Chavez Seeks Court Action to Play

An Oak Park High basketball player who was ruled ineligible by the Southern Section will seek a temporary restraining order Thursday to participate this season, according to his attorney.

Richard Chavez, a senior, was ruled ineligible because he has exhausted his 8 semesters of eligibility, according to Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas. Chavez’s attorney, Michael Silver of Westlake, plans to argue in Ventura County superior court that Chavez should be eligible because he was not enrolled for a semester of his sophomore year.

Chavez missed the end of his first semester and the entire second semester of his sophomore year at Agoura High in 1985 because of drug and alcohol abuse that required hospitalization, according to his stepfather, Terry Bonell. When Chavez enrolled at Oak Park, following a change of address, he was required to repeat 10th grade because he did not have the necessary credits to enroll as a junior.

Silver claims that Chavez, 18, would be eligible under California Interscholastic Federation rules because he was not enrolled in school for the mandatory 6 days of the second semester of his sophomore year. However, Southern Section rules stipulate that the 8 semesters of eligibility following the 8th grade be consecutive--missed semesters notwithstanding.

“The Southern Section is one of only two of the state’s 10 sections which counts missed semesters in calculating the consecutive semesters,” Silver said. “Because basketball . . . is played over two semesters, we feel that Richard should continue to play for the duration of the sport.”

Chavez averaged 15 points and 9.9 rebounds a game last season and was an All-Tri-Valley selection.