HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : NORTHWESTERN CONFERENCE : Hart vs. Temple City

You think the quarterback can go deep at Newhall Hart? Seen the bench in action lately?

The Indians have one of the state’s best quarterbacks in hard-throwing Jim Bonds, who has merely passed for 2,925 yards and 37 touchdowns, 5 shy of Pat Haden’s single-season Southern Section record, with just 9 interceptions. But, safe to say, second-seeded Hart would not be playing top-seeded Temple City for the Northwestern Conference title Saturday night at 7:30 at Citrus College, were it not for team depth, especially on defense.

At one point, the Indians (12-1, the loss coming in the season opener to Canyon Country Canyon) were without both starting defensive ends, both starting cornerbacks and both inside linebackers. There were knee operations, broken bones and various other bumps and bruises, but no letdowns, especially in the playoffs--a shutout against Arroyo Grande, 12 points surrendered to L.A. Verbum Dei and 7 to Santa Maria. Right up to regular-season standards, when Hart outscored the opposition by an average margin of 23 points and won the Foothill League.

With linebackers Jack McKeon and Kevin Gannon lost for the season with knee injuries, junior linebacker Frank Williams became the team’s leading tackler. He also has six sacks. Junior safety Craig Whitten has five interceptions.

“Our defense is just getting better every week,” Coach Rick Scott said after last Friday’s 21-7 win over Santa Maria. “They were tremendous. They made the plays. They should have gotten a shutout.”

The offense has also had its injury problems--tight end David Lee broke his arm the week of the Canyon game, wide receiver Bryan Millner has a nagging ankle injury--but that hasn’t seemed to matter. Bonds simply gets tailback Chris Hite into the action, sending him in motion enough and having him line up outside enough to catch 82 passes for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns. That goes with Hite’s 755 yards rushing, making a formidable ground game with fullback Andy Iacenda (807 yards, 17 touchdowns).

Hart is making its second straight title-game appearance and third in four years. Hart lost the Coastal Conference title to Pasadena Muir last season, after beating North Torrance in the 1983 championship game.

Temple City (13-0) has won seven Southern Section championships in three divisions, the latest coming in 1977 and ’78 in the Eastern. The Rams also played in the 1984 game but lost to Claremont.

This year, Don Swanson’s team features a defense with four shutouts and an offense averaging 39 points in the playoffs and a season-long victory margin of 18.3. Running back Mike Mooney, who heads a power running attack, carried 21 times for 201 yards in the 35-28 semifinal win over Burbank Burroughs, a game that ended with an interception by linebacker Bob Rees with 40 seconds to play after Burroughs had driven deep into Temple City territory.

Quarterback Tim Vance had three rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner with 2:05 left in the game.