FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK : More Tests Scheduled for Redell

Crespi High Coach Bill Redell, who recently has been bothered by chest pains, is scheduled to undergo further testing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank on Friday and might miss the Daily News all-star football game later that night.

Redell, co-coach of the West team with Reseda’s Joel Schaeffer, will undergo an angiogram--a procedure in which a radioactive dye is injected into an artery to determine if there is any blockage in the cardiovascular system.

“I may show up, but I won’t be involved in the coaching of the team,” said Redell, 46, as he watched the team practice Wednesday at Pierce College. “I’m not even supposed to be out here right now.”

Redell, who coached the Celts to the Big Five Conference championship last year, said he began feeling chest pains approximately six weeks ago and began a series of tests earlier in the week.

Jim Benkert, an assistant to Redell at Crespi, will handle the offense during the all-star game.

Teeing up for kickoff: Alan Epstein is a little different from most high school football coaches. During the summer, he isn’t fanatically interested in students who pump iron.

He’s more in tune with those who swing it.

Epstein, who has coached for more than 20 years, operates a golf camp every summer at the Balboa-Encino Golf Course.

“I tried it with football a few years ago, but the big names kind of took it over,” said Epstein, who doubles as the golf coach at Birmingham. “Who wants to go to the Al Epstein football camp when they can go to Lyle Alzado’s?”

The golf camp enables Epstein to get his mind off football for a while. But with the addition of Tom Richards to next season’s coaching staff, Epstein is eager to begin the drive toward improving on last season’s 6-3 record.

Richards, who previously coached at Sylmar, will handle the defense.

The offense, controlled by Epstein, will center on returning All-Mid-Valley League running back Marcel Sellers, who gained 436 yards and scored 4 touchdowns on 51 carries as a junior. Sellers’ 8.5 yards per carry average was second in the the Valley to Russell White’s 12.0 for Crespi.

The greatest offensive weapon, however, might be all-league kicker Mike Burns, who had a 47-yard field goal last season.

Making the grade: Many high school football players in the Valley area are spending the summer working out in the weight room. Others, however, are working in the classroom.

“Unfortunately we have some kids whose summer job is getting eligible,” said Westlake Coach George Contreras, who counts seven players in that predicament. “It makes for some anxious moments.”

Meanwhile, Westlake fans are anxiously awaiting the debut of Bob Grandpre at quarterback for the Warriors, who finished 5-5 last season.

Grandpre, a 6-0, 205-pound senior is making the transition from two-way starting lineman/linebacker to quarterback.

At a passing tournament in Irvine last week, Grandpre completed 60% of his passes.

Grandpre is the third member of his family to play quarterback for the Warriors. His brother Jim played the position in 1983 and older brother Chris was there in 1979.

Bye-bye ‘bone: After last season’s disappointing 2-8 record, San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez is planning to scrap the Tigers’ trademark wishbone offense next season because of the improvement of quarterback Joe Mauldin and a preponderance of talented receivers.

Mauldin, a 6-2, 190-pound senior, passed for 560 yards with only one touchdown last season. Those numbers should improve next season because of a new offensive philosophy.

“We have so many kids who can catch the ball, we’ll be working out of multiple sets,” Hernandez said. “It’s a real fun offense for the kids.”

Tommy Howard, a 6-0, 185-pound senior who averaged 13.5 yards a catch, leads the receiving corps. Sean Williams, a 5-10, 150-pound senior, and Michael Wynn, a 6-3, 190-pound sophomore, are the other talented members of the group.

Chip shot: North Hollywood Coach Fred Grimes is depending on mercurial Chip Grant to help the Huskies improve upon last season’s 5-3-1 record.

Grant is 5-5, 150-pounds but can bench press 335 pounds. He rushed for more than 400 yards last season before injuring an ankle against University in the fifth game of the season.

Grimes, in his second season as coach, will have a senior-dominated team with 14 starters returning.

Last season, the Huskies averaged 244 yards a game on offense and gave up 213 yards on defense.

“We learned a lot last year,” Grimes said. “Our big goal this season is to shore up our defense.”

Lolesio Takapu, a 6-1, 210-pound inside linebacker, is expected to fill some of the holes. A senior, Takapu will be playing his first season of varsity football after being academically ineligible the last two seasons.

James Crump, who started every game last season at quarterback, is back for his senior year.

Steve Elling contributed to this notebook.