NOTEBOOK : Today’s Hero Was Last Year’s Rule-Breaker

Bell High senior running back William Mendez had a career game, rushing for 284 yards and scoring five touchdowns in the Eagles’ 35-0 victory over Jordan on Nov. 13. Mendez, however, would not have played had he not learned a valuable lesson last season.

Before the 1991 football season, Mendez, then a junior, had attended a party and was caught drinking beer by Coach Ray Galarze. School had not started, but Mendez had been participating in conditioning. Galarze suspended Mendez from the team.

“I was sad,” Mendez said. “I was really upset. It wasn’t football season, but we were in training. The coach told me those were the rules and he wouldn’t bend them for anyone.”

When five of his teammates were kicked off the team Nov. 10, Mendez was sympathetic but supported Galarze’s decision.

“They know the rules,” Mendez said. “The team feels sorry for them, but we have to support the coach and go on because we all know the rules.”

Quarterback Omar Rodriguez, tailback Bobby Sullivan, fullback Rene Ramirez, and linebackers Tony Hernandez and Israel Moreyra did not play in the win over Jordan because they violated team rules by attending a party during school hours where alcohol was being served.

Mendez was invited to the party but did not attend.

“I didn’t make the same mistake,” Mendez said. “There are a lot of those parties going on, but I know to stay away from them.

“I learned a good lesson.”

Mendez, who replaced the suspended Sullivan in the backfield, made the most of his new starting assignment as Bell won its ninth consecutive game. He scored on touchdown runs of six, 50, 18, 16 and five yards.

“I felt pretty good running the ball, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of my offensive line,” he said.

Signing--Troy Matthews of Manual Arts has accepted a scholarship to play basketball next season for Southern Methodist University.

Matthews, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 19.6 points a game last season as a junior. He has a 3.6 grade-point average and is a member of the school’s academic decathlon team.

Matthews said he was attracted to SMU’s preseason schedule, which includes games against Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, and its regular-season games in the Southwest Conference.

Matthews was also recruited by Pacific, Cal State Fullerton and San Francisco State. “Those schools wanted me to sign late,” he said. “I felt if they needed time to see me play they really didn’t want me.”

More signings--Former Manual Arts basketball star Dwain Bradberry, the City Section Player of the Year in 1991, signed a national letter of intent Monday with New Mexico State.

Bradberry, a 6-foot-4 sophomore this season at Mt. San Jacinto College, averaged 23.8 points and just under eight assists a game last season.

Bradberry led Manual Arts to a 28-3 record and the state championship game in 1991, averaging 25.7 points and six assists.

Missing in action--Dorsey High running back Dante Spotville did not play in last Saturday’s loss to Banning High because he was suspended for disciplinary reasons, Coach Paul Knox said.

Spotville became the starting tailback after rushing for 101 yards and four touchdowns in 11 carries to lead Dorsey to a 41-12 victory over Gardena on Nov. 6. Spotville, however, did not appear for practice prior to the Banning game and Knox suspended him from the team for one week.

Sports correspondent Mike Coil contributed to this notebook.