Warriors' status, coach up in air

By: TERRY MONAHAN - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 4, 2006 11:29 PM PST ∞

Though the Fallbrook High girls volleyball team gained entry into the postseason on Saturday, there is still some question about whether the Warriors actually will get to play. Or who will be the team's coach if they do play.

Two days after the team received a temporary restraining order Thursday allowing it to be considered for a postseason berth, Fallbrook on Saturday was seeded No. 4 in the CIF San Diego Section Division I playoffs and given a first-round playoff match Wednesday at home against Calexico.

The rest of the Division I games will be played on Tuesday. The Warriors, who are 13-17 after forfeiting seven games for using an ineligible player, and Calexico (19-12) must wait a day for their 7 p.m. opening-round match. If Fallbrook beats Calexico, its next game would be Thursday. The other teams in the division get an off-day before playing a quarterfinal match.

Fallbrook senior Pamela Cheu, who transferred from Mexico to Fallbrook in spring 2005, was ruled to have finished her eight consecutive semesters of eligibility before this school year and was declared ineligible.

Under San Diego Section rules, the Warriors were ruled out of playoff consideration because they had forfeited more than five matches. The restraining order overrode that rule.

But there is a possibility there could be a court date Monday in Vista as the San Diego Section appeals the restraining order. Fallbrook coach Galen Tomlinson said Ackerman told the seeding committee there could be further legal action taken against the Warriors before that first-round match. There was a Nov. 16 hearing scheduled about whether to continue the restraining order.

"We won't know much more about anything on Monday until Monday,'' Ackerman said Saturday. "Let's say this is going to be continued.''

Patricia Lewis of the Lewis Law Firm in San Diego, who is representing the Fallbrook volleyball team, said no notice of another court appearance has been received.

According to Lewis, the California Rules of Court state that she should have received some kind of notice of a Monday appearance by 10 a.m. Friday. She hadn't received such notice as of Saturday from Constantine Buzunis of the Neil Dymott Firm in San Diego, who represents the CIF.

"If we're going to court Monday, it's news to me,'' Lewis said. "I've received no call, no fax, no e-mail or anything from the other side. If something is going on Monday, I have no clue what it is. I have to be able to prepare for whatever they're presenting.

"I do not intend to drive up to Vista and sit there all day for some hearing that may or may not happen.''

Another item concerns the coach of the Warriors for the playoff match.

According to Tomlinson, he was given a choice by Fallbrook principal Rod King and athletic director John Hayek of accepting a suspension for the rest of this season or resign as coach. Tomlinson chose to resign after last Thursday's regular-season ending loss to Carlsbad that gave the Avocado League title to the Lancers.

"We haven't received anything in writing yet,'' Hayek said Saturday. "We need to talk with Galen first. This is something we will have to work out fast on Monday because we're down to crunch time now with a playoff match coming.''

If Tomlinson's resignation is accepted by King, assistant coach Cindy Lloyd and freshman coach Kourtney Tomlinson could wind up coaching the Warriors the rest of the way.

"I wish I knew what was going on,'' Galen Tomlinson said. "It doesn't take a genius to say you don't want to be lined up in the same bracket as (No. 1 seed) La Costa Canyon, but I can't complain about the brackets.

"We may not play in a CIF match, but this will be talked about for a very long time. We're really rocking the boat on this one.''

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at (760) 739-6648 or tmonahan@nctimes.com.