FOOTBALL ’89 : SAN FERNANDO VALLEY LEAGUE

Bell-Jeff

COACH: Doug Woodlief, 5th year

LAST SEASON: 1-9; 4th in league, 1-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: To hear Woodlief tell it, the Guards will have a difficult time contending with Division VII competition this season. He says Bell-Jeff, which has to practice in a nearby park, will field a team with a maximum of 30 players. Rod Chapman (5-11, 165), backup quarterback last season, will guide the offense. “He can move around a little bit but he’s not a real burner,” Woodlief said of Chapman, who specializes in medium-range passes. Chapman will be flanked by some experienced players: fullback Sean Casagrande (5-9, 165) and tailbacks Earl Matthews (6-0, 175) and Demond Briggs (6-2, 170), all of whom saw varsity action last season. Alfred Silva (6-5, 150), the Guards’ quickest back, is up from the JV team. Mike Reyes (5-10, 215) is the only returning starter on the offensive line and will move from center to tackle. Tony Chesta (5-9, 215) and Irwin Bionson (5-10, 190) are leading line prospects from the JV team. Defensive standouts include linebackers Mike Szekely (5-10, 185) and Sean Begly (5-9, 175).

OUTLOOK: Woodlief has promoted 22 players from a JV team that won just three games last season, and he doesn’t have lofty expectations. “The guys know what they have to do and what they’re going to be playing against,” he said. “We make no bones about that. I’ve seen a lot of teams that look like they have a lot of talent fall apart and a lot of teams that come up short surprise some people. We don’t keep any secrets from our guys.”

Chaminade

COACH: Rich Lawson, 3rd year

LAST SEASON: 8-4; 2nd in league, 3-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: All-league quarterback Greg Baumgartner threw for 2,167 yards last season and led the Eagles to the second round of the Southern Section playoffs. He graduated in June, hence Lawson’s main concern is finding a player to fill his cleats. Juniors Jeff Meyer and Aaron Weiss are vying for the position and Meyer might have the advantage, Lawson says. Inexperience at quarterback might slow Chaminade’s passing game, but with Jeff Burdick, the Eagles will not be grounded. Burdick had 30 receptions for 649 yards and six touchdowns last year. “I think some other coaches in the league have respect for Burdick,” Lawson said. “If not, maybe they haven’t done their homework.” Justin Stark, who had 10 catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns, will start at tight end. Returning center Brett Davis (6-3, 205) moves to tackle and Mike Terzian (6-0, 220) will play guard on an otherwise green offensive line. Tailback Colin Havert (672 yards in 82 carries, eight touchdowns) will team in the backfield with Felix Goodson (535 yards in 78 carries, six touchdowns). Burdick, who was second in the Southern Section with a Valley-area high 10 interceptions and had 92 tackles, will start at one corner. Goodson, probably the team’s hardest hitter, will play free safety. The linebackers are anchored by Stark (138 tackles), Havert (82) and sophomore Ted Corcoran, who started in the playoffs as a freshman.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles, dubbed “The Great 28” by Lawson, have swelled to a whopping 34 players. “Shoot, man,” Lawson mused, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with all those extra bodies.” Chances are, Chaminade will not be hurting for talent, especially on defense. Team question marks include the quarterback and offensive line positions.

Harvard

COACH: Gary Thran, 16th year

LAST SEASON: 7-4; 3rd in league, 2-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Marty Holly gained 913 yards in 118 carries last year and leaves no heir apparent. Therefore the return of quarterback Scott Collins, who tore cartilage in his knee in the second game last season and did not return until the playoffs, becomes that much more significant. But Collins return will be postponed for at least the first week due to a hamstring pull he sustained in a defensive back drill last week. Wideout Adam Rowins will move to quarterback until Collins regains his legs. Rowins will look to receivers Matt Panagiotis and Iheanyi Uwaezuoke. In addition, Thran says tight end Mike Wolf (6-3, 220) might be on the receiving end of more passes. The Harvard backfield includes sophomore Jeremiah Aguolu (5-10, 175), who scored 23 touchdowns for the freshman team. “We’re really concerned about how Aguolu’s going to adapt and accept varsity competition,” Thran said. Junior Kent Dahn (5-10, 160) and senior Richie Agajanian (5-8, 140) will lend more experience to the backfield. All-league seniors Egan Anderson (5-11, 215) and Mike Chumo (5-11, 190) anchor the offensive line. Defensive standouts include back Robert Pearlstein (5-10, 150) and lineman Young Chang (6-3,220), both juniors. The Saracens also boast tough linebackers such as Chumo, Anderson, Wolf and Chris Reilly (6-0, 180).

