SOUTHERN SECTION TOP 15 PREVIEW : Crespi--With Top Player--Is the Top Team

If you thought the 1986 Southern Section football season was a White wash, wait until this year.

Crespi High School of Encino, the defending Big Five Conference champion, has 9 of 11 starters on offense coming back, including junior running back Russell White, the 1986 Cal-Hi state player of the year. The most dominant player in Southern California returns after rushing for 2,339 yards and 31 touchdowns, both the seventh-best single-season marks in the Southern Section, while averaging just 13.9 carries a game. That’s 12.1 yards per attempt.

This year, White will probably get the ball up to 25 times a game, which means anything is possible. He missed Ryan Knight’s Southern Section single-season record of 2,620 yards by 281 and Mickey Cureton’s single-season touchdown mark of 36 by 5.

“Our most-improved player is Russell White, believe it or not,” Celts Coach Bill Redell said. “He’s bigger (6 foot 1 inch, 185 pounds), faster and much more confident with what he’s doing under our offense, which is a little more complicated than some other teams. Of course, it’s not so complicated when you just give the ball to him.”

The tricky part then belongs to the defense.

With White leading the way, Crespi is The Times’ preseason No. 1 selection as the 73rd season begins in earnest Thursday, and even the Celts aren’t backing away from the billing. After some lean years, they’re enjoying these times to the fullest.

“I think we have a better team than last year, first-team against first-team,” Redell said.

The Times’ preseason top 15:

1.CRESPI

1986 Record: 13-1

Coach: Bill Redell

League: Del Rey

Strengths: The offensive backfield--surprise, surprise--which returns QB Rob O’Byrne and RBs White, the only sophomore to ever be named the major-division player of the year in the Southern Section, and J.J. Lasley. “It sounds cocky, but I can’t fathom a high school having a better backfield than we have,” Redell said. Both starting WRs, Dave Lefner and Eric Kieling, also are back, as is C Kyle Cummings, RG Darin Osti and RT Kevin Yates. All-Southern Section TE John Carpenter has graduated, but Redell claims his replacement, Quinn Fauria, is better. LBs Fauria, Lasley, Brett Borkgern and Chad Santander. FS Ronny Redell, unless he replaces O’Byrne at quarterback, in which case O’Byrne would move into the secondary. Coaching.

Weaknesses: Depth, so avoiding injuries will be important. A pair of untested defensive ends in a 3-4 alignment.

Outlook: Unlike teams the past couple of seasons, Crespi does not look upon the preseason billing of being No. 1 like a scarlet number. Beyond the Southern Section, the Celts are the top-ranked team in the nation according to the National Prep Poll and second-ranked by USA Today. “I’m not sure if we’re No. 1 in the country,” Redell said, “but it will take an excellent team to beat us.” Opens with back-to-back road games, at Redlands and at Palmdale.

2. FONTANA

1986 Record: 11-2

Coach: Dick Bruich

League: Citrus Belt

Strengths: Experience, with 9 of 11 starters back on offense from a team that reached the Big Five semifinals and 20 seniors starting overall. T Chris Ybarra (6-4, 240). FB Derrick Malone, who rushed for 1,284 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. K Joe Bernal and all-league P Chris Hancock. Kurt Bruich, who had 48 receptions as WR and 6 interceptions as a DB and also handles punt returns and holds for field goals. LB, with Mike Sylvester and Joey Mariani.

Weaknesses: Size. Depth.

Outlook: Expectations are high in Fontana for the Steelers, as Dick Bruich knows all too well. “No matter what we do, it’ll be wrong,” he said. “Everybody expects a lot from us. Last year, we could do no wrong because we weren’t supposed to be so good. . . . If we win by 50 points, we’re dumb. If we don’t win by 50, we’re even dumber. . . . This year, you must produce.” Can being this good be that bad? “You don’t know Fontana,” he said.

3. EISENHOWER

1986 Record: 10-3

Coach: Tom Hoak

League: Citrus Belt

Strengths: All-Big Five LB/TE Michael Smalls (6-4, 215), one of the top prospects in the state. The entire offensive backfield returns, including RBs Dennis Collier (1,000 yards last season) and Daryl McChristian (850), and QB Steve Hoak, who started the final four games of the year. WRs Maurice Wilson and Keith Horn. In other words, the skill positions. Three three-year starters at LB--Smalls, all-league pick Hoak and Frank Sullivan. A coaching staff that has been together in its entirety for 10 years as players and/or coaches.

