Separating Contenders and the Pretenders : Now It’s for Real as Bay Gridders Start Battle for Conference Titles

Phase Two of the football season begins Friday for most of the South Bay’s CIF-Southern Section high schools.

It’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders as competition gets under way in the Bay, Ocean, Pioneer and Angelus leagues.

The teams considered favorites based on their performances in non-league play are looking for improvement, while others view the opening of the league season as a rebirth of sorts.

“It’s like starting the year over,” said Palos Verdes Coach Bill Judy, whose team was the preseason favorite in the Bay League but has struggled to a 2-3 non-league record.

Judy has been in this position before. Last season the Sea Kings entered league action with a 1-4 mark and went 4-1 to end up Bay tri-champions with South Torrance and West Torrance.

What sets league games apart, of course, is the fact that championships and playoff berths are at stake. An upset or a letdown can mean the difference between making and missing the playoffs.

“You have to beat the teams you are supposed to,” said Coach Les Congelliere of defending Pioneer League co-champion Redondo.

In other words, there is little margin for error in a tightly contested league race. And close races are exactly what area coaches have come to expect.

Aside from three teams tying for the Bay League title last season, there were co-champions in the Ocean (Beverly Hills and Santa Monica) and Pioneer (Redondo and Morningside) leagues. Following is a rundown of who’s hot and who’s not entering league play:

Bay League

Coaches consider South Torrance (4-1) the favorite--and for good reason. Coach Joe Austin says the offense, averaging 30 points a game, is the most balanced in his 14 years at South.

The Spartans’ weapons include tailback Mike Wyrick, who, with 835 yards, is on a pace to break the school rushing record set last season by league MVP Steve Kujawa. Quarterback Zak Krislock has passed for 899 yards and 13 touchdowns, while wide receiver John Morton has 21 catches for 415 yards. Morton’s seven TDs include a 96-yard kickoff return in last week’s 35-21 win over Redondo.

Up front, a good-sized line is anchored by tackle Greg Baer, guard Dan Spahr and tight end Brett Austin, one of the primary receivers as well. Injuries have sidelined two starting linemen--two-way tackle Doug Sunstedt (knee) and defensive tackle George Giourof (broken arm).

“I originally thought Palos Verdes would win the league, but I’d say South now,” said West Torrance co-coach Mark Knox. “South has been so much more consistent than anyone else. Their offense is balanced and they’re blocking well.”

South’s only non-league loss was to unbeaten Hawthorne, 27-14, a game Austin believes the Spartans could have won if not for defensive mistakes. This week’s key opener pits South against West Torrance, which handed the Spartans their only league loss last year, 19-7. “They always seem to play well against us,” Austin said. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at South.

Judy says Palos Verdes’ shortcoming has been the lack of consistent passing. The Sea Kings have relied on the rushing of running backs Matt Seaburn and Greg Branch, but the coach hopes that will change. “We have to throw more successfully,” Judy said. “That’s our objective for the next couple of weeks.” That means more responsibility will fall on left-handed quarterback Dave Walsh.

Palos Verdes could be without both starting offensive tackles for its league home opener at 3 p.m. Friday against Torrance. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Pat Fresch is suffering from a deep leg bruise and Ian Filep is questionable with a sprained ankle. With Fresch on the bench, the Sea Kings had trouble running last week in a 9-7 loss to Mira Costa.

West Torrance (1-4) is developing into the Brigham Young University of the Bay League. The Warriors have averaged 32 passes in their last two games, and Knox says the aerial show will continue in league play. Quarterback Mike Berry has passed for 465 yards the last two weeks in a 21-17 win over Mira Costa and a 14-10 loss to Tustin. Wide receiver Steve Jangaard, who tied a school record with 12 receptions against Mira Costa, is Berry’s prime target.

North Torrance (1-4), forced to use three quarterbacks because of injuries, hopes to get senior Jim Henderson back for Friday’s 3 p.m. game at Rolling Hills. Henderson, a returning starter, suffered a separated shoulder in the second game. The Saxons have been relying on the running of tailback Anthony Anetema.

Torrance (1-4) scored more points last week in a 31-13 victory over Culver City than in its first four games combined. Coach Rich Busia hopes it was a sign of things to come. “If we can get our offense going,” he said, “I think we can do something in league.” Running back Kent Hannemann has been the Tartars’ main threat. Rolling Hills (2-3) showed signs of turning things around from last year’s 1-9 record with back-to-back wins over Inglewood and Miraleste. But the Titans tuned up for league play with a turnover-plagued performance in a 31-7 loss to Bishop Montgomery.

Ocean League

If you don’t have a superstar, you’re in trouble in the Ocean League. The three teams considered the favorites--Santa Monica, Hawthorne and Beverly Hills--are led by exceptional players. Beverly Hills boasts tailback-linebacker Willie Crawford, last year’s league player of the year; Santa Monica has a breakaway threat in running back Glyn Milburn, and Hawthorne’s offense is run by elusive quarterback Curtis Conway.

“They are three outstanding kids,” said Mira Costa Coach Herb Hinsche, who has the unenviable task of preparing his defense for the Big Three. “They can carry a team all by themselves almost.” Conway has helped carry Hawthorne (4-0-1) with his running. He has scored eight touchdowns and drawn comparisons to Oklahoma QB Jamelle Holieway, the former Banning star. The junior can also throw, as he demonstrated two weeks ago with four TD passes against South. Tailback Rod Taylor and wide receivers Victor Prince and Travis Hannah are the other main threats for Hawthorne, considered one of the area’s fastest teams.

