Covina great and Super Bowl champ Hanifan to speak at alumni dinner; Livingston cleared

LIVINGSTON CLEARED
Covina High School junior quarterback Billy Livingston has been given a doctor's clearance to resume action after suffering a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit in the Colts' 17-9 victory over Baldwin Park on Thursday night. Livingston was whisked away by ambulance at halftime after complaining that his ears were ringing.

"He's fine. He went to the doctor on Saturday and got a full release," Covina coach Darryl Thomas said. "It's a tough situation. You play football long enough, you're going to take a hit like that."

Of all players, it was Braves quarterback Mario Rodriguez who delivered the blow, though Thomas felt it was nothing malicious.

Ironically, helmet-to-helmet hits aren't illegal in high school football. There are rules violations that result in personal fouls when it comes to intentional helmet contact, but intent is left to the discretion of the officials.

"It's got to be blatant and it's so hard to judge that," Thomas said. "It's football; those things are going to happen.

"There were a lot of hard hits, but it happens when you have two competitive teams trying to win a football game. We're just glad Billy's all right and he's been given a clean bill of health."

With Livingston out in the second half, junior Vinny Venegas shouldered the load. In fact, Venegas has been the Colts' quiet leader all season in a variety of roles, whether it's at running back, receiver or returning kickoffs or punts.

He also has four interceptions, making him a valuable two-way player.

"Vinny's a warrior," Thomas said. "He doesn't get all the notoriety he should, but coaches know. Whenever we're done with a game, coaches ask about our No. 5.

"He doesn't have the numbers that make him stand out, which is why he tends to get lost in that conversation when you're talking about our team. But he does so many things well and can play any position. Those kind of players are invaluable."