Gerry Gittelson: April 2007 Archives

Plenty of coaches on the move
GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

Must be something in the air, because there sure is a lot of movement in local coaching circles, and we're not just talking football coaches Harry Welch of Canyon, Troy Starr of Taft of Woodland Hills and Ben McEnroe of Chaminade of West Hills, all of whom are successful - even legendary in the cases of Welch and Starr - but have made recent goodbyes.

Basketball coaches Jason Bryant of Van Nuys, Andre McCarter of Birmingham of Van Nuys, Richard Johannsen of Verdugo Hills of Tujunga, Ed Chevalier of Oak Park and Brad Katz of Poly of Sun Valley have resigned, too.

Bryant is headed to Lincoln High in San Diego. McCarter, a former UCLA guard, is being replaced by Jason Bryant, who played at USC. Former Santa Paula coach Joey Ramirez is taking over at Oak Park for Chevalier. And, as previously reported, Katz is headed to Pierce College as an assistant, replaced by David Bonino, a former Birmingham standout.

Back to football, Tony White has resigned from St. Genevieve of Panorama City after one season.

-- Fans of Welch, and of local high school football in general, are hoping he ends up at Chaminade of West Hills, where the 62-year-old task- master is weighing what's reportedly a $100,000-plus annual deal. That way, at least he'll be close by, and wouldn't it be fun when Chaminade plays host to Canyon in Week 4?

But there is recurring speculation Welch instead will accept an offer from tiny St.Margaret's High in San Juan Capistrano, which finished 14-0 last season to win the Northeast Division title - the equivalent of Div. XIII by the old standards - but did so with just one player weighing more than 200 pounds.

St. Margaret's defensive lineman Hunter Steffien, the co-division player of the year, is slated to return, along with quarterback Cameron Hiller. But star running back Michael Duenes is a graduating senior.

Welch has two daughters, one who lives in nearby Mission Viejo, and the other in San Diego, a bit farther down the road. The proximity to his daughters (and five grandchildren) makes it a good bet Welch will end up at St.Margaret's.

-- Among the players Welch leaves behind at Canyon are returning standouts Mike Spagnola and A.J. Wallerstein, two of the West Coast's top prospects. Spagnola, who is switching from defensive lineman to linebacker, has put on more than 20 pounds and is up to 232 while retaining his quickness. He's been offered scholarships by several top colleges. Wallerstein, an offensive lineman who might end up at Harvard, also has grown, sprouting to 6-foot-5 and 278 pounds.

"A.J. looks like an NFL player," Welch said.

-- Kevin Lenik, a freshman baseball phenom at Granada Hills High, has been invited to play for the Atlanta Braves' scout team this summer, which theoretically means he has the potential to be drafted in 2010.

Lenik, a 6-3 pitcher/ outfielder, is 2-0 with a 2.54ERA for the Highlanders this season.

Hart of Newhall pitcher Tyler Eyrich sports a 4.5 grade-point average and has never received a grade lower than "A." He also plays defensive back for the football team.

Hart's baseball program also has a terrific young prospect in freshman Josh Wagner, who has thrown two consecutive no-hitters for the undefeated frosh team. Wagner (7-0, 0.46ERA) already throws 80mph and is the son of Jim Wagner, a former Providence of Burbank standout who participated in the 1983 Daily News Bernie Milligan All-Star Game, and played at Arizona and Cal State Northridge.

"I think the odds are pretty great that Josh is going to be better than me because he has a real good support system around him," the elder Wagner said. "Back in the 1980s, you were pretty much on your own. My coach was a Marine drill sergeant. That was my training."

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

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Harry Welch, one of the area's all-time winningest football coaches who's coming off a CIF Div. I State title this past December, has resigned.

Below is a copy of his emailed resignation annoucement. Welch is scheduled to meet meet with reporters at 5 p.m. today at his home, so expect more news, quotes and reactions soon:

"It is with deep emotion that I announce that I met this afternoon with our varsity football players of Canyon High School and informed them that I am resigning as head varsity football coach. I have also sent a formal notice of my immediate resignation to the principal.

"Simply, I can no longer effectively coach with the environment created by our school administrator; and it is time to end that divisiveness.

"I had hoped, planned and wished to coach this season and many ensuing seasons at Canyon High School. I remain passionate about coaching, teaching and supporting our young men and women as they prepare for the responsibilities of adulthood.

