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Montclair Prep isn't the only school in the region with major changes as September nears.

West Valley Christian has discontinued its high school. The West Hills campus will still operate its elementary and junior high.

Like Montclair Prep, West Valley Christian had recent success in boys' basketball.

The Falcons advanced to the Div. VI-A championship in 2010. The Falcons lost to Kilpatrick on the court but Kilpatrick was forced to forfeit the championship victory for using an ineligible player.

"It was pretty much a huge shock to all of us," former coach Brady Day said.

Day said declining enrollment and other factors were cited as reasons for dropping the high school.

Day has landed at Hillcrest Christian of Thousand Oaks. Day is the athletic director and boys' basketball coach.

Former West Valley Christian athletic director Ken Roupe is the new athletic director at Concordia West.

Concordia West is the new school name after the merger of Canoga Park Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran.

Two Sylmar-based high schools have also merged.

First Lutheran and L.A. Lutheran have combined and will now be called Concordia High.

The first half could not have been closer, as both Taft and Westchester have scored 14 points in the first quarter and 10 in the second to forge a 24-24 halftime tie.in the City championship at Galen Center.

Westchester's top player, Dwayne Polee, was tagged with two fouls in the first three minutes and did not return until the beginning of the second quarter. When he left, Westchester was leading 9-4, and then Taft went on a quick 5-2 run, cutting the gap to 11-9 on consecutive inside baskets by De'Andre Daniels.

Westchester then began spreading its wings, and a few minutes later Menas Stephens and Jordin Mayes hit consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead to 24-18. But over the final 75 seconds of the second quarter, Jones scored on a fast-break dunk, then a free throw, followed by Pierson Williams' 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer to make it 24-24.

Jones, a USC commit, had 12 points through two quarters, along with eight rebounds and two steals. He also provided a big help with his pressure defense, as Westchester shot just 26.7 percent in the first half.

- Gerry Gittelson

We always knew Dick Billingsley was a terrific head coach - and apparently the school feels the same way because it's named two coaches to succeed him.

Here is the official press release from the school. Good luck to the new guys, and good luck to coach Billingsley, one of the true good guys.

Oak Park High School is proud to announce its Head Football position has been filled. Dennis Stephenson and Terry Shorten will assume the position as Co-Head coaches. They will replace Dick Billingsley, who stepped down after 19 years at the helm. Stephenson was the Head Football Coach at Grace Brethren HS from 1997-2004. He then came to Oak Park as a Varsity assistant, working with the offensive and defensive lines. With the added responsibilities of Co-Head coach, he will still work with the linemen. He has also worked 10 years as Grace Brethren Youth Sports Director.
Terry Shorten has coached six years of youth football as a head coach and joined the Oak Park staff in 2002. He was the Defensive Coordinator, as well as, linebacker and running back coach for the Jr. Varsity team. From 2005 to 2007 he stepped up into the Head coach of the JV program, as well as, the Offensive and Defensive Coordinator overseeing the Frosh program. This last season Shorten moved up to the varsity and was the Defensive Coordinator.
With Stephenson and Shorten taking over the reins, this will allow for a smooth transition, with their years of experience at Oak Park and their connection to the student athletes, administration, staff and community..