Prep Wrapup : Carson 2-Quarterback System Double Trouble for Foe

Three days after nearly losing one of its quarterbacks, Carson High’s football team showed Friday night that a two-quarterback system can work.

With Perry Klein, the one who almost got away, and Fred Gatlin alternating on each possession, the Colts racked up 409 yards in total offense and used a big second half to roll past Sweetwater, 34-0, in a season opener at National City.

Klein proved the more effective passer, completing 12 of 15 attempts for 228 yards and two touchdowns compared to Gatlin, who was 5 of 10 for 51 yards and one TD. Gatlin, as expected, was a better running threat as he rushed for 29 yards and one TD on six carries.

Either way, Coach Gene Vollnogle figures he can’t lose.

“I thought that it worked out fine,” he said. “We ended up throwing with one (quarterback) and running with the other, which is not bad because we can go the other way. We know Fred can pass and Perry can run. So if (opponents) make that adjustment, they will get hurt.”

If Friday night’s performance was a true indication, Klein appears to have found a home at Carson. After losing a fumble on the Colts’ second possession, he came back in the second half to complete a 75-yard touchdown pass to wingback Larry Billoups--it went 40 yards in the air--and a 9-yard score to wingback Errol Sapp.

Gatlin got Carson going after a scoreless first half in which the Colts lost two fumbles and had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, scoring on a 12-yard run to cap a seven-play, 72-yard drive.

From there, it was all Carson. Gatlin later hit wide receiver Michael Ross with an 11-yard touchdown pass, and strong safety Greg Lindsey, known best for his play on a basketball court until now, returned an interception 32 yards for a score.

“In the second half we drove the length of the field, and then all hell broke loose,” Vollnogle said. “We are extremely explosive. It was zap, zap, zap. It was nice because in the last eight minutes we got to play everyone.”

Vollnogle said his team was brought closer together by the episode with Klein, who expressed a desire to return to Palisades High and met with his former team on Tuesday before deciding to stay at Carson.

“I think he was sort of feeling like an outsider,” Vollnogle said. “It made our kids unite to him and try to make him feel like, ‘Hey, you’re one of us.’ I think this trip helped unite us. We ate together before we left, and we ate down there (in National City). We were together for several hours.”

Carson, ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today, travels to meet Bishop Amat of La Puente on Friday night. Bishop Amat opened with a 20-0 win over Rubidoux.

Carson free safety Howard McCowan, playing closer to the line than normal against Sweetwater’s run-oriented offense, was in on 21 tackles and delivered the Colts’ first “pooper” of the season.

For those unfamiliar with Carson’s statistical terminology, a “pooper” occurs when a defensive player lays out a ball carrier, usually in a violent manner. McCowan got his on a punt return.

“He made a hit that you may have been able to hear in L.A.” Vollnogle said. “I’m surprised the guy hung onto the ball. Howard was coming full steam and just leveled him.”

Friday night’s football opener between cross-town rivals Morningside and Inglewood was canceled, reportedly as a precautionary measure to avoid any violent incidents.

Inglewood Principal Lawrence Freeman said he agreed to cancel the game at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Jerrie Martin following an incident Thursday during a soph-frosh game that involved players and fans.

Freeman said the parents are as much to blame as anyone.

“Children might start it, but as adults we should be able to stop it,” he said. “It’s a lack of control by adults.”

Freeman said the cancellation will not affect future games. Inglewood will open its season Friday night at Culver City, and Morningside will play host to Hawthorne.

Inglewood has an open date the following week, meaning the Sentinels could end up playing only one game before entering Ocean League action Sept. 30.

New coaches Joe Dominguez of Banning and Gary Kimbrell of Rolling Hills, men who have known great success in the past but are trying to re-establish their careers, were both beaming following their teams’ openers.

Banning rallied from a 10-7 halftime deficit to defeat San Fernando, 25-10, at Harbor College, while Rolling Hills outmuscled Redondo with a strong ground game to post a 21-9 win at home.

“It’s what we expected,” Dominguez said. “We’ve got to go into every game thinking we can win. Banning is back on course.”

The Pilots, coming off a sub-par 6-4 season (sub-par for Banning, that is), turned it around in the second half behind the play of junior quarterback John Ma’ae and tailback Keith Mimms. Ma’ae showed that he is threat to pass or run, completing a 61-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Shedrick on the game’s first play and rushing for an eight-yard score in the third quarter to put Banning ahead for good, 13-10. The Pilots’ offensive line seemed to wear down smaller San Fernando as the game progressed.

“I thought our offense played flawlessly in the second half,” Dominguez said.

Rolling Hills, meanwhile, parlayed the efforts of a tough defense and the running of tailback Tim Wagner and quarterback Rick Judge into a successful debut for Kimbrell and his staff. It was the Titans’ first opening-game win in several seasons and only their sixth overall in four years.

“I’m happy with our performance,” Kimbrell said. “I had no idea how we would play. You usually have an idea what they can do, but I hadn’t seen these guys in action before. I was worried they’d be uptight.”

Afterward, the coach told the Titans: “This is a new era in Rolling Hills football, and you guys are starting it.”

Kimbrell had planned to use Judge and junior Greg Schwartz at quarterback, but after Judge guided Rolling Hills to a touchdown on its first possession he decided to stay with the senior. Judge rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries, while Wagner had 142 yards and two TDs on 18 carries.

Scoring leaders: El Segundo tailback/defensive back Erik Evans scored five touchdowns--three on runs and two on interception returns--in a 41-0 rout over Mira Costa and South Torrance tailback/receiver/defensive back John Morton scored four TDs, including a 100-yard punt return, in a 27-20 victory over Torrance.