"It has been my great honor to coach the varsity program at Canyon High School for 18 years. Others may focus on the championships, titles and wins over these many years. But, for me, the greatest memories are and will remain those of our great young men. I have coached and watched them work harder than they ever imagined, both on the gridiron and in the classroom. Many have excelled; and all have been a part of something bigger than any one individual's efforts or successes.

"To my players, coaches, staff, parents and boosters - past and present - I thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your life. I thank you for your wonderful and enthusiastic support.

"I also wish to thank the Wm. S. Hart UHS District Board. My family and I will forever be honored by their unanimous decision to name our beautiful, new stadium, "Harry Welch Stadium." Wednesday's installation of the formal sign was one of the great highlights of my professional life.

"It was important to make this decision and pass the torch to another before Spring Ball begins in just a couple of weeks. The program is in great shape for another successful season - we have great and deep talent.

"I will always be a Cowboy at heart and will now cheer from the sideline of life for the 'Boys.

Sincerely,

Harry"

------

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Aude gets $20 million settlement in court
GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

Erik Aude, a former All-Southern Section football player from Bethel Christian High in Lancaster who served nearly three years in a Pakistani prison on heroin-smuggling charges, has won a $20 million civil judgement in a Los Angeles court against the man Aude said set him up.

Aude, 24, has always maintained he was duped into unwittingly transporting drugs sewn into suitcases after being hired as an international courier for a supposed leather-goods importer. Now a U.S. court has agreed with him.

Aude also has sold the movie rights to his story to Hollywood producer Robert Chartkoff of "Rocky" fame, according to Daily Variety.

"It's a pretty solid deal. I'm curious to see what happens," Aude said.

Aude said he was hung by his feet and beaten during some of the many torture sessions he said he endured in prison until being released in late December 2004. On another forgettable occasion, Aude said his fingers were broken one by one.

"Now that I'm back, I appreciate all the little things," Aude said. "I'll probably never see any of that $20million - I hear the guy we sued is being deported - but it doesn't really matter."

Aude, now living in Sherman Oaks, has received a fee for the upcoming movie, tentatively titled "Odd Days," and he also works as a Hollywood club promoter.

-- Patrick Larimore, a junior linebacker from Hart High of Newhall, had his coming-out party during the annual Nike football combine at USC this past weekend.

"He was unbelievable, probably one of the top two linebackers, and his film is off the charts," said Greg Biggins, recruiting director at Student Sports. "The kid's a monster with great feet, just a great player."

Duke and San Diego State have offered a scholarship to Larimore, a 6-foot-2, 235-pounder who totaled 138 tackles last season but for some reason didn't earn All-Southern Section recognition.

Expect more scholarship offers to come soon.

"UCLA should offer him," Biggins said. "The school is right in his backyard, and I hear Patrick wants to go there."

Other locals who impressed at the Nike fest were running back Milton Knox (Birmingham of Lake Balboa), quarterbacks Dayne Crist (Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks) and Ryan Griffin (Chaminade of West Hills), safety E.J. Woods (Crespi of Encino), tight end Joseph Fauria (Crespi of Encino) and defensive linemen Marquis and Malik Jackson (Birmingham).

All were among the top at their respective positions, Biggins said.

-- Tony Reed, a former Montclair Prep of Panorama City baseball standout in the 1970s remembered for hitting tape-measure home runs, is among those who have confirmed to appear in the first-ever alumni baseball game against the varsity at 11 a.m. Saturday at Montclair Prep's new field in Encino.

It will interesting to see if Montclair Prep's current athletic director, Ken Smith, who played with Reed, still has his patented left-handed knuckleball.

Considering the Mounties have won six section championships and sent alums Russ Ortiz and Brad Fullmer to the major leagues, it should be an interesting event. Information: (818) 994-8609.

-- A group opposed to a recent ban against metal baseball bats are going down swinging, according to an AP report.

"Don't Take My Bat Away," a newly-formed group representing coaches, players, youth baseball enthusiasts and bat makers, announced it will file a lawsuit seeking to block the ruling.

The ban, which would take effect in September, would force nearly 10,000 players to shelve all metal bats in favor of wood.

-- Harry Welch, who coached Canyon High to a California State Div. I title this past season, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

"It was a thrill of a lifetime that I'll take to my grave," Welch said. "It was a high inside fastball, but they called it a strike."

