Moses Wins Appeal to Play Varsity

James Moses, a former Alemany High basketball standout, has been given permission by a Southern Section executive committee to play on the varsity basketball team at Serra High in Gardena.

The three-member panel overturned a decision made last week by Southern Section Commissioner Ray Plutko, denying Moses a hardship waiver to play varsity after he transferred to Serra this fall.

California Interscholastic Federation rules stipulate that a student who transfers without a change of residence is ineligible to play on varsity for one calendar year. The rule applies to the sport in which the student participated at his previous school.

“I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning (the appeal),” Moses said. “Some people try to lie and say they move. We didn’t. We tried to play by the rules and it finally paid off.”

Moses lives in Carson, about 40 miles from Alemany’s Mission Hills campus, and filed for a hardship waiver, claiming that he had no viable means of transportation to school.

John Carr, a former Alemany assistant coach, drove Moses to and from school last year, but he has since taken a position at Pius X High in Downey.

Plutko said last week that he denied to waive the rule in Moses’ case because he did not feel it “fit in the area of hardship.” He was unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.

Moses, who averaged 17 points a game for the Alemany varsity last season, is considered one of the top high school sophomores in the nation.