The High Schools : Soccer Coach Takes Familiar Route

Harvard’s new soccer coach is Barclay Mackinnon, whose previous coaching experience includes an 8-year stint at The Brunswick School, a swank prep school in Greenwich, Conn. Perhaps Harvard is trying to capture the same magic as its other coach from Connecticut, Rich Corso, who is from East Hartford.

Corso led Harvard to the Southern Section 2-A Division water polo title in his third season. That has not gone unnoticed by Mackinnon.

“One of the requirements for our team last Wednesday was to go down to Belmont Plaza to watch the kids win the polo championship,” he said. “I told the kids that I wanted them to see what it’s like to win it. We’re looking to do exactly what Corso did. Maybe we can do it a year earlier.”

The two were not acquainted prior to Mackinnon’s interview over the summer.

“I haven’t been recruiting,” Corso said.

Defensive standout: Agoura defensive tackle Todd Steussie thoroughly dominated play in the Chargers’ 7-0 victory over Paso Robles on Friday, making 12 tackles, including several for losses.

The number of tackles matched the season high for Agoura by linebacker Carrick O’Quinn, who added 9 tackles against Paso Robles.

At 6-foot, 6-inches and 230 pounds, Steussie used not only his size but his quickness to baffle Paso Robles.

“I think that’s as fine a game as we’ve had from any defensive lineman,” said Agoura Coach Frank Greminger, the Chargers’ coach of 19 years.

Short notice: After last week’s 53-0 playoff loss to Carson, Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said his team wasn’t prepared to handle Carson on only 2 days of practice. Kennedy played the Colts--ranked No. 2 in the state--after playing Cleveland just 5 days earlier.

“We probably need 10 days or two weeks to be able to prepare for a team like Carson,” Francola said.

Probably?

“Heck, if we had a year it might not be enough,” Francola quipped.

Alumni network: One graduate that will miss tonight’s basketball alumni game at Cleveland is Bret Saberhagen, a pitcher with the Kansas City Royals who started at guard for the Cavaliers in 1981.

Saberhagen, who returned to Kansas City on Tuesday to begin an off-season conditioning program, dropped by a Cleveland practice on Monday and didn’t seem too disappointed to be sitting this one out.

“No way, I’m heading back to K. C.,” Saberhagen said. “These guys would beat me up out there.”

The game begins at 7:30 p.m.

Add Cleveland: When Cavalier forward Lucious Harris last week signed a letter of intent to attend Cal State Long Beach, he became the third player to join the Big West Conference school in Cleveland Coach Bob Braswell’s 4-year tenure.

That fact has not escaped the attention of the Long Beach coaching staff.

“They’re jokingly calling it ‘Cleveland South,’ ” Braswell said. “They said all they need are nine more and they’ll have a team.”

Harris joins Mitchell (‘85) and Mike Gray (‘88).

And they’re off: Wasting absolutely no time, the basketball teams of Grant and El Camino Real--among the preseason favorites in the City Section 3-A Division--will play their nonleague season opener today at El Camino Real at 4 p.m.

Grant, which advanced to the 3-A Division final last season and finished 20-4, faces swingman Brent Lofton, the first El Camino Real player to be named All-City as a junior.

Lofton, who already has signed with Utah State, averaged 24.6 points and 12 rebounds a game last season at the 4-A level.

The Conquistadores now play in the West Valley League, a 3-A entry.

“We’re real interested to see how we match up with Grant,” said El Camino Real assistant Jeff Davis. “We think we would have done very well last year at the 3-A level. This game should show us right where we rate.”

Indeed, the Conquistadores face a stern test. Grant has 4 returning players with experience as starters in Sean Watkins, Troy Mcleod, Setro Terzian and Nate Connor.

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

BASKETBALL TOP 10

Selected by sportswriters of The Times

Rk Team League 87-88 Record 1 Cleveland North Valley 18-4 2 Granada Hills North Valley 11-6 3 Notre Dame S.F. Valley 14-7 4 Taft North Valley 16-7 5 Grant East Valley 20-4 6 El Camino Real West Valley 5-15 7 Westlake Marmonte 15-10 8 Bell-Jeff S.F. Valley 19-9 9 San Fernando West Valley 15-6 10 N. Hollywood Mid-Valley 17-5