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

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Joseph Fauria, a 6-foot-7 junior tight end from Crespi High of Encino, is the latest local football prospect to commit to Notre Dame, following quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen (Oaks Christian of Westlake Village) and Dayne Crist (Notre Dame) and linebacker Anthony McDonald (Notre Dame).

Fauria totaled 22 receptions for 329 yards and four touchdowns this past season.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com
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There is life after high school sports
GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

As another school year begins to wind down, it's important to remember there is life after high school sports. Proof? Here are some examples:

-- Cara Blumfield (El Camino Real softball, 1999), considered one of the City Section's all-time greatest players, is an ABC sports television producer in Los Angeles.

-- Todd Bowser (Montclair Prep basketball, 1986), a key figure in Montclair Prep's multi-sports dynasty of the 1980s, is a corporate executive at Hertz. In high school, a man child at 6-foot-8 and 285pounds, Bowser's best sport was basketball but he also was a top football player. He played basketball at CalState Northridge.

-- Rob Cavallo (Montclair Prep basketball, 1981) is a vice-president at Reprise, a top record company. He's also a Grammy-winning producer for Green Day, and he has produced mega acts such as Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne and My Chemical Romance. His father, Rob Sr., was a top manager who turned Prince into a star.

-- Mike Conover (Canoga Park football, 1988), an All-City multi-purpose standout who was a top kicker, is a Mercedes automotive service manager in the San Fernando Valley.

-- Gary Cox (Antelope Valley football and track, 1972), a 2,000-yard rusher and the second-fastest Californian in the 100-yard dash as a senior, is a co-partner in an accounting firm. His three daughters were top athletes at Quartz Hill High, most notably Jodie Cox, who is among the area's top softball players of all-time.

-- David Enzer (Taft basketball and track, 1978), considered one of the San Fernando Valley's best all-around athletes in the 1970s, is the managing director of Roth Capital Partners, one of Southland's top investment corporations. He graduated magna cum laude from Cal.

-- Ernie Figueroa (Canyon football, 1987) always will be remembered for catching a last- second touchdown pass against rival Antelope Valley in 1986, only to see the Cowboys fail on the ensuing two-point conversion to lose by a point to end a 46-game winning streak. Today, he is a grocery store manager in Santa Clarita.

-- Nicole Giordano (Saugus softball, 1997), whom many consider the area's fastest softball player ever, is a real-estate agent. She was an All-American at Arizona before playing for the U.S. national teamand professional leagues for several years. Her mother, Cathy, was a longtime coach at Hart and popular local figure before retiring two years ago. Nicole also worked as a Hart assistant.

-- Alan Grant (St. Francis football and track, 1985), who played at Stanford and in the NFL, is a journalist who contributes to espn.com and ESPN The Magazine.

-- Dyson Hamner (Burbank football, basketball and track, 1981), a gifted athlete who high-jumped 6-10 in high school, is an orthopedic surgeon in San Diego. He was a star in every sport at Burbank before concentrating on track at San Diego state, eventually clearing 7-feet.

-- Jennifer Jenkins (Boron softball, 2000), one in a long line of star pitchers for the Bobcats, she played at Antelope Valley College before returning to Boron, where she owns a hair salon.

-- Dennis Keyes (Grant football, 1981), a legendary Pop Warner tailback for the Mid-Valley Rams whose prep career was slowed by injuries, is a successful technician. He has five children, including Dennis Jr., a top defensive back at UCLA who starred at Birmingham High.

-- Monte Marcaccini (Notre Dame basketball, 1994) co-owns a local Italian ice cream company with his brothers Giancarlo (Notre Dame) and Gian-Andre (Crespi). All three were among the area's top players during their day, and Monte led Notre Dame to a 1993 section title.

-- Harvey Mason (Crescenta Valley basketball, 1985), who averaged 25.7 per game as a senior before playing for Arizona, is a record producer and label owner who recently appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. His L.A. company, Underdog Entertainment (a division of Clive Davis' JRecords), specializes in pop and R&B.

-- Dan Massari (Antelope Valley football and baseball, 1971), one of the High Desert's top multi-sport athletes in his day, owns a local chiropractic practice.

-- Tony Moskal (Crespi track, 1982) is a teacher and girls' golf coach at Golden Valley High. He's also a community sports personality on radio and television.