Weaknesses: No depth, including those skill positions. “If we get some injuries, we’ll drop fast,” Hoak said.

Outlook: “I’d prefer to be the team nobody knows about,” Hoak said. “I’d like to catch people off guard.” It won’t happen. The Eagles, who reached the Big Five semifinals last season, return 12 starters, and Smalls should count as two or three players himself. Like league rival Fontana, the successes of ’86 were pleasant and the successes of ’87 are expected. “We’re not settling for anything less than 14-0,” Hoak said.

4. LOYOLA

1986 Record: 9-3

Coach: Steve Grady

League: Del Rey

Strengths: LBs Josh Price and Chris Hentz. DE Dan Glascott and NG Paul Sellers. DBs Andres Kennedy, Craig von Teuber, Tommy Petersen and Marcus Pappas. Kennedy at WR. Offensive line, with there starters back. K/P Paul Stonehouse. Size.

Weaknesses: An all-new offensive backfield, given more troubles when FB Don Gerety had arthroscopic surgery that will sideline him for the first two or three games. Inexperience at defensive tackle.

Outlook: As usual, this is a defense-oriented team, which should keep the pressure off the new backfield to produce. Right away, at least. “I think when it’s all said and done, if we get good play from our quarterback (Jason Evans) and running backs (Johann Fuller and Kevin Egan), we’ll be a good football team,” Grady said. “ . . . We have to be consistent offensively. We’ve got to be able to throw the ball on non-throwing downs and be confident about it. And we’ve got to make up what we lack in quickness with desire.” The Cubs’ three 1986 losses were by a total of 11 points--7 to Crespi, 1 to Big Five runner-up St. John Bosco of Bellflower and 3 to Fontana in the quarterfinals, and getting production from Evans, a strong-armed junior, is essential this year. Winds up nonleague schedule with a game at Antelope Valley and plays Crespi in the next-to-last week of the regular season.

5. CAPISTRANO VALLEY

1986 Record: 7-4

Coach: Dick Enright

League: South Coast

Strengths: QB Todd Marinovich (6-4, 210), now playing at 100% after a broken thumb last season and more confident in his second year in the program after transferring from Mater Dei. Depth at RB, with Tommy Adams, an outstanding all-around athlete, Matt Spence, Jeff Wilson and Joel White. TE Randy Stark. WRs Dave Rawson and Rich Thomas. Seven starters back on defense, led by LBs Matt Hamry, Jeff Wilson and Joe Wood.

Weaknesses: Untested offensive line to protect Marinovich. Early injuries--four starters for the season-opener against Foothill were not practicing late last week.

Outlook: With all the ability on offense, it would be hard to imagine anyone shutting the Cougars down. With seven starters back from a defense that allowed 14 points or less in six of 10 games last season, it would be hard to imagine anyone running them over. “We’ll throw the ball a lot and hope the runs pick up big yardage, too. We want to be balanced, but we will pass more than we run.” The defense will get a good test from Edison and RB Kaleaph Carter in Week 2.

6. BISHOP AMAT

1986 Record: 11-1

Coach: Mark Paredes

League: Angelus

Strengths: The secondary, with Stephon Pace and Ruben Duran. Pace, who had six interceptions last season, is also a very good wide receiver who figures to run the ball as a slot back, a la John Jackson a few years ago. RB Mazio Royster, who spent most of 1986 as a blocking back to Eric Bieniemy but looked good in his few opportunities. Linemen Kevin Szalonek (6-4, 250) and Aron Gideon (6-3, 245). K Steve Clark. The strong arm of QB J.R. Phillips.

Weaknesses: The erratic arm of Phillips. Untested lines on both sides, despite Szalonek and Gideon. Depth, with five or six starters going both ways, as opposed to one last year, when the Lancers reached the Big Five quarterfinals.

Outlook: A consistent Phillips could take the Lancers deep into the playoffs again in a season when they figure to pass 40-50% of the time. As a junior, he averaged 19.1 yards a completion and 12 of his 48 hookups were touchdowns. But he threw 125 times, which puts his completion rate at 38%. The Lancers lose a lot with the graduation of OL Richard Garrick, LB Charles Fraley and Bieniemy, the second-best running back in the section last year, but still have plenty of talent. The lines must develop.

