Fall Notebook / Sam Farmer : Backward Slide to End Soon for Either Hoover or Glendale

Either Glendale (3-6, 0-5 in league play) or Hoover (1-7-1, 0-4) will snap its losing streak tonight when the teams meet at Glendale at 8.

But Dynamiter Coach Don Shoemaker isn’t expecting much.

“We’ll probably tie, 7-7, or some crazy thing,” Shoemaker said. “They’ve been as hard luck as we have.”

Hoover kicker Brad Faunce would like to see a close game so he’ll be in a position to salvage a dismal season by winning the game with a kick.

Hoover Coach Dennis Hughes asked Faunce to take on punting and kickoff duties in addition to field goals and extra points, and Faunce says his increased responsibility has hurt him. He has kicked just 1 field goal this year.

“He’s a great kid but he’s had some bad luck,” said Hughes, adding Faunce can convert from 55 yards consistently in practice.

Last year against Glendale, Faunce booted a 37-yard field goal in a 3-0 win.

Statwatch: After suffering through 3 consecutive shutout losses, Hoover has scored 45 points in its last 3 games. The team’s luck hasn’t changed however--Hoover lost the past 3 games by an average score of 27.3 points to 15.

Big guys, little pond: Glendale’s 3-6 season has worn on the Dynamiters. But Shoemaker hopes John Garrett and Rafik Thorossian will get a shot at redemption with Division I schools next season.

Garrett, a 6-foot, 4-inch, 250-pound lineman, is being recruited by BYU, Shoemaker said, and has also caught the interest of USC.

Shoemaker said Garrett was “exceptional” last week against Pasadena and Terry McDaniel, the Bulldogs’ highly recruited lineman.

Thorossian, a 6-1, 205-pound fullback, can run (558 yards and 3 touchdowns in 100 carries) and catch (347 yards and 3 scores in 26 receptions), but hasn’t received much attention.

Hoover harriers: The Tornadoes boys’ cross-country team captured the Pacific League championship at Crescenta Valley Park last Thursday. Hoover will compete in the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. San Antonio College on Friday.

Tiger title: The Occidental College football team guaranteed itself of at least a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-championship by beating the University of Redlands, 23-13, last Saturday.

The Tigers visit Whittier at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and will claim the title outright with a victory.

Chris J. Parker contributed to this notebook.