OUTLOOK: Thran believes he has finally found a combination that will not only lift the Saracens off the ground but up in the league standings--a passing game. “It’s real tough to have to count on five-yard passes and play action to keep fooling everybody all the time,” he said. With a healthy Collins and some speedy receivers, this season might be different.

Notre Dame

COACH: Kevin Rooney, 10th year

LAST SEASON: 8-3; 1st in league, 4-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: For the second season, the Knights are the team to beat in the San Fernando Valley League and one of the area’s top teams. They are ranked second in the Southern Section’s Division VII preseason poll and 13 starters return. Quarterback Greg Andrachick, who completed 60 of 112 passes for 978 yards last season, again will pilot the offense. Andrachick will have some new targets--wideouts John Sandoval and Kirk Miller, neither of whom has much varsity experience. Running back Errol Small (6-3, 205) scored 10 touchdowns last season and may be the team’s best athlete. The offensive line is anchored by tackle John DiSante (6-4, 255) and center Joe Vanek (5-9, 180). The defense allowed 136 rushing yards a game last season, but linemen Owen Taylor (6-1, 250) and Ken Yasunaga (6-0, 225) and end Matt Henry (6-3, 190) should help to reduce that number. The Notre Dame pass defense was tighter, yielding just 82 yards a game. Small and senior Guillermo Eguez (5-10, 175) will start at the corners. Kicker Chris Afarian, who was injured in the third game and sat out the remainder of last season, is back. During the 1987 season, Afarian booted four field goals and pinned five punts within the opposition’s 10-yard line.

OUTLOOK: Although last year’s balanced figures (1,740 yards rushing, 1,560 passing) belie it, Notre Dame planned to concentrate on the passing game. “Offensively, we went into last season thinking we were going to throw a lot,” said Rooney, whose team lost in the first round of the playoffs. “This year we’ll think more about establishing the run and play-action pass and that sort of thing.”

St. Genevieve

COACH: Mark Lovett, 1st year

LAST SEASON: 1-8; 5th in league, 0-4

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lovett, a former Arizona State running back and graduate of Frank Kush’s school of hard knocks, might watch his inexperienced team take a few knocks. The Valiants do have a bulky offensive line that includes guards Ernie Schneider (6-0, 210) and Roel Navarro (6-0, 195); tackles Todd Petersen, (6-4, 250) and Eric Rotheny (6-1, 230); tight end Mike Hoffman (6-3, 215), and center Jeff Gelveo (5-10, 215). The group should help bolster St. Genevieve’s paltry rushing game, which produced only 69 yards a game last year. All of the linemen will play both ways and try to improve on a defense that gave up 184 rushing and 137 passing yards a game. Senior Dominic Mueller (6-0, 185), a converted receiver who is probably the best athlete on the team, will play quarterback. Henry Arrington (5-9, 170), a senior who had 24 carries for 41 yards in limited action last season, will compete for a backfield spot with seniors Ross Stewart (5-11, 190) and Noel Molina (5-11, 190), who gained 91 yards in 29 carries. Lovett says his team is receiver-rich with Edgar Sedano, Carry Iccacino, Dan Black, Crespi transfer Mike Robinson, and Alemany transfer Tim Pera vying for jobs.

OUTLOOK: “We think we’re going to make the playoffs,” Lovett said. “It’s just a matter of what place we go in.” Others might disagree. The Valiants are big up front but their experience, especially at skill positions, is limited. Although Lovett has vowed to keep the offense simple and infuse his players with an aggressive spirit, a first-year turnaround could be too much to expect.