The transfer of Mathew Torres from St....

The transfer of Mathew Torres from St. Bonaventure High to Nordhoff has made the powerful Ranger cross-country team even stronger.

That much is certain.

The reasons behind Torres’ transfer, however, aren’t as clear.

Chuck Quirk, grandfather of St. Bonaventure cross-country runner Fritz Knoll, claims Nordhoff Coach Ken Reeves used undue influence to lure Fillmore resident Torres to his school.

Reeves denies any wrongdoing and St. Bonaventure Coach Glen Hackworth says it’s not worth arguing about.

“[Torres] told me on the first day of school that he was transferring to Nordhoff and I wished him all the luck in the world,” Hackworth said. “He said, ‘I’m sorry’ and I let it go at that. I didn’t ask him for a reason.”

Torres, a senior who finished 11th in last year’s state Division V championships, placed fourth in the small schools race of the Ojai Invitational at Lake Casitas on Saturday. Nordhoff teammates Victor Ochoa and Dusty Herman finished second and third behind Morro Bay’s Isaiah Festa to give the Rangers one of the top trios in the state.

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Answering the call: Lancaster football Coach Ray De Shane said Vernon Smith will start at quarterback in place of struggling Kyle Henderson when the Eagles (1-1) play at Crespi (2-0) tonight.

Smith’s late touchdown pass last week gave the Eagles a 7-0 victory over Sultana, their first at the varsity level.

“He earned himself the position,” De Shane said.

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Homesick: Royal High’s water polo team finished in an uncharacteristic 16th place in last weekend’s Riverside Poly tournament, but the Highlanders had a good excuse--they were out of practice.

Royal’s home pool, Rancho Simi Community Pool, has been undergoing repairs since mid-August, forcing the team to practice at Sequoia Community Pool, a Simi Valley facility.