Carson Flash Sapp Hits College Recruiting Trip Trail

By Rob Fernas

Dec. 22, 1988 12 AM PT

Carson running back Errol Sapp, named the L.A. City 4-A Player of the Year this week, has a busy schedule even though the football season is over.

Starting Jan. 6, Sapp will take recruiting trips on successive weekends to Washington, Colorado and Arizona. He is saving his final trip for UCLA and is debating whether to visit Alabama.

Not bad for a 5-10, 170-pound back who thought he would have to rush for at least 1,000 yards to be selected the City Section’s top player.

“I never expected to be player of the year,” Sapp said. “I thought stats had a lot to do with it. My stats are not that great, but I guess colleges are interested in what I can do with the ball.”

Although Sapp did not rush for 1,000 yards this season--he was Carson’s top ground gainer with 851 yards on 88 carries--he developed as a receiving threat in the Colts’ pass-oriented offense. He finished second on the team with 30 catches for 383 yards and 8 touchdowns.

“You don’t have to be a 1,000-yard rusher to be a great running back,” he said. “I’m glad now I was more versatile. There are a lot of people who can run the ball and there are a lot of people who can catch the ball, but if you can do both it increases your chance of playing (in college).”

Sapp is confident he can play as a freshman in college and points to the four Carson grads who started as freshmen this season: linebackers Arnold Ale (Notre Dame) and Rick Tiedemann (New Mexico), wide receiver Brian Treggs (UC Berkeley) and defensive back Charles Gardner (Alabama).

“Those four guys are role models for the younger players,” he said. “I want to take what they’ve done and apply it to my own career.”

Sapp, who scored a school-record 21 touchdowns this season, was joined by six teammates and six Banning players on the All-City 4-A squad.

Also selected from Carson were quarterback Perry Klein, offensive linemen Morris Unutoa and Moheni Toilolo, defensive tackle Nkosi Littleton, linebacker Peter Hunt and safety Howard McCowan. Sapp and Unutoa are All-City repeaters.

Banning, the 4-A runner-up to Carson, was represented by sophomore fullback Derek Sparks, wide receiver Lamont Shedrick, offensive linemen Bob Whitfield and Andy Gonzalez, defensive lineman Sonny Fuavai and safety Paul Montgomery. Whitfield and Fuavai are repeat selections.

Division runner-up Westchester had four players named to the All-City 3-A team: running back Tim Holliday, offensive lineman Mario Goins and defensive backs Larry Avery and Vincent Bonner. Gardena was represented by running back Khybdeed Hairston and offensive lineman Iona Leulu. San Pedro defensive end David Samperio, a repeat selection, rounded out the South Bay selections.

Westchester, which entered the Ocean View Tournament of Champions last week as the top-ranked prep basketball team in the state, was not at full strength when it lost to Edison of Fresno, 74-73, in a first-round game.

Starting guard Damian Wilson did not play because of an academic problem and reserve forward Julian Breme was sidelined with a sprained ankle, Coach Ed Azzam said.

Compounding the Comets’ troubles was the fact that starting guards Sam Crawford and Kelly Robinson, who was subbing for Wilson, fouled out in the fourth quarter. Westchester was outscored in the period, 27-12.

Despite all the problems, Azzam offered no excuses.

“(Edison) played very aggressively in the fourth quarter and we stopped playing,” he said. “If we do anything at all, we win the game. Maybe it woke us up because we came back well against Bosco Tech and Dominguez.”

Westchester played with a vengeance in its last two games of the tourney, beating Bosco Tech, 81-39, and Dominguez, 77-58. Forward Zan Mason was named to the all-tournament team. Mater Dei won the team title.

“We would have liked to (play Mater Dei),” Azzam said. “but it was not to be.”

Westchester improved its record to 5-1 Tuesday with an 80-66 win over host Lakewood, the top-ranked team in the Southern Section 5-AA Division. Crawford led the Comets with 26 points.

Don’t expect Morningside to be invited back to the Tournament of Champions next season.

Tournament organizers reportedly were miffed when the Monarchs could not play their consolation-round game Saturday because they had already flown to Honolulu to begin play Friday in the Iolani Classic.

Morningside instead sent its junior varsity team to meet Merrimac High of Surfers Paradise, Australia. However, the Morningside JVs went to the wrong gym and forfeited the contest.

The Monarchs split four games in the Iolani Classic, losing Tuesday in the fifth-place final to Roman Catholic of Philadelphia, 82-53. Before that, they beat St. Louis of Honolulu, 73-56, lost to Flint Hill of Virginia, 82-63, and edged LaSalle of New York, 66-64.

Third-seeded Carson (3-4) and Gardena (6-2) begin play next week in the 12-team Artesia Basketball Tournament. Gardena faces Mayfair at 3 p.m. Monday and Carson, which has a first-round bye, plays its opener Tuesday.

Carson should be close to full strength for the tournament after playing with a makeshift lineup most of this month. Four of the Colts’ top players have been in and out of the lineup because they were competing for Carson’s L.A. City 4-A champion football team.

Injuries to forward Nkosi Littleton (hyper-extended knee) and point guard Odis Smith (sprained thumb) make their availability questionable for the tournament, Coach Rich Masson said.

Because of injuries and other problems, five of Carson’s top eight players were unable to play in its last game Dec. 13. Fairfax won, 66-64, on a 3-point shot with 2 seconds left.

Eight South Bay football players, including three from Ocean League champion Morningside, have been named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division VII team, and three area standouts were chosen to the Division VIII squad.

Morningside placed fullback Deshon Mosley, offensive lineman Aaron Elliott and linebacker Terrell Edwards on the Division VII team. Other local players honored were offensive lineman Curtis Bray and linebacker Erik Simien of Camino Real League champion Serra, wide receivers Jason Lucky of St. Bernard and John Morton of South Torrance and defensive back Anthony Cole of North Torrance. Running back/defensive back Robbie Santos of division champion San Marino was named Player of the Year.

Santa Fe League champion El Segundo was represented by tailback/kicker Erik Evans and linebacker Rob White on the Division VIII team. Mary Star defensive lineman Steve Barker was also selected. Quarterback David Lowery of division champion Trabuco Hills was named Player of the Year.

PREP NOTES--Carson (12-1) ended the football season ranked No. 16 in USA Today’s Super 25 national poll. Pine Forest High of Pensacola (14-0), the Florida 5-A titlist, was declared national champion by the newspaper. . . . Hawthorne will meet South Torrance at 1 p.m. Friday in the final of the South Holiday girls soccer tournament. The quarterfinals and semifinals of the boys tournament will be played today. Unbeaten Palos Verdes and West Torrance are the only South Bay schools still competing in the championship bracket. The final will be played at 3 p.m. Friday. . . . John Sabio of Rolling Hills is entered in the prep 500 meters for the Sunkist Invitational indoor track meet Jan. 20 at the Sports Arena. Sabio ran the 400 in 48.22 seconds last spring.

South Bay’s Basketball Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters

Records Through Tuesday’s Games

Rank, School, League: Record

1 Westchester (Westn.): 5-1

2 St. Bernard (Camino Real): 8-2

3 Rolling Hills (Bay): 7-1

4 Morningside (Ocean): 6-4

5 Banning (Pacific): 7-3

6 Gardena (Southern): 6-2

7 Carson (Pacific): 3-4

8 Redondo (Pioneer): 4-3