RESPONSE

Ken Gaylord, Long Beach City College--The Viking baseball coach took issue with an item in Sports Shorts last week that raised the question: Do community colleges live up to their names when many of their athletes did not attend local high schools? The item noted that the LBCC 25-man baseball roster includes 14 players who came from outside district boundaries. Gaylord said he receives several athletes by referrals from four-year colleges, and that a good part of the local “talent pool” is depleted because Long Beach is baseball-rich and many of its top high school players sign professional contracts or get scholarships to four-year schools. At the same time it creates opportunities for players from outside the area to earn starting berths. “At least now the players can go somewhere and show what they can do,” he said.

PREP RE-LEAGUING CRITICIZED Dave Newell, Bell Gardens High School--The veteran football coach has charged that a new re-leaguing proposal removing Bell Gardens from the Whitmont League has “racial overtones.” The proposal, adopted by an 11-10 vote of principals from the Suburban, Whitmont and San Gabriel Valley leagues, would create a fourth league from the 21 schools involved. Under the plan, Dominguez, Bell Gardens, Paramount, Lynwood and El Rancho high schools would form a new league. The current eight-team Whitmont League would be cut to six teams, while the Suburban League would be pared to five teams, with Artesia leaving to join Warren, Downey, Cerritos and Gahr in a new alignment. Newell said the proposal, which must receive approval from the Southern Section CIF, is using ethnic boundaries rather than comparable competitiveness to draw up the new leagues. “We’re reverting to the 1960s,” said Newell, who is white. Bell Gardens, El Rancho and Paramount have predominantly Latino student populations, while Lynwood and Dominguez are predominantly black. Newell said scheduling non-conference games in a five-team league would be difficult, particularly in football.

RON’S GONE Ron Palmer, Cal State Long Beach--Although Palmer had made up his mind to resign as men’s basketball coach sometime last Friday, you certainly could not tell it by his actions that night at Long Beach City College. A drawn and tired Palmer was in attendance at the Mater Dei-St. Anthony Southern Section 5-A playoff game in an attempt to recruit two underclassmen--6-5 forward Kevin Rembert of Mater Dei and 6-foot guard Darrick Martin of St. Anthony. Palmer was adamant about Martin’s abilities: “I like his headiness and all-around ability,” he said. Palmer insisted that Martin has become the No. 1 future recruit for the Long Beach program.

SENTENCED Bill Simpson--The country’s top draft pick in Major League baseball in 1976 from Lakewood High School was sentenced last week to 10 years in federal prison for his involvement in a cocaine smuggling ring. According to the United States attorney’s office in Sacramento, Simpson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July. He pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine and two counts of illegal use of a telephone to further a conspiracy. The federal prosecutor in the case said the ring Simson was involved in was “one of the biggest cocaine importation rings in the United States.” Simpson received a $50,000 bonus when he signed with the Texas Rangers after leading Lakewood to the Southern Section 4-A baseball championship. He was called up briefly by Texas but spent most of his time in the minor leagues before retiring in 1979. “I really feel for Bill,” said former Lakewood Coach John Herbold, now at California State University, Los Angeles. “We still remember the things he did for us. But he sometimes lived in a fantasy world. It’s scary. Drugs are everywhere in our society today.”

STATE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Jim Cheffers, Whittier--The former commissioner of the City Section CIF has been appointed tournament director of the Southern Region state high school basketball playoffs. Cheffers, who retired as an administrator with the Los Angeles Unified School District last June 30, says he is looking forward to the challenge. “This gives me something to do,” he said. “I enjoy it.” Pairings for the event, which begins Tuesday, will be announced Sunday.

RESIGNED Gordon Ackerman, Artesia High School--The veteran basketball coach has ended months of speculation by announcing that he will retire at the end of the school year. Ackerman, 62, who was coach of the boys basketball team for 29 years, says he plans to move to Canyon Lake “to fish and play a lot of golf.” No replacement has been named, although the school’s girls basketball coach, Terry Goddard, is said to be a leading candidate. Goddard, however, is a school security guard and part-time coach and may not qualify for a teaching position that might accompany the coaching vacancy.

