1987 PREVIEW : VALLEY FOOTBALL : HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEWS : DEL REY

Teams listed in predicted order of finish by Times staff writers. Crespi

COACH: Bill Redell, third year

LAST SEASON: 13-1; 2nd in league, 4-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Crespi enters the season ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation by the National Prep Poll and by ESPN. If you need a reason, you can find him lined up about three steps behind senior quarterback Rob O’Byrne (6-1, 185). Russell White (6-1, 187) led the state in rushing and scoring last year as a sophomore with 2,339 yards and 188 points. This year, White will team with senior fullback J.J. Lasley (6-1, 205), who split time last season. Lasley rushed for 496 yards on 72 carries, an average of 6.9 yards per carry. White averaged 12.0 yards per carry. And Crespi can throw the ball. O’Byrne, who passed for 1,072 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, will be backed by junior Ron Redell (6-3, 182), the coach’s son, who will start in the secondary. Junior Quinn Fauria (6-0, 205), who missed much of last season with an ankle and hand injury, will play at linebacker and tight end. Eric Kieling (6-1, 172), one of the top receivers in the Valley area, and Dave Lefner (6-0, 177) will also play at receiver. Nose guard Kyle Cummings (5-11, 227) and linebacker Chad Santander (5-11, 205) return. Cummings will also play center.

OUTLOOK: Crespi finished a game behind St. John Bosco in the Del Rey race last year, but avenged the league loss with a 49-14 win in the Big Five Conference championship. As the conference champion and a favorite preseason pick, Crespi figures to feel extra heat. Will the Celts melt? It’s doubtful. “If we stay healthy, we’re a better team than we had last year,” Redell said.

Loyola

COACH: Steve Grady, 12th year

LAST SEASON: 9-3; 3rd in league, 3-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Loyola was a bit of a surprise last year, and with a few more points, the results could have been even better--the three losses were by a total of 11 points. This year’s team has the personnel to challenge Crespi, Grady said, but only if the teams is as scrappy as the 1986 model. If lineage helps, Loyola has the talent. This year’s team includes junior lineman Matt Butkus (6-2, 210), son of Dick Butkus; junior safety Jim Klein (6-2, 175), son of former Rams tight end Bob Klein; and junior cornerback Ryan Lefebvre (5-9, 165), son of former Dodger infielder Jim Lefebvre. In the offensive backfield, junior quarterback Jason Evans (5-10, 175) is neither big nor experienced. Don Gerety (5-10, 190) and Dan Glascott (6-0, 185) will alternate at fullback. A team strength will be at receiver, where seniors David Estwick (5-10, 165) and Andres Kennedy (5-11, 170) return. The Loyola offensive line looks sturdy behind all-leaguer Tom Condon (6-2, 210), John Nally (6-2, 225) and Butkus. Senior linebackers Josh Price (6-3, 215) and Chris Hentz (6-3, 205) return. Paul Stonehouse, an all-league selection, will handle the kicking duties.

OUTLOOK: “Barring injuries, I think we can contend,” Grady said. “We are a little stronger than last year and a year older in the offensive line. We have as much talent or more than we had last season--it’s just a matter of whether we have the same intensity. We probably beat a couple of teams last year that were better than us because we were good as a unit. I have to think that unity is our key.”

St. John Bosco

COACH: Bill Friedrich, sixth year

LAST SEASON: 13-1; 1st in league, 5-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Braves lost “three of the best players in school history” when quarterback Jim Sterner, receiver Kelvin Means and running back Oscar Mesa graduated, Friedrich said. But the team didn’t lose much from the defense--11 seniors will start. On offense, however, the Braves are less set. Bob Jakubik (6-2, 180), a varsity quarterback as a sophomore but a receiver last year, will start at quarterback. Jim Niccoli (5-6, 180) will play some at fullback, and is described by Friedrich as “a human bowling ball.” At receiver, Leo Byrne (5-8, 165) has the name to match his speed. Byrne, a senior, caught 34 passes last year. The offensive line is huge by high school standards with massive Gabriel Mills (6-6, 280), Al Valdez (6-2, 262), Paul Kunkel (6-2, 237) and smaller but stronger Charlie Krolikowski (5-9, 195), who can bench press 330 pounds. On defense, the team has three linemen back in Mike Allen (6-2, 195), Ed Fuentes (5-11, 215) and Ray Navarro (5-10, 212). The secondary features Phil Schember (5-8, 170), David Vargas (6-0, 165) and Dan Zuvalla (6-1, 175).

