HIGH SCHOOL ’86 : SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEW : Long Beach Poly Is Starting Out Right Where It Left Off--No. 1

The 72nd Southern Section football season begins in earnest Thursday with several familiar teams missing from The Times’ preseason Top 10--champions Pasadena Muir of the Coastal Conference and Claremont of the Eastern most notably--but the usual Big Five Conference-dominated cast is back.

And there is the same top-ranked team as last season: Long Beach Poly.

The Jackrabbits may have graduated most members of the best defense in the state (Mark Carrier, Brian Tuliau, et al), but they will hardly come up short in the talent department this season. Poly, and Veterans Stadium in Long Beach on Friday nights, will still be a well-known destination for college recruiters.

In all, four of the top five teams are from the Big Five.

LONG BEACH POLY

1985 Record: 11-1-1

Coaches: Jerry Jaso & Thomas Whiting

Strengths: Secondary, with one of the best defensive players in the state (FS Eugene Burkhalter). RB Leonard Russell, one of the top prospects in the country. MLB Mark Odom, a three-year starter. Victor Elliot, 6-4, 200 pounds, and George Collier on the defensive line. More great athletes in a program that never seems to run out of talent.

Weaknesses: Depth. “We’re an injury away from being only a decent team,” Whiting says. Some players may have to go both ways, whereas none did last year. Passing game is untested with a new quarterback--a sophomore at that--and four new starting receivers.

Outlook: Depth problems or not, the Jackrabbits have great talent on both sides of the line in Russell, 6-2, 215, who rushed for 1,344 yards in ‘85, and Burkhalter. The nonleague schedule is tough, with the Oct. 3 meeting against Banning of Wilmington matching two of the best teams in the state.

WESTMINSTER 1985 Record: 8-5

Coaches: Jim O’Hara & Jack Bowman

Strengths: Return of 14 starters from a team that reached the Big Five Conference semifinals, and a defense that allowed an average of 11.8 points a game. Offensive line has C Jag Sekhon (6-3, 245) and T Gary Lewellyn (6-5, 260). OLB Mark Smith is a returning All-Big Five Conference pick, OLB Ray Smith was All-Orange County and MLB Todd Weaver All-Sunset League.

Weaknesses: Inexperience in the secondary, running backs and wide receivers. Only 38 players on the varsity roster.

Outlook: “If they get a fast running back and a fast wide receiver, they might be able to mail it in,” Poly’s Jaso said. The No. 17 team in the nation according to USA Today. “Hopefully, that’s not short lived,” O’Hara said. “We’ve been preparing our kids for this (the high rankings) since January. The people have a very good work ethic here so I don’t worry about any complacency.”

EL TORO 1985 Record: 9-4

Coach: Bob Johnson

Strengths: Six starters back on offense, including junior QB Bret Johnson, the coach’s son, who passed for 2,200 yards last season. WR Scott Miller caught 12 passes for 164 yards last week in a victory at Whitehall (Pa.). DT Scott Spalding, who might play some on offense, is 6-5, 250, and one of the top prospects in the state. LB Scott Ross returns as an All-South Coast League pick.

Weaknesses: Inexperience on defense, although there is at least one returnee on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary. The real worrying point, however, is the schedule.

Outlook: QB Johnson and Spalding can control a game on offense and defense, respectively. Will have the chance to prove it deserves a high ranking, with games against Westminster (in two weeks), El Modena of Orange, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (with transfer QB Todd Marinovich) and Mission Viejo. Johnson figures Newport Harbor is the weakest team on the nonleague schedule, and the Sailors have won two league titles in the past three years. Says Coach Johnson: “If we continue to improve on defense, this could be a real fine year for us.”

RIVERSIDE POLY 1985 Record: 10-1

Coach: Mike Churchill

Strengths: A physical defense, especially the linebackers, with All-Citrus Belt League lineman Tony Beld returning. Speed (RB Kenny White averaged seven yards per carry in ‘85). Coaching.

Weaknesses: “We kind of have to wait until we get out there to find out,” Churchill said. It could be on the bench, where things are untested because the Bears have only 12 seniors.

Outlook: Returns only four starters, but so what? Five were back last season and look what happened. Six returned in 1984 and they went 13-1 and won the Big Five title. The best thing about Churchill-coached teams is that they do not beat themselves. Hope to have better luck in avoiding injuries on offense.

ANAHEIM SERVITE 1985 Record: 11-2-1

Coach: Leo Hand

Strengths: The problem last season of using an inexperienced offensive line should pay dividends in ‘86, with three starters back, led by G Phil Jacobson. WR Nick-John Haiduc has speed and good hands. Senior S Mike Hirou is the standout in the secondary.

Weaknesses: Inexperience at cornerback and outside linebacker.

