Bay Prep Grid Teams Hit Road for Rugged CIF Playoff Openers

For half of the eight South Bay football teams entering the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, Friday night’s opening round could be entitled: “The Long and Winding Road.”

Game destinations are Valencia, Canyon Country, Oxnard and Lompoc, all lengthy bus rides north of Los Angeles. Area coaches don’t seem to mind the impending trips, however.

South Torrance Coach Joe Austin is accustomed to being a road warrior for the first round. This marks the second consecutive season the Spartans open the Coastal Conference playoffs at Hueneme High in Oxnard. Two years ago, they opened at Santa Barbara.

“Hueneme is like our second home field,” quipped Austin, whose team faces Hueneme a year after beating Channel Islands on the same field. South went on to make its first appearance in the semifinals last season.

Redondo Coach Les Congelliere, who watched his team lose in the second round of the Northwestern Conference playoffs last year at Santa Maria, is looking forward to the Seahawks’ game against top-seeded Hart at College of the Canyons in Valencia.

“We consider this for the CIF championship,” Congelliere said. “We’re approaching this like it’s the last game and it’s in the Coliseum. We’re in a situation where we have little to lose.”

El Segundo, making its first playoff appearance in five years, has the honor of making the area’s longest road trip. The Eagles open the Northwestern Conference playoffs at Lompoc, north of Santa Barbara, seeking their first playoff win since 1970.

Bay League tri-champion North Torrance was rewarded with a trip to play top-seeded Canyon in the Coastal Conference playoffs at Canyon Country. This will mark the Saxons’ first visit to the Santa Clarita Valley since 1983 when they lost to Hart in the CIF finals at College of the Canyons.

Since it is considered more difficult to win on the road, the teams with home games figure to have better chances of advancing past the first round.

Serra, Leuzinger and Hawthorne will play on their home fields, while Palos Verdes opens the playoffs at Torrance High. The Sea Kings cannot hold playoff games on their home field because it does not have lights.

Following is a rundown of playoff openers involving area teams. All games are scheduled at 7:30 Friday night:

Antelope Valley vs. Palos Verdes at Torrance High. The Sea Kings (6-4) drew perhaps the toughest third-place team in the Coastal Conference. Antelope Valley (7-3) lost to Muir in the finals last year and suffered its three losses this season by a total of 12 points. The Antelopes boast a formidable passing game led by quarterback Ron Whipple and wide receiver Shon Grimes. Palos Verdes has 19 interceptions, led by safety Ben Messer and cornerback Jon Jacobson with five each. “We’re a dark horse,” Sea Kings Coach Bill Judy admitted. “But if someone takes us lightly, we could be right there.” Palos Verdes has a big, physical team, but it might have trouble moving the ball against Antelope Valley’s aggressive 4-4 defense. “We have to be able to throw the ball a little bit,” said Judy, whose team has relied on running backs Matt Seaburn and Greg Branch.

Monrovia at Serra. Camino Real League co-champion Serra (9-1) is considered one of the favorites for the Northwestern Conference title. The Cavaliers, led by quarterback Eric Hamilton and wide receiver Deon Figures, drew the No. 3 seed and an opponent with a sub-.500 record. Monrovia (4-6), which gained one win by forfeit, suffered some lopsided losses early in the season but played its best football in recent games. Running back Charles Allen tuned up for the playoffs by rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns, including a 93-yard run, in a 28-20 victory over Temple City last week.

San Gabriel at Leuzinger. Despite having the No. 4-seeded team in the Northwestern Conference, Coach Steve Carnes says Leuzinger (8-1-1) will be hard-pressed to make it past the first round. “We’ve got our hands full,” he said. San Gabriel (7-3) averages 220 pounds on the offensive line and possesses a balanced attack. Tailback David Kerr has rushed for 877 yards and 14 touchdowns, quarterback Dan Bachman has passed for 1,913 yards and 13 TDs, and wide receivers Neal Bergerow and Anthony White have combined for 96 catches. If Leuzinger has an advantage, it’s quickness. The Pioneer League champions hope their 4-4 defense can disrupt San Gabriel and that the 1-2 offensive punch of running backs Greg Franklin and Anthony Jefferson can generate enough points.

