THE ZERO DEFENSE : Four Shutouts in Five Games Have Alemany 5-0 and Ready for Crespi

David Casillas has some lofty goals for the Alemany High defense.

“We don’t want no one to get no yards on us,” the senior outside linebacker said. “No first downs, no nothing.”

Five games into the football season, Casillas is only getting one-third of his wish. But it’s the most important third: the no-nothing part.

As they enter tonight’s 7:30 home game with Crespi, the 5-0 Indians have allowed just 17 points. They have recorded four shutouts and lead Southern Section schools in the Valley with the fewest yards given up per game (109).

Alemany is ranked eighth in the tough Big-Five Conference and third in The Times Valley poll.

“I didn’t expect the defense to play this way early on,” Coach Enrique Lopez said. “But since the first or second game, it hasn’t been surprising.”

Going into the season, Lopez knew that his defense would at least be experienced. Six starters were back from last year’s team.

But those six had been on a team that gave up 207 points during a 3-7 season.

Pat Blackburn, who served as linebacker coach at Utah State during the past three seasons, was added by Lopez as defensive coordinator. Lopez and many of the players credit him with turning the defense around.

“I think there was some doubt in the players’ minds as to how good they would be,” Blackburn said.

Alemany 28, Harvard 0.

Alemany 23, St. Genevieve 0.

The doubts were erased.

Despite those shutouts, the coaches were concerned. They knew Harvard and St. Genevieve were not the toughest teams Alemany would face.

“We wondered,” Lopez said, “if once the defense was scored on, would they go in the tank?”

Or as Blackburn put it: “We needed to be put in an adverse condition. We needed to have our guts, our pride, tested.”

Hart provided the first real gut-check.

Hart scored first on a field goal and led on three occasions. But each time, Alemany came back, eventually winning, 27-17.

“I told them before the Hart game, ‘Hey, you guys are not a perfect defense. Somebody is going to score on you,’ ” Blackburn said. “The importantthing was for them not to get down on themselves. When we had to stop them we did.”

Alemany followed the Hart game by blanking Pius X, 28-0, and South Pasadena, 40-0.

With each victory and each shutout, the Indians gain confidence.

“I’m not surprised at all with our success,” nose guard David Montes said. “We are really good on offense and defense.”

Said Casillas, a three-year starter: “We know we’re good. We just want to be noted as one of the best teams around. . . . We’re cocky and that’s to our advantage.”

Lopez, who is in his second year as head coach, said the Indians are not doing much differently from last season. It is simply a combination of better athletes and a new coaching staff that have made the Indian defense such a stingy group.

“Last year was a big hassle for me in that I had (responsibility of) both the offense and defense,” Lopez said. “After the first couple of games I had to go up the press box during the games and calls the plays.”

The problem, Lopez added, was that his assistants were giving him the wrong information. So Lopez decided to clean house.

He brought in five new assistants.

Lopez met with several candidates for the defensive coordinator job, but Blackburn, he said, “was the only one who made it to the chalkboard and showed me what he had.”

Lopez has given Blackburn complete control of the defense. “With Pat, I’ve been able to concentrate more on offense,” Lopez said. “I have complete confidence in him. He is very smart. He knows defense.”

Blackburn brought several ideas with him from Utah State. “Last year Alemany was basically a one-front, a one-type coverage team,” he said. “I believe in a multiple-front system, giving the offense a lot of different looks.”

The Indians employ a defense in which three linemen and two linebackers position themselves just off the line. The two inside linebackers and four secondary men make up the “50” defense.

The line features Montes and tackles Hugo Correa and John Haymond. Casillas and Kirk Stewart are the outside linebackers, and Greg Garcia and Larry Muir are the inside linebackers.

Troy Vigil and Fabian Malbrew are at the corners, while sophomore Roy Talavera is one of the starting safeties. The other safety spot has been shared by Ulmar Palrose and Steve Klaus.

“The key has been coaching,” said the 5-9, 180-pound Montes, who was moved from fullback to nose guard this season. “They tell us what to do, what to key on. They prepare us very well and we just put it together on Friday nights.”

Much of the credit has gone Blackburn’s way.

“You can tell he really knows what he’s talking about,” Muir said. “He’s a great defensive coach.”

Said Montes: “You look up to him. He can relate to you. He’s almost like a player.”

At one time, Blackburn was quite a player. In 1973, he was the best defensive lineman on a La Mirada High team that did not allow a touchdown in league play.

He earned a scholarship to Notre Dame, but did not play a down for the Fighting Irish in 1974. He transferred to San Jose State the next season because, he said, “I was too far away from home.”

After two years at San Jose State, Blackburn moved on to Utah State, where he was a two-year starter at linebacker. In 1978, he was named all-conference as the Aggies won the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.

After his playing days, Blackburn served as the defensive coordinator at Rubidoux High in Riverside for two years. In 1981, Rubidoux had the top-ranked defense in Riverside and reached the Southern Section Eastern Conference finals before losing to Arlington.

Blackburn then became an assistant coach at Utah State. He took some time off in 1982 to sign with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. But a back injury hampered him and he was cut.

Blackburn returned to Utah State, where he stayed until last year. He wanted to get back into high school coaching, so he returned to California.

He was hired at Alemany two days before the school year started, he said, “without even seeing the athletes.”

But after one visit with the team, Blackburn knew there was potential.

Said Blackburn: “The first thing I told them was, ‘Guys, I’m here for one reason, to make you a winning football team and take you to the Del Rey League championship.’ ”

After five games the players are seeking more.

“We are looking,” Casillas said, “for all shutouts, all wins, a Del Rey League championship and a CIF championship.”