Henry from Campbell Hall of North Hollywood and New Mexico-bound receiver Davon House from Palmdale are scheduled to participate.
Proceeds benefit the More Hope Foundation for children.

-- Here's one from the it's-a-small-world department: Turns out Norm Lee, an Oaks Christian of Westlake Village softball volunteer, was the Little League coach of the Daily News' very own newly crowned Sports Editor, Kevin Modesti, back at the old Sepulveda Park League.

Same vibe: Bumped into two of the area's top former prep athletes the other day, Ray Cassaday and Natalie Rawson, both of whom work at a local car-rental agency in Canyon Country.

Cassaday was a star football player at Valencia High who later played at UCLA, and Rawson was a softball standout at Highland in Palmdale who earned all-conference recognition at Colgate.

-- Stan Johnson, 27, is a new Cal State Northridge's men's basketball assistant under Bobby Braswell. He was an assistant the past three seasons at Southwest Baptist in Missouri.

"I have gotten to know Stan over the past couple years, and know him to be an extremely hard worker, and someone who has extensive high school and junior college contacts in the Midwest as well as the West Coast," Braswell said. "That will be very beneficial to us."

-- The future looks good for Cleveland High of Reseda's baseball program, as the junior varsity finished 25-2, with the one of the losses to a varsity opponent. Among the top players: Evan Wensberg, Nick Kaid, David Carver and John Wilson.

-- They're calling San Pedro High softball slugger Perelini Koria the next Crystl Bustos, and Kennedy of Granada Hills will get a close look when the teams meet in the City Section championship May 30 at UCLA.

Koria is batting .562 with 17 home runs and an out-of-sight 65 RBIs in 89 at-bats for the top-seeded Pirates (29-2), who have won 13 section titles.

"I really can't say how I hit so many home runs," Koria said. "Everyone who sees me hit thinks I'm really straining up there, but I just try to stay relaxed."

-- Want a first glimpse of former Moorpark High star football running back in Darrell Scott in his new St. Bonaventure colors? The high-profile transfer running back - coming off a 3,000-yard junior season - returns to the area for the sixth annual Under the Lights passing tournament, presented by Saugus Centurions, at Central Park on June 22-23.

Among the other top participants are Birmingham, Hart of Newhall, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Valencia and Westlake.

-- Former North Hollywood football coach Brad Ratcliff has been appointed football coach at West Adams, a new City Section school in Los Angeles. The school is slated to compete in the new Southern League, which also will include Hollywood, formerly of the Sunset Six League.

Also, Kiirk Wagner, is a former Campbell Hall assistant, is the boys' basketball coach.

Gerry Gittelson's column appears in the Daily News three times a week.