Featured Games : Marina vs. Long Beach Poly

The records--Marina (8-3), Long Beach Poly (10-1).

The site--Cerritos College

The conference--Big Five

Marina update--The Sunset League co-champions upset top-seeded Bishop Amat last week, 33-12. They will have their work cut out for them again versus Poly, considered one of the best teams in the state. Tailback Sean Magula has been the catalyst in the Vikings’ veer offense, which scored 60 points in two playoff games. Magula has been especially effective in his last four games, gaining 573 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns. The defense, with nose guard Tyrone Youngblood and free safety Bill Craft, has been a consistent performer for well-rounded Marina.

Long Beach Poly update--The Jackrabbits slipped by Fontana, 10-9, after holding the Steelers to 20 yards rushing. That is not unusual--the Jackrabbit defense has shut out six opponents, allowed offenses an average of 43 yards per game and 1.39 yards per carry. Against the Poly secondary, opposing quarterbacks have had a 38% completion rate and given up 14 interceptions. The Poly offense is built around running back Leonard Russell (157 carries for 1,156 yards and 12 touchdowns) and quarterback Michael Herring, who has 92 completions in 195 attempts for 1,432 yards, 12 interceptions and 18 touchdowns. He has thrown almost equally to Eric Morgan (30 catches for 491 yards) and Chris Roscoe (29 for 393).

Key to the game--Can Marina avoid a letdown after pulling off one of the heists of the season last week? Will the Vikings and quarterback Rick Vanderriet be able to produce any significant amount of offense against the Jackrabbits?

Consensus--After getting off to an inauspicious 1-2-1 start, Marina has won seven of its last eight games. But tonight, Poly has to be the strong favorite.

Westminster vs. Edison

The records--Westminster (8-4) Edison (10-2)

The site--Orange Coast College

The conference--Big Five

Westminster update--The Lions are making the most of their first playoff appearance since 1976. It’s been well-deserved since five of their wins have come against eventual league champions. Despite the fact that the Lions start nine underclassmen on defense, the young unit has limited opponents to an average of 12.2 points per game. Key defenders include linebackers Ray Smith and Mike Smith, tackle Herman Baine and defensive end Mike Cover.

Edison update--The Chargers have steadily improved since their 1985 Sunset League debut, a 24-14 upset by the Lions. They have won six straight since meeting the Lions. In last week’s 14-13 victory over Servite, quarterback Mike Angelovic completed 20 of 28 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. Angelovic needs just 9 yards and 3 touchdowns to break school single-season passing records set by Frank Seurer (later of the L.A. Express) in 1979 of 2,063 yards and 23 touchdowns. Tight end Rick Justice also has a good chance of breaking receiving and scoring records set by Mark Boyer (now with the Indianapolis Colts).

Key to the game--Last time these teams met, the Chargers’ talented sophomore tailback, Kaleaph Carter, lost two fumbles and Westminster managed to capitalize. Defensively, the Chargers will have to do a better job against Lion quarterback Steve Gulley, who had one of his best games against Edison, completing 8 of 13 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

Consensus--The improved Edison has a clear advantage, but Westminster has been known to overcome all sorts of reasonable predictions before. “They’ll be lining up the same guys and we’ll be lining up the same guys,” said Charger Coach Bill Workman, “so we have reason to worry.”

Newport Harbor vs. La Quinta

The records--Newport Harbor (10-2), La Quinta (10-2)

The site--Bolsa Grande Stadium

The conference--Central

Newport Harbor update--The Sailors’ quarterfinal game against La Mirada matched two teams averaging 30 or more points a game. So what happens? Newport Harbor wins the game, 6-0, on a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Foley to Mark Craig with 4:29 remaining in the game. The game was significant for the Sailor defense which allowed an average of 18 points per game during the regular season. But that statistic is a bit misleading. The Sailors were the highest scoring team in Orange County during the regular season, averaging 32 points a game. The habit of scoring big, and scoring quickly, put the Newport Harbor defense on the field a lot. Foley, voted the Sea View League’s most valuable player this week, has passed for 2,645 yards this season, ranking him third on the all-time Orange County single-season passing list behind record holder Scott Stark (2,986 yards) of Capistrano Valley and second-place Jim Karsatos (2,703 yards) formerly of Sunny Hills. Foley has passed for 4,883 yards in two seasons, he is 74 yards away from setting the Orange County career-passing record currently held by Burt Call, formerly of Capistrano Valley.

La Quinta update--The Aztecs are averaging 41 points a game in the playoffs. Not bad for a team that wasn’t supposed to have much offense. Eric Zeno started the season as the La Quinta quarterback but sustained a leg injury the second week of the season against Foothill. Coach Joe Zeno had planned to go to a passing offense this season, but with his son Eric injured, he went back to La Quinta’s more traditional running game. Slowly, quarterback Derek Debbs has developed, passing for three touchdowns in the Aztecs’, 41-0, win over Sonora. But the Aztecs’ big weapon remains running back Bart Recktenwald. He rushed for 114 yards in nine carries against Sonora. In La Quinta’s, 42-7, first round victory over Woodbridge, Recktenwald gained 105 yards. In the Aztecs’ regular season finale against Garden Grove, won by La Quinta, 41-19, he gained 258 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. He’s scored his 18 touchdowns this season on rushes, receptions, punt returns, kickoff returns and interception returns. This is La Quinta’s first appearance in the playoff semifinals.

Key to the game--Both teams have high scoring offenses. Therefore, defense is an obvious key. La Quinta’s defense, which held Sonora to a minus two-yards in total offense, will have to put enough pressure on Foley--a traditional drop-back passer--to make him hurry his passes. Newport Harbor will have to find someway of stopping Recktenwald.

Consensus--Though Newport Harbor is larger, La Quinta’s probably has the superior defense. The emergence of Debbs to complement the running of Recktenwald makes the Aztecs offense stronger. Give La Quinta the edge and its first appearance in the final.