The High Schools : Transfer Gives Taft Run on Talent

Kennedy High running back Ontiwaun Carter, who rushed for 1,190 yards last season as a sophomore, is expected to bob and weave his way through defenses again this year. But if Taft Coach Tom Stevenson’s preseason expectations are met, another Carter from the Northwest Valley Conference may match or surpass Ontiwaun’s numbers.

Irving Carter, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, transferred to Taft from Antelope Valley over the summer. In a matter of days, Stevenson was convinced that Carter could help fill the void left by Kelvin Byrd, who gained 1,480 yards as a senior in 1988. Carter even resembles Byrd in build and might give West Valley champion Taft the edge it needs to photocopy another league title.

“He looks like a carbon copy of what we’ve had here before,” Stevenson said. “He’ll fit in very nicely.”

Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb said that Carter would have had a place on his team. Carter transferred to Antelope Valley last January, Newcomb said. He was a member of the track team and was expected to make a major contribution this fall when football started.

“I honestly thought he was going to be a superstar for us,” Newcomb said. “If he wants to come back, we’ll sure take him.”

If you think Carter sounds good, take note. He might be Taft’s second -best transfer. Taft also picked up linebacker-receiver Darnell Hendrix (6-2, 190) from Jefferson.

“No question, Hendrix is our best player right now,” Stevenson said.

Highlander starter: A decision has been made regarding the quarterback controversy at Granada Hills. Succinctly put, the decision is (drum roll, please): to make no decision.

Barring injury or unforeseen developments in practice this week, Granada Hills co-Coach Tom Harp said that he expects to start senior Chris Gadomski at quarterback in Friday’s opener against Westchester. But the position is by no means locked up. Bryan Martin, a junior transfer, also will play for the Highlanders.

“They’re both going to play,” Harp said. “They’re both equally talented to handle the offense, and we want both of them to get some time.”

Harp said he is “leaning toward starting Gadomski” because of his season of experience. In 1988, Gadomski passed for 1,158 yards and four touchdowns for the Highlanders, who finished 8-3. Recent history-- very recent--only reinforced Harp’s inclination.

“Look what happened to USC and UCLA,” he said, referring to those teams’ losses in college openers. “When you have experience, you go with it.”

At the moment, Harp said he plans to rotate Gadomski and Martin by quarters. But what happens if one player clearly has the hot hand? Will he remain in the game?

“That could be a plan,” Harp said.

Casting blame: This was one game Harry Welch would like to throw back.

“When the fish stinks, it stinks from the head down,” the Canyon coach said.

Canyon’s defense fell for Hart’s complex attack, hook, line and sinker on Friday night, surrendering 397 yards. And the Cowboys’ 30-12 loss has Welch pointing fingers at players and coaches.

“We were outplayed and outcoached,” he said. “It doesn’t start with the kids, I can tell you that.”

They grow up fast: There was a period of about two minutes Friday night when Westlake’s talented Erik Holcomb showed just how good he might be.

Aggressive, intuitively risky play appears to be his style.

Buena was leading, 28-24, and had possession at the 50-yard line with seven minutes left. On first and 10, Buena quarterback Jason Isaacs threw a pass deep down the left sideline intended for James Craft. Holcomb stepped in for the interception, but it was nullified when another Westlake defensive back interfered with Craft.

One play later, Isaacs threw a hitch pass to running back Tony Williams. Holcomb anticipated the play, broke for the ball but narrowly missed the interception. Williams caught the pass and galloped 35 yards for a touchdown.

“He went for it,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said of Holcomb. “We’ve been practicing when they use that motion and try to hit that kid. We worked hard on playing him tough and making the tackle.”

Slightly more than a minute later Holcomb, crowded by two Buena defensive backs, gathered in Luke Crawford’s option pass for his third touchdown reception of the game. That made the final score, 35-30, Buena.

“He’s still young,” Benkert said of Holcomb. “He played like a senior in spurts, and other times he played like a sophomore.

“The kid can play.”

Field management: Kennedy, which won three City Section 4-A Division baseball titles in the 1980s, might be opening the ‘90s with a new field configuration.

Coach Manny Alvarado says he is trying to find the funding to install a temporary fence in right and right-center field, where it currently takes a blast of about 450 feet down the line and 500 feet to center to hit a ball out.

At Monroe, where it takes a similar bomb to hit one out in left, a temporary fence was installed a season ago to shorten the outfield dimensions.

If Alvarado succeeds, outfielder Garret Anderson could benefit. Anderson, a senior who bats left-handed, hit five home runs and drove in 31 runs to help lead the Golden Cougars to the 4-A title. He was an All-City and Times All-Valley selection.

“He’s chairman of the fund-raising committee,” Alvarado quipped.

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