New Coaches Break Even in Openers

As far as debuts go, things didn’t turn out too badly for several first-year coaches Friday night. Of the eight Valley-area coaches opening 1989 at a new school, four won and four lost. And the point spread in three of the four losses was 10 points or less.

The results:

* Palmdale and Coach Kent Bothwell lost to Muir, 14-7. Muir is the top-ranked team in the Southern Section Division II preseason poll.

* Newbury Park and Coach George Hurley pulled off a mild 17-3 upset of Agoura, snapping a two-game losing streak to the Chargers.

* Westlake and Coach Jim Benkert fell to Buena, 35-30. Buena was a Division II playoff semifinalist last season and Westlake was 2-8.

* Hart and Coach Mike Herrington humbled Canyon, extending the Indians’ win streak over their cross-town rival to three games. Calling Herrington a first- year coach might be stretching it--he took over last month.

* Crespi and Coach Tim Lins lost to Redlands, 17-7. With three scholarship players gone from the backfield, the Celts stayed close until turnovers did them in during the second half.

* St. Francis and Coach Bill Garrison lost to Burroughs, 23-8, but the Golden Knights have company. All three Valley-area Del Rey League teams (Crespi, Alemany and St. Francis) lost Friday.

* St. Genevieve and Coach Mark Lovett defeated Murphy, 9-7, snapping a seven-game losing streak in which the Valiants had been outscored, 221-38. Last season, St. Genevieve was held to seven points or less seven times in nine games.

* Behind a pair of second-half touchdowns, L. A. Baptist and Coach Mark Bates defeated Cathedral, 15-12.

In all, a fair first night, considering the combined record for the eight teams was 35-44 last year.