-- Chuck Osborne (Canyon football, 1992), one of the toughest offensive lineman in area history before making it all the way to the NFL, manages a successful mortgage company in Boston. He has remained close with Canyon coach Harry Welch - who traveled to attend Osborne's wedding a few years back - and has returned to Canyon as a special assistant the past two years, helping the Cowboys to consecutive section titles.

-- Mike Phillips (Kennedy football, 1982), one of the Valley's fastest players in his day, is a top-level personal trainer who has appeared in television commercials. When he was in seventh grade at Montclair Prep, he raced the high school's top tailback, Mark Harper, and lost by one step in a 40-yard dash.

-- Biff Pocoroba (Canoga Park baseball, 1971), an All-City player who played 10 major-league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, owns a sausage company in Atlanta.

-- Billy Ray (Birmingham tennis, 1981) is a screenwriter/director whose recent cinema credits include "Breach," "Flightplan" and "Shattered Glass." He studied film at UCLA.

-- Ricky Robinson (Montclair Prep football and track, 1976), one of the first in a long line of top running backs for the Mounties, is a Cingular executive. With 10.1 speed in the 100-yard dash, Robinson rushed for nearly 2,0000 yards as a senior though he rarely saw the football more than 10 times a game. He briefly played college football at San Jose State.

-- David Wright (Buckley basketball, 1976), who never received much publicity in high school but was talented enough to hang with just about anyone, is a Tiffany's executive.

MORE: WHERE THEY ARE NOW

Chris Barkley (St. Francis football and baseball, 1983) is an airline pilot.

Adam Baumgarten (Burroughs baseball, 2002) is a police officer.

Mary Bittner (Rio Mesa girls' basketball and track, 1988) is a high school teacher.

Marleen Burns (Camarillo girls' basketball, 1988) is a college professor.

Woody Claunch (Thousand Oaks football, 1971) is a town sheriff.

Bernd Cortes (Canyon basketball, 1984) works in human development for a computer company.

Doug Dragomer (Burroughs football, 1988) is a physician.

Kevin Ebenhoch (Village Christian football, basketball and baseball, 1989) is a certified public accountant.

Soren Halladay (Hart football, 1994) is a certified public accountant.

David Harbour (Camarillo basketball, 1991) is an investment counselor.

Jeremy Hariton (Agoura baseball, 1996) is the director of a movie studio.

Larry Hariton (Granada Hills baseball, 1967) is a chief operating officer for an insurance company.

Craig Hudspeth (Village Christian football, 1989) is a stock broker.

Steve Gray (El Camino Real basketball, 1975) is a corporate executive for a funding firm.

Tami Jones (El Camino Real softball, 1996) is a corporate executive trainer.

Cathy Ker (Louisville girls' volleyball, 1977) is an interior decorator.

Richard Mandeville (La Canada basketball, 1993) owns a restaurant.

Aaron Mintz (Montclair Prep basketball and baseball, 1994) is a sports agent.

Brenda Monteleone (Canyon girls' volleyball and softball, 1985) is a middle school teacher.

Tim Murphy (Burroughs baseball, 2002) is a police officer.

Ryan Newman (Agoura baseball, 1995) is an executive for a video distribution company.

Marshall Plantz (El Camino Real basketball, 1978) is a civil engineer.

Ethan Richardson (Valencia football, 2000) is an army officer.

Summer Richardson (Boron softball, 1998) is an elementary school teacher.

Nick Sanderson (Bell-Jeff basketball, 1989) is a counselor at an adolescent treatment center.

Steve Shepherd (Crespi football, 1975) is a high school teacher.

Cameron Smyth (Hart football, 1989) is a California state assemblyman.

Keenen Stanley (St. Francis football and baseball, 1981) is a college basketball referee.

Jerry Tucker (Saugus basketball, 1978) co-owns an auto-detailing business.

Al Tzinberg (Granada Hills football, 1981) is an attorney.

Mark Uhlberg (Antelope Valley basketball, 1968) runs a gasoline distribution company.

Larry Wells (Buckley football, 1978) is a physician.

Joe Zacharia (Canyon football, 1986) is a mortgage broker.

Kenny Zuckerman (Birmingham football, 1983) is a sports agent.

Gerry Gitelson's column appears in the Daily News twice a week.

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Tune in to the Daily News Sports Show tonight at 7 on nowlive.com for exclusive interview with Notre Dame HS quarterback Dayne Crist, who just committed to Notre Dame, picking the Fighting Irish over USC.

