GOLDEN VALLEY SUFFERS ANOTHER FOOTBALL PLAYER LOSS.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson

Another starter from Golden Valley High's beleaguered football team has transferred to a rival school.

Jeremy Carson, who led the Grizzlies in rushing, passing and scoring and also played at linebacker, has arrived at Valencia. The junior is expected to be eligible immediately because his family changed residences, according to sources from both schools.

Carson's mother, Tina, was president of Golden Valley's football booster program, which makes the transfer particularly disheartening in Golden Valley circles.

"Jeremy is enrolled, and he's in our football weight lifting class," Valencia coach Larry Muir said. "It looks like he can move pretty well."

After seniorless Golden Valley finished 2-8 in its debut season, four starters transferred, including top linemen Mike Spagnola (Canyon) and Aaron Olivas (Hart).

Carson last season played quarterback, running back and receiver. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder passed for 584 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 307 yards and six touchdowns and caught 16 passes. In the last game of the year, playing with a broken thumb, Carson rushed for a school-record 163 yards and caught two passes to spark a 28-20 victory over St. Genevieve of Panorama City.

There is more bad news at Golden Valley. In February, a campus brawl involving at least one football player resulted in seven arrests. A short time later, starting football player Martel Hammond declared he was planning to transfer, although he remains at Golden Valley. And on Monday, returning quarterback/punter Corey Bryant broke the news he's considering not returning to the football team because he wants to concentrate on his grades and baseball.

"I might not play. I'll probably make a decision over the next two weeks," Bryant said. "It's tough, because my mom helps out a lot with the football team, and colleges like someone who plays two sports. I've got a 3.0 GPA, but I want to focus on my grades and just play baseball."

New coach Steve Pinkston, who replaced Rob Swartz, is trying to keep things positive.

"The guys that are here are working hard, and we're attracting some new players from campus," Pinkston said. "There's some excitement building."

Valencia has another transfer in junior Ryan Penta, a 6-3, 215-pound defensive lineman from Texas football power McKinney High, near Dallas.

"He's a good-looking kid," Muir said.

"I think he's going to be a good player. I called the coach at McKinney, and he said Ryan is a good player."

Penta was a part-time starter on McKinney's JV team last season.

"We were looking forward to Ryan helping out on varsity this year," McKinney defensive coordinator A.J. Ulande said.

Penta's brother, Cameron, also has transferred to Valencia. He played tight end and defensive end on McKinney's freshman team.

Expect a heated quarterback competition at Valencia next season between Jimmy Baughman and Graham Wilbert, who last season shared the position as sophomores for the junior-varsity team.

Both are tall, athletic and undoubtedly eager to step in for Michael Herrick, who will play at Mississippi after breaking California's career passing-yardage record this season.

"Jimmy is a very mature kid who also plays basketball and has good awareness and athletic ability, and Graham has a more live, explosive arm," Muir said. "There's going to be a battle between them. We have some good receivers coming back, and that should help both of them."

Canyon High girls track and field standout Brenda Cohen has been accepted at Harvard, where she plans to continue her career.

Wallace Bates, a troubled but talented linebacker who's bounced back from several college football programs following a stellar career at Taft High of Woodland Hills, has returned to College of the Canyons.

Bates last year briefly worked out with the Cougars between stints at Oregon State (ineligible) and Mississippi (dismissed for disciplinary reasons). Bates played at Moorpark College last year, and he's expected to be a starting linebacker or safety next season for Canyons.