STATWATCH : Schaeffer’s Aversion to Air Travel Marks Reseda’s Journey to City Section 2-A Final

If Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer was in charge of the NFL, Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and all the other dandy quarterbacks would be throwing peanuts in the stands instead of passes on the field.

“I’m not overly enthralled with the forward pass,” Schaeffer said. “We work a lot on passing, but I’ll run it down your throat if you’ll let me.”

It is not surprising, then, that Reseda attempted only nine passes in its 33-0 victory over Huntington Park last week in a City Section 2-A Division semifinal game. Reseda had five completions--three for touchdowns. Huntington Park, on the other hand, completed 12 passes in 27 attempts but could not put the ball into the end zone.

Unfortunately for Reseda quarterback Coley Kyman, even when Reseda passes it doesn’t always mean he gets to throw. Two Reseda players threw for more yardage than Kyman in the game--wide receiver Sam Edwards and backup quarterback Michael Shwartzer each threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Wilson. Kyman completed 3 of 7 attempts for 21 yards.

Shwartzer has thrown for a touchdown in each of Reseda’s two playoff games after completing only one of five passes during the regular season.

Rushing: Led by Kelvin Byrd’s single-season record of 1,168 yards, Taft rushed for a school-record 2,932 yards this season, third in the Valley area behind Crespi (3,681) and Thousand Oaks (3,232). The Toreadors, who had three running backs with more than 700 yards, averaged 5.6 yards a carry and 266.5 yards a game, second to Crespi (283.2) among Valley teams. . . . Thousand Oaks’ dominance of the Coastal Conference playoffs continued in the championship game when the Lancers defeated Channel Islands, 27-12. Thousand Oaks outscored playoff opponents San Marcos, Palmdale, Antelope Valley and Channel Islands by a combined score of 127-39. . . . The Lancers’ backfield of Marc Monestime and Mike Moore rushed for 696 yards in the playoffs. Thousand Oaks opponents rushed for 361 yards in 122 carries, an average of less than three yards a carry. . . . The Lancer defense also kept opposing quarterbacks on the run, recording eight sacks. Ben Catlin and Dave DeSoto each had two sacks, and Brandon Dale, Mike Blanton, Brian Messina and Mack Humphrey each had one. Safety Jeff Ward, who replaced Chris Gann when the All-Ventura County safety broke his collarbone in the final regular-season game against Simi Valley, intercepted three passes in the playoffs, two in the fourth quarter against Channel Islands.

Burroughs surrendered a season-high 166 yards rushing in the Indians’ 15-10 loss to Arroyo Grande in the Northwestern Conference championship game Saturday.

Basketball: North Hollywood’s Dana Jones is averaging 11 blocked shots a game. The sophomore forward is also averaging 10.1 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds a game. “It’s like having a 6-10 guy,” North Hollywood Coach Steve Miller said, “but he’s only 6-3.” . . . Grant’s basketball team is 4-0 despite being outrebounded in three of its four games.

Crespi’s 66-41 victory over Long Beach Poly in the first round of the Tournament of Champions in La Verne was the school’s first in 10 games since 1980 against the Jackrabbits, who twice have beaten Crespi in the playoffs. . . . Simi Valley center Don MacLean is averaging 33.8 points and 14.4 rebounds after five games, including games against Santa Barbara, ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section 4-A Division, and Cleveland, ranked No. 2 in the Valley by The Times. Simi Valley is ranked No. 1 in both polls. Pioneer forward Shawn DeLaittre is averaging 19.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Newbury Park center Johan El Farra has converted 35 of 38 free throws, including a string of 24 in a row. . . . Balanced scoring has been Bell-Jeff’s strength. In three games, the Guards have had three leading scorers and four of their starters are averaging more than 11 points a game, led by Nick Sanderson (19.0). . . . San Fernando guard Tory Stephens is averaging 22 points a game. Stephens had a triple-double in a 93-63 win over Roosevelt when he scored 29 points, had 10 rebounds and 10 assists. . . . Adonis Jordan of Cleveland, a transfer from New York, has 25 steals in five games.

Cross-country: When Ian Alsen of Granada Hills won the City Section varsity boys cross-country title Saturday, it was the first win by a Valley runner since Benny Cruz of North Hollywood in 1981.

VALLEY 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 4-2 3 3 Taft Valley 3-1 4 4 Kennedy Valley 3-0 5 5 North Hollywood East Valley 3-1 6 8 Grant East Valley 4-0 7 NR El Camino Real Valley 2-2 8 NR Alemany Del Rey 5-2 9 NR Crespi Del Rey 5-3 10 NR Royal Marmonte 6-2

NR--Not ranked.

Through Tuesday’s games.