Crespi Strikes Defensive Stance : White’s Prime Time Hinges on Ability to Stop Loyola Offense

Tonight’s game between Crespi and Loyola highs will showcase an offense that scores touchdowns by the ton and a defense that gives ground by the inch.

It would seem logical, then, that Crespi Coach Bill Redell would spend the week looking for a way to solve the riddle of Loyola’s defense. And Loyola Coach Steve Grady would chew his nails to the quick trying to find a way for the Cubs to stop Crespi running back Russell White, right? Hardly.

While as many as 11,000 White-watchers are expected at Birmingham High at 8 p.m. to view his assault on the Cubs’ stingy defense, Grady and Redell expect the critical action to take place when Loyola has the ball.

“I’m looking at it from the standpoint that the most important thing is how our offense looks against their defense,” Grady said. “I almost expect Crespi to get their points.”

Redell agreed. “I think we have to keep their offense off the field,” he said. “We can’t let them go on those seven or eight-minute drives. We’ve got to have the ball, and our defense is going to have to go get it.”

Loyola’s ball-control offense has been sluggish at times, especially recently. In the Cubs’ past two outings, they defeated Alemany, 6-0, and St. John Bosco, 6-2.

“The field was a mess for those games,” said Redell, who has seen four Loyola games this season. “They’re a better team than that.”

Grady says they’ll have to be.

“I imagine we’ll need many more than six points to win this game,” he said. “We have to play well offensively and defensively. And playing well against Crespi is relative--you can do a good job and still give up 21 points.”

Loyola (8-0) has surrendered 31 points all season and has allowed an average of 117 yards a game. White has scored 28 touchdowns for the Celts (7-0-1), who average 43 points and 467 yards a game. Crespi is ranked No. 8 and Loyola No. 14 in the nation by USA Today.

Offensively, Loyola is methodical. Coaches grind their teeth as the Cubs grind out 80-yard, time-consuming drives. Loyola’s biggest threat is tailback Johann Fuller, who has rushed for 710 yards (5.7 per carry). Quarterback Jason Evans, a junior, has passed for 520 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 330 yards. Receiver David Estwick, whose brother Mark plays at UCLA, has 19 receptions for 295 yards and a touchdown.

White’s backfield mate, senior J. J. Lasley, has rushed for 621 yards and nine touchdowns. Junior quarterback Ron Redell will make his first varsity start, taking over for Rob O’Byrne, out for the season after breaking his right arm in last week’s 38-14 win over Alemany.

Redell has passed for 319 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Eric Kieling leads Crespi receivers with 22 catches for 434 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Last season, Crespi rallied from a 14-0 halftime deficit to win, 21-14. Loyola holds a 13-3-1 lead in the series.

Both teams are 3-0 in the Del Rey League and tonight’s winner clinches a share of the league championship. Crespi last won the league title in 1973.

Despite the league and national ramifications of the game, Redell said the game is important for only one reason.

“I’m not concerned with winning the Del Rey League,” he said. “That’s not one of our goals. We’d like to win it and the reason is, it gives us a better seeding in the CIF playoffs. Winning the CIF championship, that’s the No. 1 goal. Everything else is second.”

Last year, Crespi finished second to St. John Bosco in the league but avenged the loss with a 49-14 win over the Braves in the Big Five Conference championship game.

Crespi, the home team, expects a sellout but has guaranteed a game-day sale of 5,000 tickets, which go on sale at 4:30 p.m. when the gates open.