Students, Officials Affected as Gang Violence Disrupts Sporting Events

For years, youngsters from every socioeconomic condition--especially minorities--have been encouraged by their parents and other role models to participate in sports to escape involvement with drugs and gangs.

Ironically, gang activity has affected recent football games at some Southland high schools, where shoot-outs near stadiums have injured spectators and caused fear.

One such incident occurred at Jackie Robinson Stadium, near Dorsey High School in southwest Los Angeles. In the final minutes of a game there in October between Dorsey and Crenshaw high schools, two students were hit by ricocheting bullets. Neither one was seriously hurt, but the shooting and other gang-related incidents brought concern to football Coach Joe Dominguez of Banning High in Wilmington.

Dominguez forfeited his team’s Pacific League game Nov. 1 against Dorsey at Jackie Robinson Stadium partly because he did not think Banning players and supporters would be safe and partly because of a fracas--which Dominguez said evolved from an argument between a Dorsey coach and an official--between the two schools in their 1990 game.

The decision not to play carried a heavy price. At the time, Banning was undefeated and was the top-rated team in the city. Los Angeles Unified School District officials offered to move the game from 8 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates offered to boost security patrols. But Banning and Dominguez did not budge.

“The site (of the game) is the issue,” Dominguez said. “The gang element would certainly be present and probably would be involved (if a problem developed). With all the exposure created in the media, all the sickos certainly would be there.”

Dominguez said his decision met with support from parents of his players. “I have signatures from 40 parents who don’t want their kids to play there (Dorsey),” Dominguez said.

Jerelene D. Wells, principal at Dorsey, said she was disappointed that the game was called off because of what it meant to the players at the school.

“This whole thing saddens me,” Wells said. “Football is very special in the lives of many of our students. Not to be able to play a game this important to them is very sad.”

A few weeks earlier, on Oct. 4, Lincoln and Franklin high schools played at Roosevelt High School but did not get to finish because of gang-related problems near the stadium. With Franklin leading, 14-6, shots were fired and police instructed players and fans to get down. Nobody at the stadium was injured, but officials from both schools decided to end the game early.

“It’s a sad way to win a game,” Lincoln Coach Randy Rodriguez said. “Things like these are a big bummer for high school athletics and the safety of our kids.”

Roosevelt Principal Henry Ronquillo said the shooting was not representative of the usual, calm conditions of athletic events at the school, but it nevertheless made the staff there take precautionary steps in subsequent games.

“What we did was move our school police and some extra security people to patrol within a block of the school,” Ronquillo said. “But we are not at a point where I think Roosevelt should modify its athletic activities because of what’s happening in the community in isolated incidents.”

Ronquillo added that the annual football classic between Roosevelt and Garfield high schools was played without incident on Oct. 25 in front of 22,000 at East Los Angeles College.

At Buena Park High in Orange County, however, officials did modify the school’s football schedule once this season.

On Oct. 11, the Coyotes’ non-league game against Anaheim High was shifted from a scheduled 7:30 p.m. start to 4 p.m. because Buena Park school officials received information of potential gang activity that evening at the stadium. Anaheim Coach Raul Victores, whose team lost, 28-7, was disturbed by the commotion.

“It’s really a sad situation when a few punks ruin it for other kids who are trying to better themselves,” Victores said. “A high school athletic contest is supposed to be fun and it upset them (Anaheim players) because it took away from that. . . . All the kids look forward to playing at night in front of their families.”

But for Dominguez the only alternative was not to play against Dorsey.

“I knew we stood to forfeit the game, but if it would help prevent something bad from happening, I thought: ‘So be it,’ ” said Dominguez, whose team plays home games at Gardena High. “We don’t play home games at our own school or at our local junior college (L.A. Harbor) just to eliminate that element (gangs) from walking to the stadium or those who feel that their turf is being violated. . . . It’s a sad thing for high school athletics.”

Notes on Sports

What William (Refrigerator) Perry of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League started a few years ago, Mike Cruz emulated this season. The 315-pound Perry became a celebrity when the Bears used him as a running back on short-yardage plays. Cruz, a 6-foot-3, 338-pound defensive tackle at Moorpark High School in Simi Valley, played fullback several times toward the end of this season. “He’s pretty agile for a big guy,” Coach Rob Dearborn said.

The Northwestern League football championship won by Marshall High School this year was the first title for the school in the sport since 1961. Quarterback Jose Rodriguez and running back Hector Ortega were among the team’s stars.