7. EL TORO

1986 Record: 14-0

Coach: Bob Johnson

League: South Coast

Strengths: QB Bret Johnson, the 1986 Southern Conference Player of the Year. Five starters return on defense, including T Cory Wayland (6-5, 245) and FS Adam Brass, who also handles punts, punt returns, kickoff returns and calls the defensive signals.

Weaknesses: The entire 1986 offensive line graduated, which could mean trouble or just require patience. One player returned for the 1986 season, but that unit developed just fine. “The line last year matured and came through,” Bob Johnson said. “This year’s line has to be able to do the same.”

Outlook: Opens with a pair of interesting games--Saturday against Tustin, which returns 11 starters from a team that went 9-3 for Coach Marijon Ancich, and Fountain Valley. Meets Capistrano Valley Oct. 30. Bob Johnson stays away from making comparisons between this Chargers team and the unit that won the Southern Conference title and was named The Times’ No. 1 team in combined Southern Section/City rankings. “This is a winning group of kids,” he said. “The seniors have lost only one game since they were freshman, so it’s not a new group of kids. They’re used to playing together.”

8. HART

1986 Record: 13-1

Coach: Rick Scott

League: Foothill

Strengths: Defense, with seven starters back, led by S Craig Whitten, CBs Jamie Schlesinger and Jeff Piper and LBs Scott Holden and Frank Williams. T Brian Jacobs (6-5, 265) is among the most highly touted linemen in the state. G Jim Blowers. WR Joe DeShriever.

Weaknesses: Untested fullback and defensive tackles. Scott likes senior QB Darren Renfro as Jim Bonds’ replacement, but Renfro hasn’t played quarterback since his sophomore season and lasted just two games last year as a WR/DB before needing surgery on his thumb.

Outlook: Opening with Coastal Conference semifinalist Canyon of Canyon Country, Southern Conference semifinalist Mission Viejo and Arroyo, the top-ranked preseason team in the Southeastern Conference, could make or break the season. “If we improve the first three games, with a little luck we could go somewhere in the playoffs,” Scott said. “But if we get beat up and can’t get any momentum going, it could be a struggle.” Offensively, watch Jacobs and Blowers. “Wherever they go, the ball goes,” Scott said. “The defense just has to get around them to get to it.”

9. SERVITE

1986 Record: 7-4

Coach: Leo Hand

League: Angelus

Strengths: RBs Derek Brown, a junior already one of the best in the Southern Section, and Craig Barkley. WRs Jason Rees and Oscar For. LBs Mike Petko, Chris Melodia and Garrett Greedy. QB Jason Frank. Chris Johnson, Pat Wessner and Brad Williams in the secondary. K Pat Blottiaux.

Weaknesses: Depth, especially on the lines.

Outlook: Like Bishop Amat’s Phillips, Frank has a strong arm but was inconsistent in ’86. Witness his 12 interceptions with 8 touchdowns and a 44% success rate. Still, he has been mentioned as an all-state candidate. The flip side is that Brown is an alternative any coach would appreciate if things go bad with the pass. “We’ll take what the defense gives us,” Hand said. “We’ll go in ready to go either way.”

10. ANTELOPE VALLEY

1986 Record: 11-2-1

Coach: Brent Newcomb

League: Golden

Strengths: Have 11 starters back off a team that lost Loyola by a point, to Muir in the Coastal Conference title game and was in a 0-0 tie at Barstow. QB Ron Whipple and WR Shon Grimes, both three-year starters. FB Ron Russell. TE/LB Tommie Smith. Secondary.

Weaknesses: Inexperienced lines.

Outlook: “Whipple and Grimes,” Newcomb said. “You’d better be back-peddaling.” A pass-oriented offense in the wind of Antelope Valley? It’s worked this long. Grimes has 91 receptions the past two seasons, including when all-conference RB Eric Mortensen was the star in 1986. Opens on the road against the Central Section, at Foothill of Bakersfield, a team that has already played once, and at West Bakersfield.

11. SANTA ANA

1986 Record: 12-2

Coach: Dick Hill

League: Century

Strengths: RB Robert Lee. G Jose Avalos. WR/S Royal Wilbon. TE Albert Cruz. DT Sergio Rocha.

