Sollod Named Coach at Royal

Royal High Principal Dave Jackson stressed the teaching abilities of the school’s new basketball coach when he announced the hiring of Ira Sollod, the former Burroughs High coach.

“We feel we’re getting an outstanding business teacher who happens to be an excellent coach,” Jackson said Thursday. “He’s a great role model for students.”

Jackson previously served as assistant principal at Burroughs.

Sollod, who is on vacation until next week and was unavailable for comment, coached for four seasons at Burroughs, his alma mater. He led Burroughs to the Foothill League championship in 1989-90.

Previously, he was an assistant at Burbank.

Sollod replaces Joe Malkinson, who inherited one of the worst programs in the Southern Section four years ago and led Royal to its first league championship. The Highlanders shared the Marmonte League title with Simi Valley in 1989-90, when they posted a school-best 20-7 mark.

In four seasons, Malkinson posted a 61-42 record, including an 18-10 mark last season. He resigned in June to take over the program at Elk Grove High, near Sacramento.

Bob Bryan of Camarillo on Thursday advanced to the semifinal round in the 14-year-old singles division of the National Hardcourt Tennis championships in San Antonio, Tex.

Bryan, 13, upset third-seeded Mark Loughrin of Milwaukee, 6-4, 6-2. Bryan, seeded 16th, will face second-seeded Ryan Wolters of San Jose today.

Wolters’ quarterfinal upset Thursday of Bryan’s twin brother, Mike, blocked an all-Bryan semifinal. Wolters defeated Mike, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

The top-seeded Bryans fell in 14-year-old doubles play, losing to third-seeded Rafael Jordan (San Juan, P.R.) and partner Justin Gimelstob (Essex Falls, N.J.), 6-2, 6-1. It marked the Bryans’ first doubles loss in the 14-and-under division since June of last year.

Glenn Davis, the younger brother of Cal State Northridge basketball player Sean Davis, will transfer to Canoga Park High and is expected to enroll at the school today, according to Canoga Park basketball Coach Jeff Davis.

Davis played basketball and baseball as a sophomore at Montclair High in Ontario the past school year. A 6-foot-2 guard, he averaged 28 points a game for the Montclair junior varsity before earning a promotion to the varsity. In baseball, he was a varsity outfielder.

Davis attended Canoga Park briefly last fall before returning to Montclair. His family has moved into the Canoga Park attendance area, according to Jeff Davis, who is no relation.

“He’s just what we need,” Jeff Davis said. “He can shoot from 15 to 20 feet. He can penetrate and pass and he’s very intelligent on the floor.”

Sean Davis was an All-City Section player at El Camino Real in 1987 and accepted a scholarship at San Jose State before transferring to Northridge.

Jeff Davis coached Sean Davis as an assistant at El Camino Real, where he worked from 1982 to 1989 before moving to Canoga Park. The Hunters have posted back-to-back 10-13 records in Davis’ two seasons with the Hunters.

Former Alemany High basketball, softball and volleyball Coach Nancy Graziano has been named to the newly created position of director of academic support at Idaho State in Pocatello, Ida.

Graziano has spent the past six years as assistant basketball coach at the university. Her primary function in her new job will be to enhance the academic performance of the school’s student-athletes.