AROUND THE LEAGUES : Taft, Cleveland Promise to Cover a Lot of Ground

When Taft plays Cleveland on Friday, don’t expect to see too many balls in the air.

Taft failed to complete a pass in its 17-13 win over El Camino Real last week and has completed only three passes this season. Led by tailback Cornell Collier, however, Taft has rushed for 589 yards.

“I’d love to throw the ball 50 times a game but I don’t have Dan Marino,” Taft Coach Tom Stevenson said. “I like to get down and get dirty. Three yards and a cloud of dust, the Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler style.”

Cleveland’s Albert Fann is the City Section’s leading rusher with 357 yards. Cleveland’s ground game has accounted for 69% of its offense; the Cavaliers average just 87.5 yards passing.

Passed Over: Canyon’s Ken Sollom and Hart’s Jim Bonds are the best known quarterbacks in the Santa Clarita Valley. Yet Jared Snyder of Saugus is filling the air with more passes. They aren’t always reaching their targets, but Coach Dave Gross says that Snyder just needs time: time to develop and time to throw. A 6-0, 180-pound junior, Snyder has completed 45 of 89 passes for 377 yards and 2 touchdowns. “Jared’s short passing game is all we have at this point,” Gross said. “We can’t run the ball and he doesn’t get the time for the deep stuff. But he has a great arm and we are trying to phase in some longer passes.” . . . Saugus (0-3) has no senior starters on offense. LaMark Allen, a junior slotback who has caught 11 passes for 120 yards, did not play last week because he missed school Friday. Sophomore receiver Antonio Wahl, who Gross said is as quick as Allen, practiced Monday for the first time. Wahl must practice 10 days before he is eligible for games.

If you can beat ‘em, join ‘em: Agoura (1-2) has played three preleague games against Marmonte League teams. “I scheduled the Marmonte teams knowing we weren’t going to be as strong this season,” said Coach Frank Greminger, who indicated that Agoura may join the league in the next few years. “If we’re going to compete in that league, we have to see the competition. We’re around 1,800 in enrollment. We’d still be considered small in the Marmonte League, but in our league, we’re getting too big.”

Goose-egg cities: Fillmore has the Southern Section’s longest losing streak at 14, but may lose the distinction Friday. Fillmore (0-3) opens its Tri-Valley League schedule against Moorpark (0-3). Moorpark supporters can sympathize with Fillmore’s plight. Between 1977 and 1982, Moorpark lost 46 consecutive games. . . . With two wins, Poly already has matched last year’s total, thanks in part to transfer quarterback Joey Speakes, who has thrown for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. Speakes formerly attended Granada Hills, but transferred to Poly after his family moved.

Injury Report: Granada Hills lineman Shannon Smith is out for the season with a knee injury. . . . Ralph Velador, an all-league lineman for Moorpark, will miss the rest of the season because of a congenital spinal defect. . . . Simi Valley’s Mike Carnes, the school record holder at 100 meters, probably has seen the end of the football season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

Time for a tuneup: Against Crescenta Valley last week, Burbank gained more yards, but lost after giving up a long punt return late in the game. Said Burbank Coach Dave Carson: “It’s like we’re clicking on six cylinders of an eight-cylinder car.” . . . After fumbling five times in a season-opening loss to Oxnard, San Fernando did not fumble in Friday’s win over Montclair Prep. Now we just need to read the option better,” Coach Tom Hernandez said. The Tiger wishbone is an equal-opportunity offense: Eight players have carried the ball in two games.

Quick turnaround: North Hollywood finished 2-7 last season, but the Huskies are off to a 2-0 start. First-year Coach Fred Grimes says a new attitude is a big factor. “After we scored a few times, the kids realized what they could be capable of,” Grimes said. . . . Monroe has been shut out in its first two games, gaining only 111 yards in total offense. Against Reseda, Monroe failed to make a first down.

Schedule changes: The following games have been switched to Thursday: Granada Hills at Canoga Park at 8 p.m.; Calabasas at El Segundo at 7:30 p.m.; Carpinteria at Oak Park at 7:30; and Manual Arts at Chatsworth at 8 p.m. The following games will be played Friday at 3 p.m.: Taft at Cleveland; Sylmar at University; Grant at North Hollywood; Birmingham at Verdugo Hills; and Faith Baptist at Ventura Temple Christian. The Harvard-Agoura game has been moved to Saturday at 7:30 p.m.