Outlook: The key on offense will be to replace graduated QB Tim Rosenkranz with either senior Brett Caya, who is 20-0 in starts on the freshman and sophomore teams, or junior Jason Messersmith, three inches taller at 6-3 and the son of former major league pitcher Andy Messersmith. Until then, it will be up to the defense, and its test will come in the opener: RB George Hemingway and Colton.

SANTA ANA

1985 Record: 10-4

Coach: Dick Hill

Strengths: Junior TB Robert Lee was one of the top rushers in Southern California last season. Defensive line is solid. Seven starters return on offense, including 4 of 6 on the line. A duel between a pair of juniors, Richard Fanti and George Tuioti, for the starting quarterback spot is even working to the Saints’ advantage. “I like this kind of problem,” Hill said.

Weaknesses: Depth, the kicking game with the graduation of QB-P Eric Turner.

Outlook: The defending Southern Conference champions lose a quarterback but gain Lee with a year of experience. How much they depend on him depends how much the opposition keys on him. “I feel we have the tools to keep people very honest between the pass and the run and with the other backs we have.”

NEWHALL HART 1985 Record: 9-4-1

Coach: Rick Scott

Strengths: Backfield, with All-Coastal Conference QB Jim Bonds (3,000 yards passing and running), All-Foothill League TB Chris Hite, and FB Andy Iacenda, a 230-pound transfer from Burroughs of Burbank. Offensive line, with C David Long and G Jeff Moore, both all-leaguers. All-league DT Jim Vander Toorn and LB Jack McKeon, all-league on the offensive line last year, head the defense.

Weaknesses: Only four starters are back on defense. How the passing game adjusts to the loss of starters WR Bryan Milner (ankle injury) and all-league TE David Lee (broken arm), within the past two weeks remains to be seen.

Outlook: “This is the year I would play anybody,” Scott said. Canyon Country Canyon comes first, then let’s worry about the rest of the season. A tough loss in the opener last year sent the Indians on their way to an 0-3-1 start before recovering to reach the Coastal Conference final.

CANYON COUNTRY CANYON 1985 Record: 14-0

Coach: Harry Welch

Strengths: Backfield, with All-Northwestern Conference RB Lance Cross, RB Paul Chadwell, WR-CB Chad Zeigler and QB Ken Sollom. Coaching.

Weaknesses: Only two starters are back on defense, and they are being moved. The offensive line is young.

Outlook: Eight shy of tying the California record for most consecutive wins (46, by Temple City in the early ‘70s), the Cowboys are trying to lay low. “What streak?” Welch said. He knows better, of course, and so does the opposition. As weakened by graduation as the Cowboys are, don’t bet against Welch for a fourth straight conference title, this time in the Coastal.

HUNTINGTON BEACH EDISON 1985 Record: 11-2-1

Coach: Dave White

Strengths: Running game, led by TB Kaleaph Carter (967 yards last year as a sophomore), one of the best athletes in California. Defense against the run, with LB Marc Hartman and NG Bruce DuBois, both All-Sunset League picks last season. Kicking game, with P Mike Guccionne and K Eric Thayer.

Weaknesses: No starters back on the offensive line and in the secondary. QB Mike Henderson was a second-team all-league WR last year, but untested at his new position in replacing Mike Angelovic, Big Five co-MVP.

Outlook: “This will be a very aggressive, very emotional team,” White said. “I don’t see this team getting blown out by anybody. We have too many good people for that. We may take a fall, playing El Modena and Servite and a couple other tough ones in nonleague, but I think we would bounce back.”

LA PUENTE BISHOP AMAT 1985 Record: 11-1

Coaches: Mark Paredes

Strengths: All-Big Five RB Eric Bieniemy (1,824 yards and 28 touchdowns rushing) is one of the best in Southern California. The offensive line has depth, experience and some size, led by T Richard Garrick (6-4, 260) and T Troy Auzenne (6-6, 215). CB Sean Canova and LB Chico Fraley return on defense.

Weaknesses: Passing game, with Paredes unable to decide between junior J.R. Phillips and senior Robert Montanez, who played about a quarter each last year behind Rick Carter, for the start at quarterback a week before the opener. “We’ll have trouble throwing the ball, if we throw at all,” Paredes says. “It looks like all they’ll have to be able to do is pitch the ball to Bieniemy. I could settle on either of them for that.” Defense returns two only starters.

Outlook: It’s up to you, Bieniemy. “I’m flattered that some people are rating us high,” Paredes says, “but I’m kind of scratching my head over it.”

Others To Watch: Pasadena Muir, with RB Ricky Ervins carrying most of the load; La Verne Damien, with RB Eric Henley; Encino Crespi; Claremont; Capistrano Valley, with Marinovich, by way of Santa Ana Mater Dei, looking very good in summer passing leagues and practice).