HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TODAY : Santa Barbara vs. Hart

At College of the Canyons 7:30 p.m.

Since the third week of the season, Hart High football coaches have been charting the progress of Santa Barbara High. They have been watching, waiting, and hoping for a chance at redemption. Santa Barbara defeated Hart, 28-18, in the second week of the season. It was Hart’s second loss in a four-game skein that saw the Indians open the season 0-3-1 after being the Coastal Conference’s No. 1 team in the Southern Section’s preseason poll. Hart Coach Rick Scott says his team was “a little bit embarrassed” by its performance in that game. “We didn’t give a good account of ourselves at all,” Scott said. “We threw one interception for a touchdown, and another that set one up. We also had two fumbles that hurt. We were down 25-0 before our defense had a fair shot at stopping them.” After its slow start, Hart has rebounded with seven consecutive victories. The Indians have been at their best in the last two games, defeating No. 1-ranked Schurr, 35-19, for the Foothill League championship, and Newbury Park, 33-14, in the first round of the playoffs last week. Hart’s winning streak has paralleled the improvement of quarterback Jim Bonds, a 6-0, 180-pound junior. In his last seven games, Bonds has completed 87 of 143 pass attempts for 1,189 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has also run for six touchdowns. Santa Barbara (9-2), is led by quarterback Wayne Shipley, who is as much of a threat running as he is passing. The Dons have a trio of good athletes at receiver in Michael Montoya, Joe Lemp and Kevin Bolden, who is also an outstanding defensive end.

West Torrance vs. Simi Valley

At Simi Valley High 7:30 p.m.

Simi Valley is enjoying its best season ever. The Pioneers (9-2) have broken the school record for wins (previously six) and won their first league championship in 23 years. But all is not well in Simi Valley. Standout tailback/defensive back M.J. Nelson has a cast on his foot and is questionable for tonight’s game. He suffered a severely sprained ankle early in last week’s first-round victory over Arcadia. According to Pioneer Coach Dave Murphy, the cast will be removed this morning and a decision as to whether he will play will be made later in the day. Nelson rushed for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns on 174 carries in the regular season. He also had six interceptions, and returned two of them for touchdowns. West Torrance (7-2-2), champion of the Bay League, has been paced by running back Kevin Maher. After missing the Warriors’ first three games with an injury, he has come on to rush for more than 1,100 yards. West Torrance is 6-0-2 since Maher has returned to the lineup. Joining Maher in the backfield is Kaiser Noa, who was academically ineligible for the Warriors first nine games. He also starts at linebacker. West Torrance also has what co-Coach John Black describes as a Division I prospect in 6-5, 230-pound tackle Nick Subis. Black believes that the key for the Warriors will be to keep the Pioneers from breaking off the big play. “We just have to stop them in the big-play situations,” he said. “They always seem to have some sort of gadget play. They come up with one every week.”

Muir vs. Rio Mesa

At Rio Mesa High 7:30 p.m.

Rio Mesa has the unenviable task of playing host to Muir, the Coastal Conference’s top-seeded team, but Spartan Coach John Reardon isn’t ready to concede. “We’re excited about playing them,” he said. “They’re an excellent football team, but we think we can play with them.” The Spartans will need good performances from quarterback Steve Carolan, who has passed for 1,020 yards, and running back Leonard Lee (653 yards, five touchdowns). On defense, Rio Mesa (8-2-1) has been paced by two members of the secondary. Defensive back Darren Romano, who is also the team’s leading receiver, has intercepted five passes and safety Mike Rungee is the Spartans’ leading tackler. “He’s the last thing between heaven and earth for us,” Reardon said. Muir has a seven-game win streak. The Mustangs’ only loss was a 29-28 setback against North Torrance in the third game of the season. Ricky Ervins, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards, is injured and did not play in Muir’s first-round win over Burbank. Coach Jim Brownfield moved wide receiver Cary Grant to tailback and he gained 132 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Bulldogs. The Mustangs have what Brownfield has described as “the best safety in the state” in John Hardy. Hardy is also Muir’s leading receiver.

Canyon vs. Santa Maria

At Santa Maria High 7:30 p.m.

Canyon Coach Harry Welch and his Cowboys continue to put up some amazing numbers. The two-time defending Northwestern Conference champions have won 35 consecutive games. This season, the Cowboys went undefeated in the Golden League for the fourth straight year. In four years, Welch has a 46-5 record at the school. Canyon (11-0), which gave up an average of 132 yards a game in total offense in the regular season, has allowed only 36 points this season--with six shutouts. In the regular season’s last game, the Cowboys lost quarterback John Watkins to a broken hand. But they opened the playoffs with a 53-0 win over Serra, as Ken Sollom performed admirably in Watkins’ place, completing 10 of 17 pass attempts for 163 yards and a touchdown. Canyon also has a strong rushing attack, led by tailback Lance Cross, who has 1,027 yards and 15 touchdowns on 165 carries. In their last four games, the Cowboys have scored 178 points. Santa Maria (6-5), was a 33-6 loser to Canyon in last season’s conference title game. The Saints posted a 33-8 win over St. Bernard in the opening round of the playoffs last week.

