HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : Austin Got the Publicity, but Zacharia Got the Quarterback

Randy Austin, a linebacker, may have been the subject of more preseason publicity and attention from college scouts, but the Canyon player who disrupted Hart most in Friday night’s game was nose tackle Joe Zacharia.

Zacharia was simply too quick and too tough for a young Hart offensive line. He had three quarterback sacks, one of which took Hart out of field-goal range and helped preserve a 6-3 Canyon victory.

Zacharia was playing in pain--at least in the second half. He had to leave the game on a couple of occasions, suffering from leg cramps. He was one of several Canyon players to be nagged by injuries throughout the game.

At one point during the second half, Canyon Coach Harry Welch turned to Times staff writer Hans Tesselaar and said, “One more injury and you’re coaching the team.”

Welch didn’t say whether he planned on leaving, or playing.

The most serious injury may have been to tailback Lance Cross.

Cross started the game, despite a broken finger on his right hand, but carried only three times for 32 yards and had to leave in the first quarter with a possible hyper-extended elbow.

Cross rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore last season.

A sophomore to watch: J. J. Lasley of Crespi’s sophomore team rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries in a 26-0 win over Burroughs on Friday. Lasley’s TD runs covered 18, 18 and 55 yards.

Fillmore welcomed the football season in a rather unorthodox fashion.

Immediately preceding the game with visiting Moorpark, spectators had their attention drawn to the Moorpark side of the field where a person dressed in a Fillmore football uniform stood amid smoke bombs.

The public address announcer told the crowd that the player had been hit by lightning. An ambulance pulled onto the field and two paramedics spilled out, put the player on a stretcher, then into the back of the vehicle.

Keep in mind that Fillmore’s nickname is the Flashes.

The ambulance drove around the field to the home side before it stopped and its back doors opened.

Amid smoke and fireworks set off just outside the ambulance, out ran Mr. Flash, the school’s mascot.

The Fillmore crowd roared its approval. It wasn’t long before the roaring had simmered--and Moorpark had won, 28-10.

Moorpark received an unexpected assist from Fillmore quarterback Larry Roberts. Roberts was giving the Moorpark defense fits, having rushed for 83 yards on only nine carries, when he was ejected from the game midway through the second quarter.

Roberts was kicked out for slapping a Moorpark defender who had grabbed his face mask after a run from scrimmage.

Fillmore was leading, 7-6, and driving again when Roberts got slap-happy.

Alemany suffered a 3-7 season in 1984, but if quarterback Sean Casey continues to perform as he did in the Indians’ 28-0 win Friday night over Harvard, that mark could be reversed this season.

He completed 10 passes for 173 yards and showed good scrambling ability.

Casey also hit several long punts, including a 59-yarder in the first half. His best play of the night was an 80-yard touchdown pass to Scoop Augustus with 13 seconds left in the half.

Casey hit Augustus in full stride down the left sideline just as he broke from a defender.

Faith Baptist, defending Southern Section 8-man football champion, impressively opened its season with a 32-14 win over El Paso de Robles Friday night.

The No. 1-ranked Contenders gained 330 yards rushing on 43 carries. Kevin Burton led the way, with touchdown runs of 4, 39 and 14 yards.

It shouldn’t take long for Hart fans to start making predictions about next season’s game with Canyon. There is a definite “wait ‘til next year” sentiment in Newhall. Possibly with good reason.

Not only will Hart have a solid nucleus from this season’s team back for a rematch, but it will have some of the players off sophomore and freshman teams that are apparently pretty good.

The Hart sophomore team beat Canyon 54-0, while the freshmen won, 21-0.

Times staff writers Dave Morgan and Johannes Tesselaar, and Chris Bush and Tim Brown, contributed to story.