Sports
Sondheimer: City Section is showing the way how to crack down on rules violators
For those wondering why City Section teams are having a hard time competing against the best in the sports of football and basketball at the highest level, you can blame commissioner Vicky Lagos for enforcing CIF transfer rules that are preventing schools from building the type of all-star teams in the past that got Narbonne, Hawkins and others in trouble.
When the names of nine basketball players showed up on the City Section transfer portal after paperwork was submitted by Palisades High in the fall, it immediately attracted the attention of Lagos.
She and her staff have a policy of visiting schools that receive multiple transfers for a particular sport to review if CIF rules were followed rather than relying on schools to police themselves.
She brings together in the same room administrators, coaches and parents while reviewing the required paperwork. It happened at Palisades, where four players were denied eligibility for violating rules on pre-enrollment contact (Recommendation: Do not announce a player’s arrival when they aren’t officially enrolled).
Lagos and her staff have pulled off seemingly the impossible — forcing schools and parents to follow CIF rules. The same can’t be said for the Southern Section, which has 560 schools and continues to rely on schools to investigate themselves. And you wonder why the Southern Section has a perception problem — right or wrong — that rules are violated repeatedly, whether via recruiting or students using false addresses.
Only twice in the last two school years has the Southern Section used an investigator, according to spokesman Thom Simmons. Who knew that parents and coaches were following rules so well?
Kudos to the City Section, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Unified School District, for telling ambitious coaches that rules apply to everyone. The knowledge that someone is watching closely should be motivation to follow rules. You aren’t going to build all-star teams with other schools’ players when rules are followed.
Yes, it’s hurt the City Section. Basketball teams that once toppled elite teams from the Southern Section are nowhere to be found. Football teams are 0-9 in state championship bowl finals since 2017.
Yet that doesn’t mean all is lost. In basketball, a record three City Section teams qualified for state championship games — Chatsworth boys in Division IV, Verdugo Hills boys in Division V and Granada Hills girls in Division III. Chatsworth and Granada Hills were Open Division teams dropped down because of competitive equity. They got to Sacramento playing great in the playoffs against similar opponents. They would never have advanced so far at a higher level. So following rules can lead to competing for a championship.
Once again, the City Section is about to be tested. Narbonne is getting three high-profile football transfers from Orange County. Expect a visit in the future.
The truth is City teams are playing by the rules while some of their opponents aren’t. Other sections need to better enforce their rules with school visits instead of taking the word of schools that are motivated to have championship teams, especially when transfers across the state will come close to 17,000 for the 2023-24 school year. The football transfers are already piling up, with multiple transfers happening at top programs.
Just like officials every season have points of emphasis in their rules, the CIF needs to have a point of emphasis when schools receive multiple transfers. It doesn’t mean cheating is going on, but it’s certainly a warning sign that shouldn’t be ignored. The CIF is set to begin studying priorities for the future of high school sports this fall.
Otherwise, switch to the model of the college sports transfer portal, where players are paid, transfers are unlimited and education-based sports is limited to the Ivy League.
At a minimum, changes need to take place, and following the policy of the City Section to pay visits to schools with multiple transfers from the same sport is a starting point.
Imagine if the Southern Section, the largest in the state, did the same. Suddenly there might be a perception that rules were being followed.
Last month, the City Section again showed it’s not afraid to enforce rules by refusing to allow the Birmingham and El Camino Real soccer teams to participate in the state playoffs following a fight at the conclusion of their championship game. Old-fashioned consequences.
If you want to change perceptions, you have to act. The section offices around the state are well paid to run high school sports. It’s time to start intervening so others can have confidence there’s an even playing field when it comes to transfers. The status quo is not acceptable.
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”
Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.
The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.
“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”
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Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.
“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.
Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”
Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.
“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.
Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.
Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.
Here’s the link to complete results.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
Ponder was 23 years old.
Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)
Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.
Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.
The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.
Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)
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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.
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