Hart basketball dismisses standout Montgomery

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Hart standout Michael Montgomery, pictured, has been dismissed from the team, according to The Signal. The 6-foot-4 forward was averaging a team-best 20 ppg heading into Hart’s Friday contest with Valencia and looked good to earn Foothill League MVP honors.

The defending league champion Indians lost to Valencia, 82-55, in a foul-filled game during which Montgomery was called for technical and intentional fouls. Junior teammate Parker Dominguez was ejected in the same game for tripping a player intentionally and, in all, Hart was called for two technical and three intentional fouls. Dominguez will sit out the next two games with a Southern Section-imposed suspension.

Montgomery told The Signal: “Coach [Tom Kelly] felt it was necessary to end my basketball career. It’s time to move one and focus on baseball now.”

Montgomery is one of the most sought-after pitching recruits in the state and the senior southpaw has committed to Cal State Fullerton. However, his dismissal from the basketball team will make things much more difficult for a Hart hoops squad that is without its leading scorer.

More than ever, guards Levi Wenrich and Brad Wyche will have to put on their ‘A’ games if the host Indians (15-4, 1-1) are going to have a chance against a tough Canyon squad (10-8, 1-1) when the two teams tip off at 6:30 tonight.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Image from http://www.leaguelineup.com