OUTLOOK: Friedrich admits the team isn’t what it was last year. “This is a solid football team,” he said. “We’ll play good, hard-hitting football. We don’t have some of the offensive dimensions we had before, but we’ll be OK.”

Alemany

COACH: Enrique Lopez, fourth year

LAST SEASON: 3-7; 4th in league, 2-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Last year was a disappointment, but Lopez thinks the seniors will help the team get into the playoffs. Senior quarterback Roy Talavera (6-1, 185) saw limited playing time last season but figures to start over sophomore Joey Roselli (6-1, 165). The team’s best player is the all-purpose Chris Lobos, who plays tailback and cornerback and is the punter and placekicker. Joining Lobos in the backfield is senior fullback Ray Campuzano (6-1, 205), who rushed for 244 yards last season and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Senior tight end Vince Ferry (6-6, 220), who caught 28 passes last season, leads a receiving corps that includes seniors Jerry Edemann (5-9, 170), Mark Scott (6-0, 175) and deep threat Ronnie Morgan (5-9, 180). The defense is anchored by returning linebackers John Farenbaugh (6-1, 205) and Robert Tindall (6-1, 210). The defensive line is big at the tackles, with Ferry and junior Brian Swanson (6-4, 225). Smaller but faster Mike Scrofano (5-10, 185), who can bench press 365 pounds, starts at nose guard. The secondary includes seniors Bill Florez (6-1, 180) and Bill Horvat.

OUTLOOK: Lopez hopes the seniors make a difference. “Any time you’re 3-7, you have to be disappointed,” he said. “But this group of seniors won the Del Rey championship as freshmen, and our attitude is much better this year. Last year we seemed, I don’t know, sort of distracted.” It can get distracting when your offense averages just 218 yards per game when the defense is surrendering 301. “This year a big objective will be to keep the offense on the field as much as possible to keep the pressure off the defense.”

Notre Dame

COACH: Kevin Rooney, eighth year

LAST SEASON: 2-8; 6th in league, 0-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: After a winless league season last year, one would think the Knights might opt for a softer preleague schedule. Guess again. The team will play Canyon and Burroughs before moving on to a tough Del Rey lineup. If Notre Dame makes a move this season, it will likely be because of returning quarterback Morgan Shepherd, a 5-10, 180-pound senior. Like most of the team, Shepherd isn’t especially big, but he’s quick--fast enough that the Knights will emphasize an option offense. Senior running backs Jere Deranja (5-11, 186) and Matt McElreath (6-1, 190) join him in the backfield. Senior receivers Ozzie Vallejo (5-9, 150) and Robert Harper (5-7, 150) also return. Bill Brewer, a 6-1, 180-pound transfer from Mississippi, is another wide receiver. Team defense was a weakness last season, but Rooney expects improvement. Seniors Lee Cruz (5-10, 200) and Steve Hamilton (6-2, 190) anchor the defensive line, and senior linebackers Scott Montes (5-11, 200) and Bill Moore (6-0, 180) are back.

OUTLOOK: After last season, one might think the Knights would be happy to settle for a playoff spot. With the senior-oriented team that returns, however, Rooney thinks the team can make a run at a league title. “I feel very positive about the senior leadership. I don’t just think we can make the playoffs, I think we can compete with anyone to win the league,” he said. Size, however, could present a problem. “We don’t have a big team at all, but we have quickness and team strength.”

St. Francis

COACH: Terry Terrazone, fifth year

LAST SEASON: 2-7-1; 4th in league, 1-4

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Terrazone admits the last two seasons (a combined 4-15-1) have been “rather lean,” but improvements are expected in several offensive areas. Senior running back William Stavropoulos (5-11, 190) returns from a season shortened by a nagging ankle injury. Stavropoulos gained 190 yards in one start last year, but was unavailable for the league season. At quarterback, senior Bill Morris (6-2, 180), an all-league baseball player, will draw the starting assignment. A team strength is receiver: Danny Huang (6-1, 175), Ed Aguilar (5-9, 165) and Eric Echeverry (6-2, 180) are solid. The offensive line is led by Bill Beran (6-2, 235), Fred Hughes (6-1, 220), Rich Wheeler (6-1, 220) and Roman Rodriguez (6-2, 220). Defensively, however, the team lost 9 of 11 starters from last year. Gerry McGee (5-10, 185), the son of USC Athletic Director Mike McGee, returns at safety and is expected to be a team leader. Rodriguez, who will play on the defensive line, is the only other returning starter.

OUTLOOK: “We’re better offensively than we were last season, but we’re weaker defensively,” Terrazone said. “I think we may need a few games to get used to the new personnel out there, especially on defense.”