High School Review : Price Ruling Doesn’t Help Other Players

SAN DIEGO â€”  University City’s Jerome Price, declared ineligible after participating in the Gus Macker Three-on-Three basketball tournament in early February, was in action during Monday’s boys’ basketball playoff game against Grossmont after a temporary restraining order was granted against the California Interscholastic Federation in his behalf.

Price scored 18 points in University City’s 61-59 overtime loss.

Three other players aren’t so lucky. When the University of San Diego High School opens San Diego Section playoff action next Tuesday at Clairemont, the Dons will be without Adam Smith. And when St. Augustine plays its first playoff game at Ramona Friday, the Saints will be without Eric Dent and Greg Sedlackek.

Like Price, the trio was suspended for participating in the Gus Macker tournament. Unlike Price, none of them took it to court and none were reinstated.

“I just wish this ruling were clearer,� USDHS Coach Patrick Murphy said. “It’s nebulous. Is the CIF in charge or not in charge? There’s a cloudy, gray area.�

Judge William Pate questioned whether the CIF violated Price’s constitutional rights in suspending him. Pate didn’t rule as to whether Price broke the rule.

“The judge turned to an issue other than the violation of the rule on which to base his decision,� San Diego Section Commissioner Kendall Webb said last week.

Said Murphy; “It seems to be a big deal over a minor crime. Players in the NBA and NFL do cocaine and get suspended for 30 days. I’m not sure what we’re teaching today’s kids. He committed an innocent violation of the rules, and he’s lost for the season, and the team suffers. If this would have happened on the first day of the season, and he would have lost an entire season, it would have been a travesty.

“I’ve got to believe the CIF commissioner can rule on the fairness of the situation. And if he can’t, the rules should be re-written.�

A handful of San Diego County basketball players are starting to look like broken records this year. A checklist of section records set in the past two weeks:

--Clairemont’s Ray McDavid, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, made 10 three-point shots as Clairemont defeated Kearny, 85-84, in overtime in a City Western League game Feb. 15. McDavid finished with 48 points and 17 rebounds. The old three-point record was eight, set by Valhalla’s Rafid Kiti on Feb. 11, 1988, against El Cajon Valley.

--On the same night, Lincoln’s Joe Temple had 15 steals in a 109-71 victory against Christian, breaking the old mark of 13 in a game he set earlier this season. He also owns the section record for steals in a season (he’s at 166; the old record was 151 set by Poway’s Jud Buechler, who is now playing at the University of Arizona) and a career (392; the old record was 210 by Lutheran’s Carl King).

--Lincoln’s Aaron Wilhite, a 6-8 senior center, grabbed 39 rebounds last Friday in a 105-59 victory over Hoover, breaking the old record of 38 set by Michael Pitts of Sweetwater against San Diego on Nov. 20, 1978.

--Point Loma’s Monica Filer broke the girls’ section record for season assists with 13 Feb. 10 in a 56-33 victory over Mira Mesa. She now has 330 for the season, ahead of the 312 by Coronado’s Tami Fick in 1978. Filer has 710 for her career, 40 more than Fick had from 1976-79.

--Chula Vista’s Marcie Wolf, a 5-6 senior center, made 13 free throws Feb. 9 against Marian to give her 158 for the season, breaking the former record of 155 of San Marcos’ Suzie O’Brien.

Don’t try reaching Point Loma’s Marcel Brown at home. The phone is disconnected.

The football recruiting period became so intense for the Brown, who picked USC over Arizona State and San Diego State, that his mother had the phone taken out.