Prep Football Games to Watch : Crenshaw Going for 3-0 Against Valley Teams

Crenshaw High School will try for its third victory over a City 4-A opponent from the San Fernando Valley when it plays host to Reseda Cleveland in a nonleague game Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Last week, Cleveland proved it can win, though barely, even when tailback Albert Fann doesn’t have a great game. Fann, who rushed for 357 yards in his first two games, was held to 55 in a 7-0 squeaker over Woodland Hills Taft. The Cavaliers (3-0) must be more effective offensively or risk a beating at the hands of Crenshaw’s defense.

The Cougars have been hot defensively and last week allowed San Fernando inside the 20 just once in a 19-6 win. In the season opener, the Cougars beat Granada Hills Kennedy, 15-13, despite gaining only 53 yards in total offense. Crenshaw’s other win was a 21-0 whitewash of Fairfax, defending City 3-A champion.

Offensively, the Cougars rely on the running game, led by LaMont Peters, who ran for 118 yards in 19 carries against San Fernando. Crenshaw threw just eight passes last week.

Santa Ana Saddleback (4-0) at

Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (3-1),

Friday, 7:30 p.m. This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Saddleback, but the project apparently was done quickly. Ever since the Roadrunners knocked off Santa Ana, they have been unstoppable. They beat Irvine last week, 41-0, as junior David Dudman had two touchdowns, including an 85-yard kickoff return. This will be a good final test for each team before league play starts next week. Capistrano Valley scored an impressive shutout of Costa Mesa Estancia last week. Capo Valley quarterback Todd Marinovich seems sure to become Orange County’s all-time leading passer in this game, needing just 81 yards to break the mark of 5,264 held by Shane Foley of Newport Harbor, now at USC.

Lynwood (3-1) at

La Puente Bishop Amat (4-0),

Friday, 7:30 p.m. Lynwood poses the next set of challenges for Bishop Amat, The Times’ top-ranked Southern Section team. Chief among them is Lynwood running back Austin McCwan, who has gained more than 100 yards in each of his last three games. Still, he has yet to face a defense like the Lancers’, which held Long Beach Poly’s Leonard Russell, one of the top-rated running backs in the nation, to 44 yards two weeks ago. Linebacker Charles Fraley and defensive lineman Kevin Szaloneck are two of the leaders of the Bishop Amat defense counted on to stop McCwan and the other Knights.

Los Alamitos (4-0) vs.

Anaheim Loara (3-0-1),

at Glover Stadium,

Friday, 7:30 p.m. These two old Orange County rivals are back at it again. In the late 1970s, the teams challenged one another for Empire League titles. But in recent times, Esperanza of Anaheim has overshadowed both. Loara tied Esperanza last week, however, and Los Alamitos is unbeaten and has given up just nine points. Loara’s defense is its strong suit. Loara forced six turnovers against Esperanza. Quarterback Tom Wiliamson keys a Los Alamitos offense that has scored more than 30 points in three game of its four games.

Panorama City St. Genevieve (3-1)

at North Hollywood Harvard (3-1),

Friday 3 p.m. This Santa Fe League opener is likely to determine the championship. St. Genevieve won the title last season, but Harvard, which moved over from the Pioneer League this season, advanced to the Desert-Mountain Conference final. The game also features one of the San Fernando Valley’s top running backs, Harvard’s Andy Bell. Last week, in a 50-34 win over Agoura, Bell rushed for 266 yards and 4 touchdowns and is well on his way to a 1,000-yard season with 552 yards and 5 touchdowns in 4 games.

L.A. Roosevelt (2-1) vs.

L.A. Garfield (2-1), at

East Los Angeles College,

Friday, 8 p.m. This is the 52nd meeting in one of the best rivalries in prep sports. Last year, 21,000 fans turned out as Roosevelt won, 3-0. Roosevelt, which has won the 2-A championship two years in a row, will likely have the edge again.

Pasadena Muir (4-0) at

La Canada St. Francis (1-2-1),

Friday, 7:30 p.m. St. Francis poses the most difficult--certainly the most physical--test for Muir yet. This is a match-up of St. Francis’ defense against Muir’s explosive offense, a challenge to see just how good Muir’s offense can be. St. Francis has a knack for staying close to other teams, and if the Golden Knights are going to upset Muir the defense must stop running back Ricky Ervins. They gave Bishop Amat’s Eric Bieniemy fits last week, holding him to a season-low 77 yards before Bishop Amat won, 21-12. Ervins has rushed for 449 yards in 74 carries and caught 14 passes for 243 yards. In addition, quarterback Vince Phillips has completed 62.7% of his passes and thrown for 9 touchdowns.

Carson (3-0) at

San Fernando (1-2),

Friday, 8 p.m. San Fernando should provide Carson with one last tuneup before starting Pacific League play next week. San Fernando’s offense hopes to improve on last week’s sluggish performance against Crenshaw. Carson, The Times’ second-ranked City team, has no problem with offensive punch. Running backs Calvin Holmes and Alvin Goree have dismantled most defenses this season. Rialto Eisenhower (3-1) at

San Bernardino San Gorgonio (1-1-1),

Friday, 7:30 p.m. Both teams stick to the ground, as is typical of Citrus Belt League teams. Both also run the veer offense, but to varying degrees of success. Eisenhower tailback Dennis Collier has rushed for 317 yards in 50 carries. In top form, San Gorgonio could challenge for the league title. The Spartans have sputtered offensively. Quarterback Gary Taylor is the team’s leading rusher, but has just 92 yards for the season. Still, no one team seems to have the upper hand in this league. Indeed, it’s unusual for Citrus Belt teams to be absent from The Times’ top 10, as has been the case this season.