Also scheduled is an in-studio appearance by Erik Aude, the former star football player from Bethel Christian HS who has been released from a Pakastan prision after serving three years on what a U.S. cout has now deemed bogus drug smuggling charges -- Aude has successfully sued the man who set him up. Plus, Canyon HS football star J.J. DiLuigi and others.

Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks quarterback Dane Crist, considered
the area's top returning football prospect, is scheduled to announce
his college choice Thursday on television at about 10:30 p.m. on Prime
Ticket.

Crist is expected to choose between USC, Notre Dame, Stanford and LSU.

The 6-foot-5, 224-pound junior passed for 1,270 (52.9 pct.) and 17
touchdowns in seven games this season, sitting out five games because
of a back injury. He also rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com
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Check out the Daily News High School Sports show tonight (friday) from 7-9 p.m. on the web -- www.nowlive.com ... Some big-name guests will be interviewed, and we welcome call-ins from coaches, players and the general public. It's fun!

Potter's switch a Catch-22
BY GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

As the son of one of the San Fernando Valley's greatest all-time prep passers, Chris Potter has always been a quarterback at heart - and a good one on the football field, too, asserting himself as one of the area's top young passers through his youth football years.

Then he enrolled at Oaks Christian of Westlake Village - the same school where Jimmy Clausen, the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country, was - a few years ago.

Not surprisingly, Potter immediately moved to wide receiver, a position he's played the past three seasons.

That may change this year. Clausen has moved on to Notre Dame, and Potter is in line to take over at quarterback.

Or is he?

Potter proved to be such a good receiver - he caught 49 passes and scored 11 touchdowns last season - that he has already been offered four Division I college scholarships as a receiver, not a quarterback, and thus Potter's dilemma.

Does he remain at wide receiver, his likely position in college? Or does he move back to quarterback, his first love? Does he continue his development as a sure-handed pass-catcher, or jump at the chance to quarterback an Oaks Christian team that's won a Southern Section record-tying 46 games in a row, including four straight division titles?

"I've grown up playing quarterback and have always wanted to play the position," Potter said.

Oaks Christian wants Potter as its quarterback, and he wouldn't mind making the switch. But Colorado State, Mississippi, Kentucky and Troy State want Potter catching the football, not throwing it.

A minor growth spurt has seen Potter sprout to 5-foot-11, not the perfect height for a college quarterback, according to some standards. If he was 6-foot-3, Potter might be nearly as coveted at quarterback as Clausen.

His father, Dana, was the same height in 1970 when he passed for more than 3,100 yards - unheard of in those days - to lead Granada Hills to the City Section 4-A title before playing college football at Nebraska.

But these days, measurements mean a lot more.

The elder Potter certainly is close to the situation as a veteran Oaks Christian assistant in charge of - you guessed it - quarterbacks.

"All those years when I coached my son at quarterback, we never realized how much quickness and speed he had to play receiver," Dana Potter said. "I do think Chris' future is at receiver.

"Hmm, maybe I should have married a 6-foot-4 woman."

Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell, calls Potter one of the two best receivers he's seen in the past 20 years. But Redell wants Potter to play quarterback for the upcoming season as much as anyone, so Potter will be under center, save for the unlikely scenario that's he's outperformed by fellow prospects Anthony Vitto or Isiah Kempf.

"The only way Chris Potter won't play quarterback is if someone beats him out," Redell said. "He's not your typical 6-4 quarterback, but he can run, and he throws very well, too. He's a good passer. I'm very pleased with Chris at quarterback."

As Clausen's backup, Potter completed 16 of 25 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He also averaged 26.3 yards on kick returns and 15.1 yards on punt returns.

"When I came to Oaks and Jimmy was here, I was OK with it as long as there was a place to play," Potter said. "They said, `Hey, move to receiver and be the second-string quarterback.' But I did always want to play quarterback, so I've been looking forward to this year for a long time. I just love to play the game, and I'm excited to lead this team - but, hey, if a college wants me as a quarterback, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

-- Meanwhuile, in South Bend, Ind., Clausen is competing with three others to be Notre Dame's new starting quarterback in place of Brady Quinn. Irish coach Charlie Weis has said the plan during spring practice is to pare down the hopefuls from fourto two.

-- Chuck Crim, a former Thousand Oaks High pitcher who played nine major league seasons (including two with the Angels in 1992 and 1993), has landed what he calls a dream job: a full-time scout for the Dodgers.