Ian Desborough, Cerritos High School--The Dons lost the only boys basketball coach they have had when the 16-year veteran stepped down last month. Desborough will remain at the school as a teacher. Although the team went 7-17 this season, Cerritos has won more than 240 games under Desborough. Desborough said he would like to see freshman Coach Jim Chapel get the job.

SAVE FOOTBALL BENEFIT Buddy Ebsen--The entertainer has agreed to perform in a song and dance show as part of a fund-raiser for the California State University, Long Beach, football program. Ebsen, a resident of Long Beach, will perform with the Chicago Six on May 9 at the Elks Lodge. The event has been arranged by alumni association president Gary Ellis.

CYCLING Ric Kildow, Los Angeles Chiropractic College--The student set a world record recently by pedaling 236 miles from the Huntington Beach Pier to the Colorado River in 15 hours and 16 minutes. The record was certified by the Ultra-Marathon Cycling Assn. Kildow, of La Habra, hopes to qualify for the Race Across America later this year. He is sponsored in his quest by the Whittier-based college.

PERFECT RECORD Dave Demarest, La Quinta High School--The head baseball coach at the Westminster school set a college record during his playing days at California State University, Long Beach. It’s a mark that will not likely be broken. In three seasons as a starting infielder (1970-72), he never committed an error.

HOT SHOT Eugene Humphrey, Cerritos--The senior point guard set a school record for field goal percentage. He hit 178 of 282 shots (63%), most of them from outside 15 feet.

ALL-LEAGUE St. John Bosco High School--Kelvin Means, a 6-foot guard, was the lone Brave chosen for the All-Del Rey League basketball boys team. In boys soccer, Joe Gludt and Robert Pletka were awarded first-team berths and Ed Chavez and Chebu Jerrick were named to the second team.

Whitmont League--Senior center Corey Hoffert of California High and junior forward Tyler Austin of La Serna were named the boys co-players of the year in the circuit.

San Gabriel Valley League--Forward Ronnie Coleman, who averaged 23 points a game for Dominguez High, was named most valuable player of the boys team. Trise Jackson of Lynwood and Molly Wampler of Gahr shared the girls MVP award.

Suburban League--Tricia Gibson, a 6-3 senior center from La Mirada High, was named the girls basketball MVP.

Moore League--Mandy Hannah of Compton High was named the girls basketball MVP.

Academy League--Matt Bowley of Whitney was named basketball MVP of the boys team. He was the MVP in the Collegiate League a year ago.

ALL-CONFERENCE Andre Wiley, Compton College--The sophomore forward has been named most valuable player in the South Coast Conference. He led the Tartars to an 11-3 conference record and a third-place finish behind co-champions Cerritos College and El Camino College of Torrance. Wiley has a good shot at being named state player of the year. He ranks No. 1 in California in both scoring average (26.2) and rebounding (13.2). Other area players chosen to the All-South Coast first team were forwards Willie Joseph of Cerritos and Henry Johnson of Long Beach City College.

ALL-DISTRICT CHOICES Biola University--Johnny Griffin and Mike Wnek have been chosen for the All-District III men’s basketball team. Griffin averaged 19.8 points and seven rebounds a game. Wnek averaged five assists.

CENTURY CLUB Julie Curtis, Whittier College--In 100 collegiate basketball games the senior forward scored 2,433 points and grabbed 1,040 rebounds. She is the first woman in the history of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to score more than 2,000 points.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Roger Goodwin, St. Joseph High School--The Jester athletic director attempted to explain the success of sophomore pitcher Lisa Fernandez, who was recently named athlete of the year by the Lakewood Youth Hall of Fame: “If I (knew what it was) I’d bottle it and give it to all my other athletes. We’d win every game. Lisa has a mental toughness. She never gives in.”