Hollywood, Palisades on Comeback Trail After Dismal Seasons : Coaches at 4 Other Westside Schools Optimistic; Teams Open Play Friday

You have to bottom out before you can make a comeback, and the Palisades and Hollywood high school football teams last year reached the point of return, both ending with 1-8 records.

Both may be on the way back this season.

Of the other four Los Angeles City teams, Hamilton and University went to the playoffs last year, and Hamilton Coach Dave Lertzman had his best season as his Yankees finished with a 7-2-1 record. Fairfax had a good year (5-3-1) with a young team under first-year head Coach Dennis Furlong, and Venice had a not-so-good season (3-6) with a young team under veteran Coach Al Dellinger.

Despite the loss of several key players to graduation, Lertzman said he feels Hamilton can maintain its momentum. Furlong, buoyed by the return of many veterans, said he thinks Fairfax could have its best team in a long while. University Coach Joe Sedia said, “We’re behind where we were last year.” And Dellinger thinks Venice “will definitely be an improved team.”

New Coach at Venice

Palisades has a new coach in Jack Epstein, who said he will be “greatly disappointed” if the Dolphins don’t do better than last year. Epstein, who succeeds retired Coach Merritt Stanfield, is not new to the Westside; he spent seven years as coach at Hamilton, two years as an assistant at West Los Angeles College and the last seven years as the top man at Narbonne.

His 1973 team at Hamilton was 7-1, led by quarterback Warren Moon, now with the Houston Oilers after great success with the Edmonton Oilers, and Rod Martin, an all-pro linebacker with the Oakland Raiders.

Epstein said that because he is “coming in new” at Palisades, “it takes time to establish your own personality. When I became head coach at Hamilton I had a bunch of good kids, and we were able to win right off the bat.

“I told the Narbonne principal it would take three years to develop a winner.” He was true to his word; his third-year Narbonne team was 9-1.

At Palisades, only about 35 players have come out for the varsity, but Epstein said they are “extremely dedicated and, compared to my first team at Narbonne, they are much superior. But they don’t know how to be successful; they don’t know what it takes to win. The ingredients are there for a fairly good team, if we can stay healthy. But there are no backups; that’s the one thing that scares me.”

Lean Years at Hollywood

Hollywood Coach Jim McNicholas was scared of a lot of things two years ago when only 17 players turned out for the varsity at the first practice and the school considered dropping football because of the poor turnout. McNicholas eventually rounded up 31 players, but Hollywood was 0-9.

In 1983, Hollywood’s player ranks had been thinned to the point of emaciation, not only because the school’s many foreign-born students did not know or play the game but also because 14 experienced performers were declared ineligible--either because they did not have C averages or had failed one course in the 1983 spring semester. The tougher academic standards of the Los Angeles Unified School District went into effect that fall.

McNicholas said that only four players were lost this fall because of the C-average, one-F rule, that others who failed courses made them up in summer school under a new school-district policy and that 54 players came out for football, the best turnout in five years.

Only four starters return, but McNicholas said he is encouraged by the fact that many of his newcomers played last year on the B team, which was 7-2 and won the Northern League championship.

When the school district’s more stringent standards for extracurricular activities were adopted, McNicholas and other Hollywood coaches strongly opposed them. But he said that the adoption of a make-up policy has changed that stance.

“As long as they give the kids a chance to make it (a failed course) up, we can go with it. If a kid wants to play ball, he will go to summer school and make up his failures. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t care about football.”

FAIRFAX

Furlong had just 13 seniors on last year’s squad and a flock of juniors, and the flock is returning, among them eight of nine juniors on the defense.

At quarterback will be Rodney Dorsett, who threw for 557 yards and three touchdowns as the starter in five games, and the top running back, Michael Hale, returns after missing part of last year with a knee injury. In five games, the fleet Hale rushed for 499 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a 98-yard scoring kickoff return in last year’s opener with Belmont.

LaTrelle Barnes, who beefed up from 175 to 186 lifting weights last summer, is back at fullback and at linebacker, where he was the team’s top tackler last year. Haamid Wadood, a tailback with Hale last year, has been moved to flanker, and the split end is junior Mark McGroarty, who would have started last year if he hadn’t broken an ankle. Furlong said McGroarty is “absolutely excellent” and had “a great summer passing league.”

The offensive line is mostly veteran, anchored by big tackles Alvin Thomas (6-1, 255) and Claude Millhouse (6-1, 241), who started at defensive tackle last season. Center Edison Lane and guard Shawn Siah are back, and the other guard will be junior David Kushman, a backup last year. Derek Mallard moves from split end to tight end and will be back at linebacker, where he was second to Barnes in tackles.

The down linemen on defense will include Millhouse, Siah, Phillip Skaggs, sophomore Dan Keller (6-1 226), Iran Washington and Kelly Hagerman, who didn’t play last year. Veteran defensive end Scott Hamilton will miss the first game because of a knee injury. The linebackers will be Barnes, Mallard, junior Derek Square and Tony Gillespie (5-6, 164), a reserve last year.

In the secondary are veteran safety Reggie Johnson, who led the team in interceptions last year with three, and cornerbacks Darrick Davis, a returning starter, and either Wadood or Rondy Harris, a transfer from University.

Furlong said, “We had the best passing league the team has ever had; we won 30 of 31 games. Muir beat us in the third round of league.

“We certainly should be a contender (in the 3-A Crosstown League), and, if the kids play well, we could have the strongest team we’ve ever had in the eight years (seven as an assistant) I’ve been here--and probably the fastest.”

In Friday’s opener, Belmont is at Fairfax at 3 p.m.

HAMILTON

The loss of four stars--linebacker-guard Larry Jones, quarterback Phillip Vinson, running back Anthony Singleton and offensive tackle Larome Brownlee--has left Lertzman with big holes to fill.

