HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW : Inter-League Confrontations Hold the Likely Key

For the majority of the decade, with respect to City Section 4-A Division football in the Valley, two teams have been as immovable as Jimmy Johnson’s hair. Granada Hills and San Fernando, a combined 110-67-3 in the 1980s, usually finish the season wrestling Carson and Banning in the playoffs while other area teams are spending Friday night at home fiddling with the remote control.

Heading into the second season of Northwest Valley Conference play--an eight-team alignment composed of 4-A teams in the North Valley and West Valley leagues--the power brokers remain in firm control. And the rest? Even though three teams from each league qualify for the playoffs, most still feel like hounds fighting for scraps at the dinner table.

Taft Coach Tom Stevenson, throwing Kennedy into the equation, concedes that the North Valley League’s terrible triumvirate should again whomp and stomp its way into the postseason. Last season, Taft finished 2-2 against North Valley foes. A repeat performance is unlikely, Stevenson said.

“For anybody to split against the other side is a great goal, but it’s not very realistic,” he said. “The Big Three--Granada, Fernando and Kennedy--are just far above the rest of us.”

Stevenson said last month that any team that emerged as a West Valley contender would have to play .500 ball against North Valley teams. He has since redefined his objectives. His new goal? To beat teams that are, well, in the same league.

“It would be great if we went 2-2 against them, as we did last year,” he said. “But I think we have to be more concerned about beating the teams in our own league.”

A West Valley inferiority complex is understandable. Granada Hills and San Fernando were a combined 12-2 against the rest of the conference and 7-1 against the West Valley during the regular season in ’88. Because league records include games against conference opponents, it’s no small wonder coaches in the West Valley just want to break even without breaking their necks.

Only Taft (6-5) had a winning overall record. Cleveland, El Camino Real and Canoga Park were a combined 16-24 overall.

Taft, which won the league title with a 25-22 victory over Cleveland in the regular-season finale, was bombed by Dorsey, 37-7, in the first round of the playoffs. Cleveland, which finished second, was beaten, 27-17, in the first round by Kennedy. Third-place El Camino Real was beaten by San Fernando, 16-0, in the first round.

Playing the role of the scrappy upstart appeals to at least one coach, though.

“It’s an attitude you have to take,” said Cleveland Coach Steve Landress, whose team pulled off the conference upset of the year when it beat eventual North Valley champion San Fernando, 20-10, on the road. “They all have excellent coaching and an abundance of speed and talent. If we were in the 3-A, we’d be an instant contender, but I like playing the good teams.

“But with those teams, it’s like fighting Tyson--there’s always the chance you’ll get knocked out before you break a sweat.”

Yet while West Valley coaches generally expect the North Valley dominance to continue, they also believe West Valley teams, as a group, are stronger this season.

Cleveland lost All-City selection Sean Burwell but replaces him with Pat Bryant, an All-City baseball player. Landress says that Bryant is as good as any player he has ever coached, which covers a lot of ground. Landress coached Washington State running back Steve Broussard when both were at Manual Arts High. Broussard led the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing last season.

Cleveland also has considerable size up front, and three-year letterman Curtis Hudson (6-foot-1, 255 pounds) is the anchor. The Cavaliers are also well-stocked at linebacker with starters Frank Diana and Will Johnson returning.

Taft’s chances of repeating received a shot in the arm over the summer when two talented transfers entered the picture. Irving Carter, a transfer from Antelope Valley, is expected to help replace graduated running back Kelvin Byrd (1,480 yards, 13 touchdowns). Linebacker-wide receiver Darnell Hendrix, a transfer from Jefferson, might be the best all-around player in the league.

Taft is also set at linebacker with returning starters Greg Bernard and Steve Lockridge, who will be joined by Hendrix. Taft’s main hurdle: no returning starters on the offensive line for a team whose trademark is its up-the-gut ground game.

Unquestionably, the league’s best quarterback is Dave Erhardt of Canoga Park who passed for 795 yards last year and made quite an impact on opposing coaches.

“Any time you can throw the ball like he can,” El Camino Real co-Coach Mike Maio said, “you can equalize a lot of stuff.”

Canoga Park is also a year older and wiser, Coach Rudy Lugo said.

“Last year, I knew we were in for some tough times,” he said. “We only had five returning starters and we’d just been moved up to the 4-A level. We’re still a young team with some real raw skill, but we’ll be more competitive.

“When you have a quarterback that throws as well as Dave does and is as good an athlete as he is, you can score any place, any time.”

El Camino Real won four games last season, more than in its three previous seasons combined. After years of struggling with low-player turnout, there has been an upturn, although the Conquistadores are not a team large in stature.

Any move toward the playoffs will be led by skill-position players and defense. Jamal Anderson and Lejon Carr return at running back and Ryan Marine also will play in the backfield. Kennard Durr gives the team outside speed at receiver. Quarterbacks Tony Bordwell and Evan Howland are new, but at least they are members of a large league fraternity: Taft and Cleveland also will start untested quarterbacks.

Juniors Troy Snyder and Chris Griggs, both returning starters, are back at linebacker, which seems to be a league strong point.

Anyone for predictions?

Said Landress: “It’s flattering that some people think we’re the team to beat . . . But I kind of like Canoga.”

Said Maio: “If everything goes like everyone says, I’d say it’s up for grabs. I don’t see any team being as dominant as last year.”

Said Lugo: “Taft is pretty good and Cleveland always has good size . . . At this point, I’d say it’s anybody’s league.”

Said Stevenson: “Actually, if a couple of things work out like I hope they do, I like our chances.”

Hmmm. Disparity in the conference, parity in the league. Could be a close race.

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

FINAL 1988 STANDINGS PROJECTED FINISH Taft 6-4, 5-2 Cleveland Cleveland 5-5, 4-3 Taft El Camino Real 4-7, 2-5 El Camino Real Canoga Park 1-8, 0-7 Canoga Park

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player School Pos. Ht Wt Class Jamal Anderson El Camino Real RB 5-11 200 Sr. Greg Bernard Taft RB/DL 6-0 235 Sr. Pat Bryant Cleveland RB 5-11 185 Sr. Irving Carter Taft RB 5-10 185 Sr. Frank Diana Cleveland K/LB 6-1 225 Sr. Dave Erhardt Canoga Park QB 6-2 180 Jr. Darnell Hendrix Taft TE/LB 6-2 190 Jr. Curtis Hudson Cleveland OL 6-1 255 Sr. Will Johnson III Cleveland LB 6-0 235 Sr. Bob Moose Canoga Park OL 6-2 230 Sr.