THE WAITING GAME TAFT BOYS' BASKETBALL FATE THIS SEASON HINGES ON CITY SECTION RULING.Byline: RAMONA SHELBURNE Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. LOCAL They played a basketball game over at Taft High in Woodland Hills Friday night. But the only game of real consequence was the waiting game going on next door as Taft administrators, parents and teachers waited for word from the City Section on whether their last-ditch effort to clear up questions regarding the guardianship and eligibility of center Bernard Ber·nard , Claude 1813-1878. French physiologist noted for his study of the digestive and nervous systems. Kamwa could be resolved before this morning's playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. seeding meeting. That word never came and so the Toreadors, who were expected to be one of the top four seeds in the City playoffs, went to bed on Friday night not knowing whether they'd already played their last game of the season. "We never heard anything from them so we have to assume that it's over," Taft coach Derrick derrick: see crane. Derrick famous hangman; eponym of modern hoisting apparatus. [Br. Hist.: Espy, 170] See : Execution Taylor said. "At this point we can't do anything. We just got to man up and take it on the chin." Friday morning, City Section commissioner Barbara Fiege informed the school via fax that they'd been restricted from playoff competition because an ineligible in·el·i·gi·ble adj. 1. Disqualified by law, rule, or provision: ineligible to run for office; ineligible for health benefits. 2. player had participated in a majority (6 of 10) of the Toreadors' West Valley League games. The Interscholastic in·ter·scho·las·tic adj. Existing or conducted between or among schools. in  ter·scho·las Athletics athleticsor track and field also track-and-field games Variety of sport competitions held on a running track and on the adjacent field. It is the oldest form of organized sports, having been a part of the ancient Olympic Games from c. Committee's Rule 234B states that "if an ineligible player is discovered prior to seeding meeting, and as a result, school has had to forfeit To lose to another person or to the state some privilege, right, or property due to the commission of an error, an offense, or a crime, a breach of contract, or a neglect of duty; to subject property to confiscation; or to become liable for the payment of a penalty, as the result of a majority of it's league games, that team will not advance to playoffs." Another player, Dominique Brumfield was declared ineligible for the preseason games he participated in because he was found not to have lived at the address he provided the school with. However that was immaterial Not essential or necessary; not important or pertinent; not decisive; of no substantial consequence; without weight; of no material significance. immaterial adj. to whether Taft was eligible to be seeded this morning because Brumfield did not participate in any league games. The ineligible player who participated in league games was Kamwa, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Ribet Academy in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , who was ruled ineligible over guardianship issues. "I know the guardian went to present additional paperwork to the City Section (Friday) afternoon but I haven't heard from anyone downtown," Taft principal Sharon Thomas said. "It's very disappointing because we've gone over our paperwork and it's all accurate, it's all legitimate. "We took this issue very seriously. We haven't had this happen before at Taft. So I'm disappointed because the paperwork is clean." The critical question was whether Kamwa changed guardianship in 2005, while at Ribet Academy or in 2006, after he moved into Taft's attendance area. Taft presented the City Section with a copy of a notarized document from Kamwa's father in Cameroon stating that he transferred guardianship from his former guardian Al Fields to current guardian Jason Martin Jason Martin is a musician from Southern California. He is best known as a member of the indie rock band Starflyer 59, one of the first bands to sign with Tooth & Nail Records. in August of 2005. Neither the school or Martin had the original change-of-guardianship form. That's important because there is another document which indicates guardianship did not transfer until 2006, which would make Kamwa ineligible. Martin went down to the City Section office and presented Fiege with other forms of documentation -doctors' office visits, bills, cell phone records- that he hoped would prove guardianship was transferred in 2005 and not 2006. Afterwards af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. afterwards or afterward Adverb later [Old English æfterweard] Adv. 1. , he called Taylor and told him his meeting with Fiege went well. But Fiege apparently didn't feel it necessary to call anyone from Taft afterwards and let them know her decision. This is the part that doesn't sit right. Either way -in, out or still deciding - Taft deserved the courtesy of a phone call. Taft principal Sharon Thomas left several messages with Fiege's secretary on Friday afternoon, asking to be notified when Fiege had made a decision. Thomas said she left her cell phone number with Fiege's secretary Barbara Jacobs several times and implored her to have Fiege call her back either way so Thomas would know what to tell the parents on her basketball team in a meeting at 4 p.m. By 7 p.m., no call had come and the administrators and parents had to pack up and head over the gym for what appears to have been the team's final game of the season. Needless to say, it was an emotional game. Nearly all of Taft's players emerged from the locker Things commonly known as lockers include:
"I can't even explain it," Taft star junior guard Larry Drew Larry Donnell Drew (born April 2 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1980 NBA Draft. Jr. said. "It all happened so fast. All week we're practicing and getting ready for the playoffs, then we're being investigated and now it's over." The Daily News tried to get a final verdict from the City Section office Friday afternoon but Fiege's secretary said that when told what the Daily News was calling in regards' to, her boss referred the call to the district communications office. However, when the Daily News asked assistant commissioner John Aguirre who worked in the communications office he said, "I have no idea who works there." "When it's things we can't talk about, its district procedure to refer you to the office of communications," he said. About 20 minutes later, the Daily News reached Trent Cornelius, the assistant commissioner who oversees basketball. Cornelius patiently and professionally answered questions about the procedural issues involved in the case. He also indicated that "They (Taft) have stated that they'll make a last attempt to answer the questions we may have at this time and anything that maybe ran, could potentially be changed." In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , further developments were expected late Friday night. An answer - yes, no or we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. yet- was expected. Cornelius said that he'd left the office about 5 o'clock while Fiege and Martin were still meeting but he didn't know what Fiege's decision was. He said he'd call Fiege. But as of press time, he had not called back with an answer despite several calls and messages left on his cell phone. Just for kicks, I thought I'd try Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons on his cell phone around 9 p.m. on Friday night. He answered the phone right away. Apparently, it's not that hard to pick up the phone. That's all that was called for Friday night. No matter what happened with Kamwa or Brumfield, Taft deserved that. The only thing that was certain at the end of the night was Taylor's future. There had been speculation earlier in the season that this might be his last. "I'm coming back next year," he said. "You can quote me on that. Simply because I will never go out under these type of circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or ." ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3617 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Taft High of Woodland Hills' Garrett Green shoots baskets Friday while waiting to hear whether his team will be allowed in the playoffs. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News |
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