But the coach has at least one player who should fill several holes by himself: 6-6, 298-pound offensive tackle-defensive end Eduardo Vega, who has grown an inch and added 13 pounds. Lertzman said, “I don’t believe there is a better lineman in the City and he should be one of the best in the state.” Vega will also punt and place-kick; he is said to have kicked at least one 50-yard field goal in every practice.

Brent Turley, who started at linebacker until he was hurt against Manual Arts and was also Vinson’s backup, will start at quarterback and is a rollout type with speed.

Taking Jones’ place at guard will be junior Courtneyd Campbell (5-11, 225). Jamal Thrash (5-10 1/2, 210) will fill in for Brownlee at tackle, and backup running back Deneral Smith will be Singleton’s replacement.

The receivers, who should be improved, include veterans Bryan Hall at flanker and the team’s top pass-catcher, Michael Henry, who will each double at defensive back. Others are wide receivers Chris Lee, a starter last year, and Derek David and LaVelle Parker. David and Parker will also play defensive back.

Derek Flot, a three-year starter at linebacker, will also play guard, and up from the B team are junior linebacker Troy Rodriques, that team’s most valuable player, and guard Jerrald Hines, who will also play fullback.

“I think we’re capable of equaling last year’s record,” said Lertzman. “We have five starters back on offense and four on defense, and those kids are going to be better. I think they can make up for the loss of the other kids.”

Opener: at Venice at 8 p.m. Friday.

HOLLYWOOD

McNicholas has only four starters back, but they should be of help in settling the newcomers. Edgar Pelayo will start his third year at quarterback, and the other veterans are center-nose guard Steven Maafala (6-4, 305) and wide receivers Phil Harris and J. C. Farrow.

Two reserve tackles last year move up to starting spots: Ara Kozanian (5-10, 190) and Garegin Kouioundijian (6-0, 210). Letterman Jose Figueroa will be at fullback, and his running mates will be junior Michael Julius and Marcel Bridges, both transfers from Dorsey. Letterman James Lugo will be at safety.

McNicholas said he is encouraged by the ability of his veterans and by that of the newcomers from the winning B team.

Marshall is defending champion of the 2-A Northern League in which Hollywood plays. McNicholas said he has heard that Eagle Rock should also be strong but that “we’ve got a crack at it.”

Opener: at North Hollywood at 8 p.m. Friday.

PALISADES

Terry Smith (6-4, 210), a versatile athlete who played quarterback last year and has punted and played defensive back, moves to wide receiver. His replacement at quarterback will be Adam Unger, a backup last year, or junior Mark Thaw. Epstein said, “The one who can move the team will be there.”

Tackle Mark Lambert (6-3, 220), the team’s best blocker last year, will be the tight end. Two-way tackles will be veteran Scot Cooper (6-3 1/2, 225) and Sean Robinson (6-4, 267), a transfer from Oregon. Ron Ramsdell, a guard last year, will be at fullback.

Demetrius Hankins (6-2, 210) is back at linebacker and will start at running back. Randy Mann, a reserve running back, will see more playing time.

Center Greg Schutz (6-2, 225) will also play some defensive tackle, Bobby Irvin (6-3, 200) will be at linebacker and tight end, and defensive back Andy Olson will return as a starter.

Opener: at Garfield at 8 p.m. Friday.

UNIVERSITY

Coach Sedia said his biggest difficulty will be replacing stars such as Jason Byrd, who played linebacker, tight end and slotback; defensive end/offensive tackle Jason Clark and fullback/middle linebacker Tony Chavez.

“Our offensive line is in a formative state, and so is the defensive line. Except for (running back William) Harris and (quarterback Jon) Moomaw in the backfield, the rest of the kids there are new.”

He said he probably has more depth at receiver than anywhere else. The pass catchers are lettermen Paul Richardson and Bill Greene and juniors Mark Rodgers and Daryl Hobbs, both up from the B team.

Returning starters include all-Pac 8 guard-linebacker Mike Saltzman and offensive tackle Averill Kessee (6-2, 187). But Kessee is coming back from a back problem and may not be 100% for a while.

The fullback is junior Amoni Davis (6-2, 210), a big man for that position in 2-A competition. But Davis had a shoulder operation last year and still is learning the system.

Westchester is defending Pac 8 champion, and Sedia said he picked the Comets to repeat. “I think the league will be tighter and that Poly, North Hollywood, Grant and Venice will be improved. We can be a contender too, if we can put together what has to be put together.”

Opener: 8 p.m. Friday at Roosevelt.

VENICE

Dellinger said he had a good turnout of 60, including seven starters, and that “this is primarily an 11th-grade team.” But he added that “we’re definitely an improved team and the future looks real good.”

He said he thinks Westchester and Reseda “are down some and that University is the favorite to win the league.”

The starters are junior Chico Garcia (5-8, 200), a tackle last year who will play linebacker and some fullback; linebacker-tight end David Gonzalez; wide receiver-defensive back Raymond Johnson; defensive end Paul Nikcevic, who is the backup quarterback and may also play some tight end; wide receiver-safety Dwayne Lortie (6-3, 180); defensive end-fullback Bob Tomaselli; center Todd Smith (5-7, 200), a guard last year, and junior offensive tackle Jimmy Ito (5-10, 220).

Although most of the team are newcomers, they are mainly from the B team that hasn’t been beaten in two years. The quarterback will be Ernie Soto, who completed 65% of his B-team passes last year and was his league’s most valuable player.

Other promising B graduates are running back/linebacker Gary Bolts; running back Sheldon Turner, a junior; junior wide receiver-defensive back Eric Crawford, running back Ray Gordon and guards Mike Winter and David Renteria.

Opener: Hamilton, 8 p.m. Friday.