The High Schools : When Landress Speaks, This Cleveland Quarterback Listens

They tend to nod knowingly, these quarterbacks, then do whatever they want. Sometimes, they change the play. Typically, they make the same mistakes, over and over.

Yet when Cleveland Coach Steve Landress speaks to his senior quarterback, Lee Gatewood, something remarkable takes place.

Gatewood looks Landress squarely in the eye, nods his head . . .

And listens.

“The last couple of quarterbacks I’ve had didn’t pay much attention to me,” Landress said. “But he’s out there telling me what we ought to be doing, and I like that.

“It shows me that even when he’s wrong at least he’s thinking.”

Gatewood, a starting strong safety last year, was the B team quarterback as a sophomore. He apparently remembers more than enough of the basics to get the job done. In a 29-3 season-opening win over Van Nuys last week, Gatewood completed 5 of 10 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Gatewood’s leadership and enthusiasm is admirable, too.

“He’s a Jim McMahon-type guy out there, bumping helmets with linemen and the other guys after a touchdown,” Landress said.

Which is a lot better than banging heads with the coach on the sideline.

Alterations: The Southern Section adopted two proposals at its Executive Council meeting Thursday, adding a third-place team trophy to the state cross-country meet and adding two sudden-death periods in boys’ and girls’ soccer playoff matches.

Previously, playoff games that remained tied after two 10-minute overtime periods were decided in a shoot-out. Beginning this season, two 10-minute sudden-death periods will be played after the regular overtime periods and before a shoot-out.

Canyon losing streak: Canyon’s 28-20 loss to Bakersfield on Friday snapped the Cowboys’s 29-game home-field winning streak that began in 1983 along with the Cowboys’ Southern Section record-tying 46-game winning streak.

“The Streak,” as the Cowboys’ 46-game run became known, was snapped in a loss at Antelope Valley in 1986.

The home-field winning streak, however, lived on until last week everywhere but in the mind of Coach Harry Welch.

“Streaks don’t mean a thing to me,” he said.

But Canyon’s current one--a three-game losing skein--is a cause for concern. Canyon has not won since a quarterfinal playoff victory over Pasadena in November.

Mighty mite: Mike Foster, Westlake’s wee Warrior at 5 feet, 5 inches, 148 pounds, was named player of the game in the Warriors’ 26-0 loss to Oxnard last week. Foster graded out at 84% in Coach George Contreras’ offensive efficiency rating system.

Foster is Westlake’s left guard. He is quick, smart and bench presses 280 pounds.

“Obviously, Mike’s got a great heart,” Contreras said. “He’s very courageous. But I think the No. 1 thing that brings it all into focus is his determination.”

Aches and pains: Saugus tight end-defensive tackle Chad Keene is probably lost for the season, Coach Dick Flaherty said, because of possible torn cartilage in his right knee.

Keene was injured in the Centurions’ 38-3 loss to Alemany. “On the fifth play of the game he heard something pop,” Flaherty said.

Inside linebacker Greg Menta and safety Devin Franchino--two starters from last season--are sidelined because of unusual injuries.

Franchino was sidelined against Alemany because of dizziness. Flaherty said the problem might be related to the severe migraine headaches Franchino suffered last season.

Menta simply has a bad back. “It’s a hereditary thing,” Flaherty said. “I’m waiting for his dad to tell me the name of it.”

Staff writers Tim Brown, Steve Elling and Vince Kowalick contributed to this notebook.