El Modena at Hawthorne. Hawthorne (8-1-1) served notice last week that it should be considered a serious contender in the Southern Conference. Led by quarterback Curtis Conway, the Cougars destroyed previously No. 2-ranked Santa Monica, 45-20, to earn a three-way share of the Ocean League title. El Modena of Anaheim (6-4), third-place team from the Century League, relies on running backs Pat Leborio, a transfer from Mater Dei, and Steve McClaskey, a transfer from Servite, and quarterback Trey Frank.

South Torrance at Hueneme. Injuries are a concern for South (8-2). Quarterback Zak Krislock has a broken finger on his passing hand (“It doesn’t bother him,” Austin said.), several linemen are sidelined and tight end Brett Austin, perhaps the team’s best player, has been slowed by a sprained ankle. “If we were healthy, we’d really be tough,” said Coach Austin. On a brighter note, the Spartans are expected to get linebacker Todd Mace back from a sprained ankle. Hueneme (8-2) has made considerable improvement under second-year Coach George Machado. The Channel League co-champions were 1-9 last season. Quarterback Joel Gaxiola has passed for 1,336 yards, and running backs David Nunnery and Freddie Bradley have each rushed for more than 500.

North Torrance at Canyon. North Coach Don Bohannon isn’t dreading his team’s Coastal Conference game with top-seeded Canyon. “I’m glad we’re playing them instead of some other teams in the conference,” he said. “They’re well coached and disciplined, but not real big. I think we can play with them.” That remains to be seen, especially if North (5-5) doesn’t improve its scoring production. The Saxons are averaging only seven points per game and have been shut out five times. Canyon (8-2) likes to keep the score low. End Justin Fix (6-4, 208) and linebacker Kevin Doss anchor a defense that is giving up 10 points per game. Offensively, the Golden League champions count on sophomore tailback Chris Peery who has 1,222 yards rushing and 19 TDs.

Redondo vs. Hart at College of the Canyons. Congelliere’s optimism was fueled last week by Redondo’s 350-yard performance in a 19-6, playoff-clinching win over Miraleste. Junior quarterback Robbie Zeller enjoyed one of his best games for Redondo (6-4), passing for 183 yards and one touchdown each to wide receivers Brian Davis and Jason Allen. “We seem to be coming around when we should,” Congelliere said. Hart (9-1) has won eight straight since losing its second game to Mission Viejo. Quarterback Darrin Renfro (more than 2,000 yards passing) and a physical 4-4 defense, led by lineman Brian Jacobs (6-5, 260) and linebacker Jim Blowers (6-3, 220), make Hart the favorite to repeat as Northwestern Conference champion.

El Segundo at Lompoc. Defense is the name of the game for El Segundo (7-3). The Pioneer League runner-up has allowed only 20 points in the last four games, receiving stellar play from defensive end Heath Jones (6-5, 215) and safety Dan Brown. El Segundo quarterback Joe Montanez has passed for more than 1,000 yards. Lompoc (8-2) finished second in the Northern League and has a rich tradition in football. The Braves were Northwestern Conference runners-up for four straight years from 1977-80. “They are a disciplined team,” El Segundo Coach Steve Newell said. “They don’t make mistakes.”

L.A. City action: San Pedro (6-2, 4-0) will meet Franklin (6-1, 4-0) in a showdown for the Freeway League title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Daniels Field. The Pirates could be without tailback Anthony Tapp, who is nursing a sore shoulder. He would be replaced by promising junior Darryl Dupree, averaging close to nine yards per carry. San Pedro quarterback Grant Beachley has passed for a little more than 1,000 yards. Franklin, led by quarterback Ronnie Lopez, won the City 3-A title last year but was forced to forfeit the crown because of an ineligible player.