The WSC North men's standings were altered this week by news that the Los Angeles Pierce men's team had fielded an ineligible player in wins over Oxnard Jan. 4 and Hancock Jan. 11.

The forfeits lifted Hancock (17-5, 4-1) into first place by a half game over Ventura, Moorpark and Cuesta, who are all 3-1, and kept reeling Oxnard (9-9, 2-2) within touching distance.

WSC commissioner Jerry White has been busy.

Citrus, which lost the SCFA Western Conference football title because of three forfeits due to an ineligible player, also forfeited 13 women's basketball games this month because of an ineligible player, throwing the WSC South race into chaos. The Owls No. 2-ranked men's basketball team also had its head coach Chris Victor and assistant coach Patrick Johnson suspended for two and eight games, respectively, because of recruiting violations this month.

James Ennis will not make the trip to Santa Barbara City tonight with the rest of the Ventura College men's basketball team.

The sophomore star will serve a one-game suspension after being ejected Wednesday night against Moorpark after receiving two technical fouls.

Ventura coach Will Cowen grudgingly accepted the decision.

"Even if the commissioner wanted to," said Cowen, "he doesn't have a mechanism to rescind a technical foul."

Perhaps more importantly, WSC commissioner Jerry White determined the ejection was not a decorum violation, which means Ennis is not a strike away from being suspended for the rest of the season.

Midway through the first half, Ennis was teed up for apparently pushing Moorpark's Jamal McClerkin. Cowen said game film proved there was no push. White said the film was "inconclusive."

"We have two categories, verbal and physical abuse," said White. "The first (technical) does not appear to fit either one of those categories."

Oxnard High graduate and former Oxnard College baseball coach and athletic director Jerry White on his hire as Western State Conference commissioner.

"We are at a tough point in the history of the conference for a number of reasons. These are tough times, but I think there are things that can be done to make things better."

(on succeeding Aviva Kamin, who was hired in 1982)

"I've sat at that table for a number of years with Ed Wagner and Aviva Kamin. I've seen a lot of changes that we were made because of their leadership. (Kamin) has done a lot of really good things that have influenced our conference."

(on the future of community college athletics)

"The economic problems that we all have right now just seem to permeate every decision and every consideration that we have. It's all about economics, where we are right now and how we try to solve these problems.

"That's paramount. That starts every conversation."

Former Oxnard College baseball coach and athletic director Jerry White will be named Western State Conference commissioner at the Oct. 7 conference meeting.

White, a 1955 graduate of Oxnard High, will succeed longtime WSC commish Aviva Kamin, who stepped down earlier this year after 27 years of service.

White was the choice of the selection committee which included Jody Wise of Citrus College, John Cicuto of Glendale College, Kim Ensing of Allan Hancock College, Steve Aggers of West Los Angeles College and Jonas Crawford of Oxnard College.

More on this later today.