The Cougars’ aggressive 4-4 defense has been getting steady play from inside linebackers Lemory Britt and Ben Hatch.

If a league MVP was picked today, it’s likely the award would go to Milburn. The 5-9, 165-pound senior, who has 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, is almost solely responsible for Santa Monica (4-0) averaging 37 points a game. He has rushed for 1,063 yards (an 8.3-yard average) with 17 TDs, including runs of 90, 72, 57, 50, 42 and 40 yards. Crawford has been equally valuable for Beverly Hills (4-1), scoring 13 TDs and anchoring the defense.

Mira Costa (2-3) opened the season with high hopes, but the Mustangs suffered a major blow when All-CIF receiver Tim Fletcher was lost for the season with a knee injury. Additionally, tailback Ty Venger is hobbled with a sprained ankle. The injuries, however, didn’t stop Mira Costa from upsetting Palos Verdes last week, signaling that the Mustangs still might be a team to be reckoned with.

Inglewood (1-4) and Culver City (0-5) are expected to bring up the rear.

Pioneer League

Leuzinger Coach Steve Carnes doesn’t mind that his team has been labeled the favorite. “I always feel like we’re the team to beat,” he said. “We’ll give them all a battle.” Carnes’ confidence was boosted last week by a 21-21 tie with Hawthorne. The Olympians led, 21-7, before Hawthorne rallied in the fourth quarter. Leuzinger (3-1-1) has improved steadily since the beginning of the season.

The Olympians scored only seven points through two games, but a few personnel changes have helped them score 65 in their last three. All-league receiver Anthony Jefferson was switched to tailback, and Carnes experimented with running back Greg Franklin at quarterback because of a back injury to regular QB Craig Manigo. Although Manigo returned last week against Hawthorne, Carnes says he is still considering Franklin for QB.

The Leuzinger defense, as always, is aggressive and quick. Linebackers Franklin and Danny Ika are the leaders.

Redondo (3-2) enters league play coming off back-to-back losses to Palos Verdes and South, the Bay League favorites. Coach Les Congelliere says junior quarterback Robby Zeller has almost recovered from a back injury that hindered him for a good portion of non-league play. Standout tailback Eric Craig has been held under 40 yards rushing in each of the last two games, but Congelliere has been encouraged by the improvement of fullback John Quinn, who rushed for 147 yards against South.

Morningside (2-2), which had a bye last week, appears to have an improved passing game from last season. Returning quarterback Roderick Harvey and running back Joel Wilson have proved an effective pass-catch combination. Wilson leads the Monarchs with four TDs.

El Segundo (3-2) was impressive in its non-league games, winning three straight over Mary Star, Garey and Calabasas before losing a wild one to Saugus, 34-30. The combination of injuries and lack of depth could take its toll on the Eagles, who open league play with Leuzinger and Redondo, perhaps the Pioneer’s two toughest teams. Friday’s 7:30 league opener is at Leuzinger.

Centennial (2-3), led by all-league linebacker Tim Hall, has improved considerably from last year’s 0-10 team, while Miraleste (0-5) is still looking for its first win under new Coach Tom Graves. The Marauders are averaging only seven points a game.

Angelus League

Bishop Montgomery’s fortunes could be riding on the condition of Niu Sale’s broken right hand. Coach Andy Szabatura said X-rays will determine whether the all-league senior can play quarterback in the Knights’ Angelus 7:30 Friday opener against Mater Dei in Torrance.

If he can’t play quarterback, Sale is expected to contribute at linebacker and running back. He gave Montgomery (2-3) a boost last week against Rolling Hills by returning an interception for a touchdown and recovering a fumble to set up another score.

“We need Niu,” Szabatura said. “We need some offense.” Before last week’s 31-7 win, Montgomery had scored 15 points in three games without Sale at QB.

Defensively, the Knights benefited from the return last week of lineman Mark Butier, who had not played because of a broken ankle.

St. Bernard (3-2) could be hard pressed to improve upon last year’s 0-5 mark during its first year in the league. Because of senior Calvin Maspero’s broken foot, the Vikings will start their fourth quarterback in six games Friday against league favorite Bishop Amat at 7:30 at La Puente.

Coach Duke Dulgarian said he will start sophomore Terance Sullivan, who will alternate with junior Danny Ulrich. Wide receiver Eric Nelson, who has played some QB, is St. Bernard’s offensive standout. The Vikings could have problems because of lack of depth on the line.

Bishop Amat (5-0), despite losing most of its linemen to graduation, appears in good position to repeat as Angelus champion. Running back Mazio Royster, quarterback J. R. Phillips and slotback Stephon Pace give the Lancers balance at the skill positions.

Servite (4-0-1) has been somewhat of a mystery. The Friars, considered one of the state’s top teams before the season, have wavered between impressive and lackluster. They have plenty of talent, led by junior running back Derek Brown, kicker Pat Blottiaux and quarterback Jason Frank, son of former major league pitcher Andy Messersmith.

Mater Dei (4-1) is expected to battle it out with Montgomery for the third playoff berth from the league, although the Monarchs could be stronger than that. They boast an offensive line that averages 250 pounds and a mobile quarterback in Mark Ramstack.