STATWATCH : Avalanche of Football Records Could Fall If Crespi Turns White Loose Next Season

If Crespi running back Russell White remains healthy next season and continues his assault on the Southern Section record book, several career and single-season marks are within reach. In fact, if he matches the pace set during his sophomore and junior seasons, he will White-out at least three Southern Section rushing and scoring records.

This season, White finished with 2,269 yards. In 1986, he had 2,339, giving him a total of 4,608 in two years, which already ranks sixth on the section’s all-time career list. Ray Pallares of Valencia in Orange County (1983-85) is first with 5,397 yards.

White’s 2,339 yards in 1986 ranks seventh on the single-season list. His 2,269 this season is the ninth-best mark.

White finished with 34 rushing touchdowns this year, the most in the section since 1966. Glyn Milburn of Santa Monica also had 34 this year. White ranks third on the section single-season list behind Mickey Cureton of Centennial, who had 36 rushing touchdowns in 1966. Second is Steve Grady of Loyola--who is now the coach there--with 35 in 1962.

White’s 30 rushing touchdowns in 1986 and 34 this year give him 64 overall, the fourth-best career total in section history and just nine behind the record set by Cureton, who had 73 rushing touchdowns from 1964-66.

White, who has scored 69 touchdowns--five on receptions--and a two-point conversion, has 416 points in his two years at Crespi, which puts him 58 points behind Cureton’s record of 474 career points. White’s 228 points this season places him in a tie for third on the section single-season list. Garland Evans of Barstow (1971) and James McAlister of Blair (1969) also had 228.

Despite frequent sideline tours of duty because of huge Crespi leads, White has averaged 16 points in each of the 26 varsity games in which he has participated during his sophomore and junior seasons.

Perhaps most impressively, White has scored every 6.5 times he has carried the ball and has averaged 10.9 yards a carry.

Next year, White will have four returning linemen blocking for him, and a balanced attack should not be a problem since quarterback Ron Redell also returns.

“He should have another great year,” said Crespi Coach Bill Redell, who long ago exhausted his pool of adjectives to describe the talents of White. “People have come to expect it.”

Even the lone mark that seems out of reach, the single-game record of 501 yards set by Ryan Knight of Rubidoux in 1983, might not be safe. Redell, who always removes White in lopsided games, hinted that he might turn him loose next year.

“I guess that’s one that will be up to me,” Redell said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Kicking: Senior Bill Gould made 58 of 60 conversions this season for Crespi. Gould, who made 47 consecutive PATs during one streak, finished in a tie for fifth on the single-season Southern Section list with Steve Bayer of Claremont, who made 58 in 1985.

Offense: When Taft rushed for 313 yards in a 33-14 victory over San Pedro in the first round of the City Section 3-A playoffs Friday, it was the fifth time this season the Toreadors rushed for more than 300 yards in a game. Taft, which is averaging 268.1 yards a game on the ground, has been held to less than 200 yards just twice. Not surprisingly, the Toreadors lost both games.

Crespi scored 482 points in 13 games this season, an average of 37 a game. Crespi scored 38 or more points in nine of its past 11 games. The two games in which the Celts failed to score 38 were a 15-8 loss to Loyola in a game for the Del Rey League championship and a 12-7 Big Five Conference semifinal playoff loss to Fontana. Crespi averaged 410 yards a game.

South Gate was the first team to outgain Reseda this year, accumulating 256 yards in total offense (122 passing and 134 rushing) to Reseda’s 250 total yards (128 passing, 122 rushing) in Friday’s first round of the City Section 2-A playoffs. But the Rams were defeated by Reseda, 18-13.

Extra points: In three playoff games, Thousand Oaks has outscored its opponents, 100-27, and 58-20 in the second half. The Lancers have outrushed their three playoff opponents, 671 yards to 78.

Basketball: Calabasas senior Jon Drezner has replaced the graduated Steve Ward as the team’s designated-scorer. In three games, he has averaged 20.6 points a game.

In a 78-50 season-opening loss to Beverly Hills, Drezner scored 25 points, half of the team’s total. Drezner (18 points) and Sean Obusek (28 points) accounted for 66.7% of the scoring in a 69-58 victory over El Camino Real.

BASKETBALL TOP 10 Selected by sportswriters of The Times

Last Rk Wk Team League Record 1 1 Simi Valley Marmonte 5-0 2 2 Cleveland Valley 1-1 3 3 Taft Valley 2-0 4 6 Kennedy Valley 2-0 5 4 North Hollywood East Valley 1-1 6 10 Van Nuys East Valley 2-0 7 NR Crespi Del Rey 3-1 8 NR Grant East Valley 2-0 9 NR Hart Foothill 3-2 10 7 Granada Hills NW Valley 1-1

NR--Not ranked.