grant219

SoCal High School & Prep Report

City Section Game: Grant v. Crenshaw;
Adir's Assailant Arrested.--(February 19, 1998)

Two items today about Grant High School. First, Grant (17-8) and co-East Valley Leauge Champion, will play Crenshaw (17-3) the defending State Champions in Division I, on Friday at 7:30 at Crenshaw. Crenshaw is trying for a sixth consecutive City Section 4-A title. Grant point guard Gilbert Arenas is averaging nearly 29.3 points per game. This one should be a classic.

And the other item: It doesn't look like Adir Levy will be playing tomorrow, having just undergone surgery to his face for the injuries sustained when he was sucker-punched by a Canoga Park player as the two were going through the post game line of players who were shaking hands. The unidentified player (who reportedly may be transferring to a local private school if he can stay out of jail), extended his hand to shake with Adir, and with the other hand connected right in the middle of Adir's nose, inflicting serious bodily injury.

As a result of his injuries, Levy was unable to play in Grant's season finale against North Hollywood, a game which NoHo won fairly convincingly without Grant's perimeter scoring and with Gil Arenas in foul trouble.

Well it seems the Canoga Park High boys' basketball player who punched Levy in the face was arrested on suspicion of battery Wednesday. The boy's father brought him to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley station Wednesday morning, said Det. Bud Mehringer. The boy's father had been contacted by detectives, who requested he bring in his son. The boy was arrested and was released to his father, Mehringer said. The case will be forwarded to the district attorney's office in the next two days and it will be up to them to file charges, Mehringer said.

Word is that the DA's office will probably file a complaint, and it is possible that the boy will be tried as an adult. Likewise, SoCalHoops was informed that the Levy family is investigating filing civil charges seeking damages against the School District, which allegedly failed to provide security at the event, against the player himself, and against his parents. Word also is that this was not the first such incident in which this particular player was involved.

A source at Canoga Park said the school is recommending the player, a sophomore, be expelled for his role in the altercation on Feb. 11. If he is not expelled, he may be transferred to another school in the district. The school will recommend to the Intersholastic Athletic Committee that the player be ineligible to participate in athletics for one calendar year, which could affect his transfer status as well.