Agoura vs. Leuzinger

At Leuzinger High 7:30 p.m.

Agoura defeated St. Bonaventure 44-0 last week for its third consecutive win. It was the Chargers’ sixth win in their last seven games. Agoura running backs rushed for 388 yards on 58 carries in that game, led by a 250-yard, three- touchdown performance by tailback Brock Hoffman. Hoffman has 1,361 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. If Agoura (8-3) is to repeat as Desert-Mountain Conference champion it will have to slow Leuzinger quarterback Mike Reddington, who passed for 1,200 and ran for 600 during the regular season. Reddington completed 12 of 19 pass attempts for 240 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Bell-Jeff last week. His favorite target is Sean Smith, who has more than 500 yards in receptions and 10 touchdowns, despite being double-teamed often. Both Reddington and Smith are also outstanding defensive backs. Leuzinger (8-1-1) is led on defense by linebackers Dana Florence and David Sweet. Agoura, which has two consecutive shutouts, is led on defense by linebacker Donnie Rea and tackle Mike Bowman.

Ontario Chris. vs. Montclair Prep

At Kennedy High 7:30 p.m.

Ontario Christian (10-1) finished second in the Olympic League, behind No. 1-ranked Valley Christian. The Knights, who are perennial playoff contenders, lost to Valley, 36-0, two weeks ago. But they rebounded with a 14-12 decision over Big Bear last week. Montclair Prep (8-3) had an easier time in its opener, shutting out Bishop Union, 14-0. It was the Mounties fifth shutout of the season. The Montclair Prep defense is led by defensive end Darryl Handelsman, lineman Alex DeHayward and defensive backs Riche Swinton and Reggie Smith, Jr. Swinton is also the team’s top offensive threat. The senior running back has 1,666 yards and 20 touchdowns on 207 carries. He rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries last week. Smith, the quarterback, is a threat rushing and passing. He was 7 of 18 for 136 yards and a touchdown against Bishop. Certainly, Ontario Christian poses more of a threat to Montclair Prep than any of its league opponents did. The Mounties outscored Alpha League opposition, 242-9 in six games.

Santa Clara vs. Harvard

At Valley College 7:30 p.m.

The overall records indicate that this quarterfinal game is a mismatch, but Harvard Coach Gary Thran is convinced his team has a chance for an upset. Harvard (6-5) defeated Yucaipa, 23-3, last week to earn a shot at the top-ranked Saints. “It should be close,” Thran said. “The team that makes the fewest mistakes will probably win. We had 85 yards in penalties and a touchdown called back last week. We can’t afford that to happen again.” A close game would be something new for Santa Clara (10-1). The Saints have outscored opponents, 361-151, and they defeated Moorpark, 36-7, in the first round of the playoffs last week. Santa Clara’s only loss was to Rio Mesa, 34-16, in its third game of the season. The Saints’ top offensive threats are quarterback David Duarte and running back Tom Patrucci. Duarte threw for 1,537 and 17 touchdowns during the regular season. Patrucci rushed for 875 yards and 14 touchdowns on 150 carries. Harvard’s attack on offense and defense has been bolstered by the return of Cory Thabit, who has played in only four full games all season. Thabit is the team’s quarterback and leading tackler from his linebacker spot on defense. He has been slowed this season by, in order, a bruised sternum, a fractured ankle, and three broken vertabrae in his back. The Saracens’ losses have come to Alemany, Beverly Hills, Agoura, Chaminade and St. Genevieve. The latter four teams all made the playoffs, while Alemany, a Big Five Conference team, had a victory over Del Rey League champion Loyola.

Faith Baptist vs. Templeton

At Jack Allen Field, Templeton 7:30 p.m.

This is the second consecutive season that Faith Baptist and Templeton have met for the Eight-Man Large Division championship game. Last season, Faith Baptist beat the Eagles, 47-30. The Contenders also routed Templeton earlier this season, 52-0. “Things just got out of control last time,” Eagles Coach Jerry Reynolds said. “We fumbled six times inside our own 20-yard line in the first half and they took advantage of it. I know we’ve improved since then, but I don’t know how much.” The Eagles (10-1) will be making their fifth championship game appearance in the last seven years. They are 2-2 in previous title games. Templeton, which has scored 461 points, is led by junior running back Mike Arthurs. Arthurs, the No. 1 rusher in San Luis Obispo County, has gained 1,334 yards and scored 25 touchdowns. Faith Baptist (11-0) is the top-seed and currently has a 23-game winning streak. But the Contenders will be playing without standout tailback Kevin Burton, who was expelled from school for disciplinary reasons. He had gained 940 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. Randy Lutz will take his place. He has rushed for more than 800 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Coach Harry Morgan was pleased with Lutz’ performance in place of Burton last week. “Randy stepped in and did a good job--even better than we expected,” he said. He’s not as big or physically mature as Burton, but he showed us he could do the job.”