FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK : Scott’s Summer of Transition Passes Without Transfer at Hart

Hart Coach Rick Scott has an empty feeling these days, but you won’t find too many football coaches who feel sorry for him.

Scott is waiting patiently for a fullback.

“I just go to school every day and wait by the door,” Scott said. “But so far no one has shown up.”

In each of the past two seasons, Hart has started the football season with a fullback who transferred to the Newhall campus for his senior year. In 1985, Brian Baie transferred to Hart from Northern California. Last season, Andy Iacenda left Burroughs High for a spot in the Hart backfield.

With Jim Bonds graduated and going on to UCLA, Scott might be more concerned about who was going to run his team rather than who was going to carry the ball.

He proably would be, were it not for Darren Renfro, a 5-10, 170-pound southpaw quarterback who will start for the Indians.

“Darren is a lot easier to coach than Bonds was,” Scott said. “Jim didn’t have an example to follow so it took him awhile to understand why we do certain things. Darren got to observe Jim last year. I think he’ll be effective because he already understands what we’re trying to do.”

The biggest question about Renfro concerns his ability to stay free of injury. Three years ago, he led the freshmen team to a 9-1 record and league title despite various injuries. The next year, he quarterbacked the sophomore team to a 10-0 record and another league title. Last year, he was a starting defensive back and backup quarterback for the varsity, but missed much of the season with injuries.

Like most coaches, Dave Carson of Burbank has his skill position players participating in passing scrimmages this summer. And when the quarterbacks and split ends head for a scrimmage, the linemen head for the gym.

“I always feel sorry for them,” Carson said. “We let them play three on three.”

Carson himself is playing with Bulldog tradition by having a number of sophomores work out with the varsity players.

One of the most talented of the group is Brian Gordon, who is getting a look at quarterback along with senior Fred Castillo and junior Anthony Velanto.

Grinnin’ Barrett: Burroughs quarterback Jeff Barrett is bigger and stronger than he was last season when he passed for 2,743 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior.

Barrett (5-11 1/2, 180) has grown a half-inch and bulked up a bit by lifting weights.

Recently, however, he’s tapered his weightlifting workouts.

“I was getting too strong,” he said. “I could tell the touch on my passes wasn’t there. I cut down on the weights and I’m throwing the ball more. It’s a better balance.”

Speaking of balance, a football camp Barrett attended several weeks ago at Stanford University certainly could have used some.

Half of the 600 players in attendance were quarterbacks, according to Barrett.

“It was kind of crazy when we broke up on offense and defense,” Barrett said. “But it was OK. I learned a lot from watching John Elway there.”

Barrett is excited about next season. After gaining experience under retired Coach Bob Dunivant last season, Barrett figures to benefit from the offense new coach Butch McElwee is planning to use.

“He keeps emphasizing that he’s not going to change the plays,” Barrett said. “He’s just going to add more. It’s kind of good because he’s adding pass plays.”

Moon walkin’: Cleveland Coach Steve Landress is excited about next season’s running game even though the Cavaliers will be without graduated running back Albert Fann, who gained 1,107 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

“We were Fann-tastic last year,” Landress said. “This year we’re going to the Moon.”

Mark Mooney, a 5-7, 160-pound junior who gained more than 1,100 yards for the B team last season, will move into Fann’s spot. Jeremy Long returns at at fullback.

Mario Hull and Jamie Grossman, who alternated at quarterback last season, are battling for the starting position.

Each is getting plenty of opportunities to prove themselves. The Cavaliers have already taken part in more than 25 passing scrimmages.

“When I coached at Manual Arts we played 45-50 a year,” Landress said of scrimmages. “It’s a long ways from playing football but its the closest thing we can do.”

Landress keeps his linemen busy during the off-season with weight training contests.

“I don’t want them to get used to having a ball in their hands,” Landress said. “They might see themselves in a different image. There are race horses and work horses. Linemen are our workhorses. They’re the real technicians and the real football players.”

To that end, Landress favors as much off-season instruction as possible.

“There’s only 26 letters you had to learn in the alphabet,” he said. “But how long did it take you to write a sentence?”

Good golly, here’s Holly: Harvard Coach Gary Thran said the Saracens’ backfield may not be all that bare even though running backs Andy Bell and Alex Huh and quarterback Mike Patterson have graduated.

Marty Holly, who started at linebacker last year as a sophomore, will move to tailback.

“He’s one of the best athletes we’ve had at Harvard in a long time,” Thran said.