L.A. GAMES NOTEBOOK : Crespi Takes Time Out in Football

Bill Redell, Crespi High football coach, has never been a fan of passing leagues. The 7-on-7 competition in which pads and contact are outlawed bears only, well, a passing resemblance to the game played in the fall.

But that’s not why Redell withdrew Crespi from the 20th L.A. Games, which began last weekend. Crespi, which won the Southern Section Big Five Conference title last year, was seeded No. 1 in the 64-team field.

Although Redell supports the Games, he thought it was more important to give his players time away from football.

“I’ve given our kids time off until July 6 for vacation,” he said. “We don’t have enough players around now to give a representative showing. My starting quarterback is at a UCLA football camp. I’ve got a running back visiting the East Coast and two of our receivers are on a fishing trip.”

Receivers Dave Lefner and Eric Kieling are the Crespi fishermen and J.J. Lasley is vacationing in the East. Rob O’Byrne, who quarterbacked Crespi to a 13-1 record last year, is participating in the UCLA football camp.

Redell lists O’Byrne as his No. 1 quarterback, but the senior incumbent can expect a spirited challenge from junior Ron Redell, the coach’s son. The coach insists that both will play, alternating at quarterback and defensive back.

“Both are major college prospects,” Redell said. “O’Byrne may be more of a prospect as a defensive back but some schools are interested in him as a quarterback. The one who isn’t playing quarterback will play defensive back.”

Because of the quarterback competition, Redell may place more emphasis on the passing leagues this summer. When Redell first coached at Crespi in 1982, he scheduled only two passing league games, but says he may have underestimated their importance.

“If they’re done in a way you can teach and coach and not worry about the score then it’s OK, “ he said. “But some of them are run like the Super Bowl. I like to stop and say, ‘Let’s look at that defense again.’

“I’m more sold on them than I used to be. The quarterbacks get some work and the defensive backs get some work, and we get to look at other teams. And I think the kids look forward to it.”

Crespi will play in the Hart tournament at the end of July, where its 16-game schedule includes games against Canyon and Thousand Oaks. Along with the quarterback competition, Redell will use the summer to look at running back Russell White at wide receiver.

“When Lasley lines up as the single back, we’ll split Russell out and use three receivers out there. We’ve got to think of other ways to get him the ball,” he said.

White was the Valley area’s leading rusher last year, gaining 2,354 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns. Redell doesn’t plan to ignore White as a ballcarrier.

“Oh, he’s going to be the tailback,” he said. “We’re not going to make a wide receiver out of him. If we did, I’d get fired.”

Add Crespi: Redell may have been short-handed for the L.A. Games, but there is no shortage of football players on Crespi’s Encino campus. From of a freshman class of about 160 boys, 110 have signed up for football. A year ago that number was 65.

“I don’t think all of them are going to show up next month for summer practice,” Redell said, “but I expect about 90.”

Redell estimates that about 190 of the school’s more than 600 students will participate in the football program next fall. To accommodate that load, he has assembled a 21-man coaching staff--11 on the varsity, 4 with the sophomores and 6 with the freshmen.

So, has Crespi become a football factory? Redell says no and points to Crespi’s academic record. Redell said that according to a recent, school-authorized study, 98% of Crespi graduates go to college and 78% of those graduate in 5 years.

Last add Crespi: The beneficiary of Crespi’s withdrawal from the Games has been Granada Hills, a last-minute replacement. Granada Hills blanked Eagle Rock on Saturday, 46-0, and defeated Gardena on Sunday, 14-7. Granada Hills plays Bell Gardens at West Torrance on Saturday at 9:35 a.m.

Royal return: For the first time in eight years, Royal High failed to win the Marmonte League girls volleyball championship last fall, stumbling to fourth place and missing the playoffs. The Highlanders showed the first signs of a resurgence in last weekend’s tournament, winning the championship of the 40-team competition.

Royal was 6-2 in pool play Saturday and defeated La Habra, St. Anthony’s and Whittier on Sunday to win the title. Julie Dahlberg had 14 kills, 7 aces and 5 blocks on Sunday and was selected the tournament most valuable player. Suzi Koonter had 23 kills and 6 blocks, and Chris Jones and Jenni Korinko combined for 33 kills.