Weaknesses: The Saints look to replace QB Richard Fanti (1,824 yards in total offense last season) and WR Bobby Joyce, who were declared academically ineligible for at least the nonleague schedule. Both started on the team that averaged 24.5 points a game and reached the Southern Conference title game. George Tuioti, who will replace Fanti, has no experience at quarterback.

Outlook: A team that would have been ranked higher were it not for the losses of Fanti and Joyce. Still, Lee, having dropped 60 pounds from his ’86 playing weight of 250 pounds, is the unmistakable catalyst; he rushed for 1,930 yards and 25 touchdowns last season.

12. PALMDALE

1986 Record: 7-5

Coach: John Lowry

League: Golden

Strengths: Seventeen starters back. Speed, especially at running back with Eric Thomas, an all-league CB, Don Turner and backup LaShante Parker. QB Shannon Culver. Two-way linemen George Mendez and Zae Perrin. FL Travis Collier. Bob Klein and Chad Harris, who between them will take care of TE and MLB.

Weaknesses: A defense that is a little behind where hoped for in learning a new system, with Crespi coming to town next week. Depth.

Outlook: Lowry, who won Southern Section championships with Antelope Valley in 1976 and ‘77, returns to Southern California football after nine years as an assistant coach at Nevada Las Vegas and a couple Canadian Football League teams and one season as a head coach at Porterville High in the San Joaquin Valley. “Usually, you take a program over when it’s a disaster,” he said. “But not this one. You don’t have to look two or three years down the road. We can be good now.”

13. BEVERLY HILLS

1986 Record: 9-2-1

Co-Coaches: Dick Billingsley and Bill Stansbury

League: Ocean

Strengths: All-Southern Conference TB/LB Willie Crawford. Size, with 15 players weighing more than 200 pounds, unusual for the school. QB Jason Goldberg. All-Ocean League T Erez Gottlieb (6-4, 250), who has bench-pressed 350 pounds and squatted 450. The element of surprise--of the top three WRs, senior Monroe Gordon didn’t play last season, senior Michael Moore is a transfer from Loyola and junior Damon Greene didn’t play last season. The return of DTs Josh Haims, an all-league pick in ‘86, and David Shuman. All-league S Mike Sutton.

Weaknesses: Inexperienced offensive line, with Gottlieb and Brad Ammann the only returnees. Untested kicking game.

Outlook: “We’ve got to play consistent offensive football,” Stansbury said. “Last year, we had the defense and kicking game, and the offense centered around Willie. We have to get a more versatile offense this time.” Seventy-three players were on the team as of last week, as opposed to 53 at the same time last season, meaning Crawford is the only one to go both ways.

14. COLTON

1986 Record: 8-4

Coach: Robin Luken

League: Citrus Belt

Strengths: Size and strength, with average per-man bench press of 250 pounds. Eight starters back on defense. RBs Ray Aldama and Johnny Atlas. LB James Garcia. S Mike Rubles. DE Scott Denny. CB Shannon Flakes.

Weaknesses: Depth, with 32 players out for the team, about the norm for Colton. The offensive line, where the center, two guards and a tackle are new.

Outlook: The Yellowjackets stayed injury-free last season, and a repeat along those lines would be a big help. That, and the development of the offensive line. “That’s where our games are won and lost,” Luken said. Opens with Servite and finishes the regular season with back-to-back games against Eisenhower and Fontana.

15. BURBANK BURROUGHS

1986 Record: 10-2-1

Coach: Butch McElwee

League: Foothill

Strengths: QB Jeff Barrett, whose 2,090 yards passing last season were more than any other junior in the section during the regular season and fifth overall. RBs Doug Dragomer and Wes Bender. WR Kevin Strasser. C Joe Howe. FS Bruce Luizzi. DT Ron Walters. LB John Butler. In all, 12 starters are back, 7 from the offense.

Weaknesses: Secondary, where three of last season’s four starters graduated. Kicking game.

Outlook: McElwee, the defensive coordinator on the team that reached the Northwestern Conference semifinals last year, looks to the offense to lead the Indians in ’87. Barrett is the key and surrounding him with the best people, even if it means taking from the defense, has been a priority. “We have to complement Jeff Barrett with someone,” McElwee said. “We’re putting most of our better people on offense.” Still, he said, the defense has to be solid. Play five of first seven games at home.