"You better believe the Dodgers are the greatest organization in baseball," said Crim, 45. "I like scouting. It's a different aspect of the game. A lot of driving and traffic, but that's the only downfall. Once you get to the yard, it's beautiful."

-- Tim Bednar, who coached Moorpark High's basketball team for 18 seasons, including 13 playoff appearances, has resigned. He'll remain at the school as a teacher with plans to eventually become an administrator.

-- Tyler Fick, a former Hart High of Newhall pitcher who spurned a Cal State Northridge scholarship offer two years ago to play JC baseball at Cuesta College, continues to recover from elbow surgery last summer.

"It was like a Tommy John surgery, and I'm just now getting back in shape," Fick said. "The worst part is over."

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

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Perry hoping to live out gridiron dreams

BY GERRY GITTELSON, Columnist

For Ramon Perry, the impossible dream doesn't look so impossible anymore.

Undersized and plagued by academic problems in high school and at College of the Canyons, Perry always said he wanted to play receiver in the NFL one day, but no one ever took him seriously.

He finally shaped up at Pierce College three years ago, followed by two successful seasons at West Texas A&M, a Division II college that took a chance on him.

Perry, who attended San Fernando High, is still about 5-foot-9 but has bulked up to 195 pounds, and he's been consistently running the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds this past week during private sessions with his mentor, Billy Parra, an L.A. Valley College assistant.

Perry returns to Texas this week to try out for a group of NFL scouts Wednesday, followed by a tryout with British Columbia of the Canadian Football League on April 22.

His football skills as a receiver and kick returner have never been an issue - not to mention Perry's prowess as a wrestler, basketball player and whatever other sporting endeavors he has pursued through the years - and today Perry, 23, is mature, well-grounded and ready to take on the football world with everything he's got.

"If anything, I'm humble," he said. "I'm just hangin' in there, trying to be successful. God has a plan for me, and I'm going to keep pursuing it."

Parra, who helped Perry get the West Texas A&M scholarship, believes with all his heart that Perry has a future in pro football. The coming weeks will determine the youngster's fate.

-- Quite a week for softball upsets last week, notably first-year program West Ranch of Stevenson Ranch's shocking 4-2 victory Thursday over previously undefeated Hart of Newhall, at the time No. 1 in the Southern Section Div. I rankings.

West Ranch (7-9), playing its first Foothill League contest, doesn't even have seniors yet and had lost its first six games this season. The victory was just the second home game ever for the Wildcats. Hart, now 10-1, had allowed a total of three runs coming in, and the Indians feature several NCAA Division I-bound standouts.

"We knew Hart was undefeated, so we just gave it all we had," said Breanne Lendman, a West Ranch sophomore who drove in all four runs. "I don't think Hart could believe what happened. Actually, I couldn't believe it either. We were really excited."

Another upset occurred Tuesday, when winless Newbury Park, which had scored more than one run in a game just once all season, upset high-powered Simi Valley 7-4 in a Marmonte League shocker.

-- Basketball sensation DJ Gay, who averaged 29.4 points for Poly of Sun Valley this season, has finally ditched the Mohawk hairdo.

"I promised my mom I would. She hated it," Gay said.

Meanwhile, Gay hasn't decided if he'll participate in the annual Battle of the Valley all-star game April 21 at Cal State Northridge. Seems there's a schedule conflict with another all-star game in Torrance the same night.

-- Virgil Hill, son of big-time professional boxer Virgil Hill, Sr., has proved impressive in a variety of sports during his career at Valencia High.

A top receiver in football and league-champion hurdler in track, Hill's best sport might be baseball. The senior has hit twohome runs over the past three games, and has raised his batting average to .393 with a .500 on-base percentage in 28 at-bats.

Shane Vereen, another multi-sport standout at Valencia who has signed with Cal as a football running back, ran a 10.7 100 meters during a league meet last week - an extremely fast time for so early in the season. He finished seventh in the state in the 100 last season.

-- Chatsworth baseball standout Mike Moustakas, who already has 12 home runs this season and has signed with USC, has brought in high-profile agent Scott Boras as an "adviser."

Perhaps Moustakas will have a big decision to make if he's drafted by a major-league team and offered a huge cash bonus to sign instead of going to USC - certainly a possibility at this stage - but for now Moustakas said he's not concerned about money and would prefer to simply concentrate on baseball.

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

(661) 257-5218