The High Schools : Andrachick’s Role Pivotal at Notre Dame

Probably no member of the Notre Dame football team was more satisfied with the Knights’ 28-22 win over Chaminade than junior quarterback Greg Andrachick.

Andrachick completed 8 of 21 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 34 yards and 2 touchdowns in 16 carries, including 2 key bootlegs that badly fooled Chaminade and produced crucial first downs.

Behind Andrachick’s leadership, the Knights captured the first San Fernando Valley League title.

“I feel each game I’ve gotten better,” Andrachick said, smiling broadly in the Knights’ steamy locker room. “I knew I could do the job.”

Few may have agreed with the decision to replace Hughes at mid-season with Andrachick, given Hughes’ experience and powerful arm. Andrachick, however, has completed 47 of 83 for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns in 7 games.

“I don’t have any second guesses about it at all,” Rooney said of his quarterback shuffle. “It’s worked out well. Bobby Hughes had some key receptions and was voted our offensive player of the game.”

Hughes, who had not caught a pass all season, hauled in 3 for 37 yards.

Add Knights: Junior tailback Errol Small, Notre Dame’s leading rusher with 471 yards, suffered a separated shoulder in the first half against Chaminade and is questionable for the Division III first-round playoff game Friday against visiting Lompoc.

“He’s not going to be able to hit all week,” Rooney said. “We won’t know until Friday if he can play.”

Let the rivalry resume: Notre Dame officials apparently will not object to a basketball game against Crespi despite Notre Dame’s decision last spring to discontinue the rivalry because of alleged vandalism and inadequate crowd control. Notre Dame is scheduled to meet Crespi in the opening round of the Beverly Hills tournament Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Beverly Hills basketball Coach Jack Dyck said that the match-up was set at an Oct. 25 seeding meeting and he has received no objections from Notre Dame. “I grew up in the Valley and I was aware they were rivals, but I didn’t know there were any problems between them,” he said. “We made it our feature game that night because we anticipate a big crowd and that will help us out at the gate.”

Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin Rooney said that the school would not comment about the game, which will be played at Beverly Hills High.

Tournament fever: Tiny Highland Hall in Northridge, with an enrollment of 68 boys and girls in 4 grades, will take a giant step up in class this season.

Highland Hall will play Canyon (2,100 enrollment) Dec. 27 in the first round of the Hart tournament, and, if the Hawks win, they will play the winner of the San Fernando-Royal game in the second round.

At the end of the regular season, the Hawks play in the Westside League’s postseason tournament that will help decide the league’s 3 playoff representatives. Only the league champion can clinch a playoff berth during the 10-game regular season.

Wounded Cowboy: Canyon lost its top receiver when junior Clint Beauer suffered ligament damage that required his left ankle be placed in a cast. Beauer, a 6-foot 3-inch, 187-pound wide receiver who had 40 receptions for 670 yards and 6 touchdowns, will miss the remainder of the season.

Said Coach Harry Welch: “See him next football season.”

Wise guys: Tough times might have passed for Hart, which has lost 2 in a row. The Indians hammered San Gabriel, 39-0, in the regular-season finale and will travel to Paramount on Friday night to open the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

“I think the kids realize after two weeks of losing that they’ve got to want it,” first-year Coach Dave Carson said. “At this point, I’m glad everybody’s healthy. Everybody’s healthy and wealthy and now we gotta get ‘em wise.”

Staff writers Vince Kowalick and John Lynch contributed to this notebook.