PREP Notes : Palos Verdes Coaches Want Raiders to Win to Keep Art Shell’s Son in School

It’s safe to say that the coaches at Palos Verdes High are Raiders fans, especially now that Art Shell has been named head coach.

Shell’s son, also named Art, is one of the school’s most gifted athletes. The 6-foot-5 sophomore became the first ninth-grader to start on the varsity basketball team last season, and he recently earned a spot on the Sea Kings’ sophomore football team as a wide receiver.

If the Raiders falter under Shell, resulting in the same fate that befell Mike Shanahan, or move to another city, it could result in the family moving from the Los Angeles area.

No one at Palos Verdes wants to see that happen, least of all basketball Coach John Mihaljevich and football Coach Bill Judy.

“If daddy goes,” Judy said, “it probably means the son will follow.”

Carson High football Coach Gene Vollnogle said he was initially upset last week because his team, unable to find an opponent, had an open date.

By the end of the week, however, he considered the bye a blessing because it gave the Colts a chance to work on fundamentals.

“We went back to the basics,” Vollnogle said. “Now I think we’re ready to erupt. If we don’t, then I’m really going to be mad.”

Breaking with tradition, the veteran coach had Carson’s first-team offense scrimmage the first-string defense every day during practice last week.

“That’s sort of a no-no for us,” he said. “We usually don’t scrimmage during the season. In our first two games, the other teams (Bishop Amat and Lynwood) were much farther along than us. We laid the foundation for what I hope will be a successful year.”

The week off also gave Vollnogle a chance to scout Carson’s two future opponents--Washington and San Pedro--and rest some injured players. Cornerback Clayvand Thomas, a junior who is considered one of the Colts’ best defensive players, is expected to start in Friday’s Southern-Pacific Conference opener at Washington after missing the first two games with a knee injury.

Only a handful of Chadwick’s current football players were members of the 1986 team that captured the CIF Eight-Man Large Division championship. But Coach Sid Grant says the memories are still fresh.

“The freshmen who were on that ’86 team are constantly talking about it,” he said. “I try to put that down.”

Although the Dolphins are off to a 3-1 start and appear to have their best team since the championship year, Grant says he prefers Chadwick to remain in the underdog role.

“I hope we stay unranked,” he said. “Last year were were ranked No. 2 in the division. I got excited about it when I shouldn’t have.”

After opening last season with a win and a tie, Chadwick lost a close game to Coast Christian, 22-21. “From there,” Grant said, “the wheels just fell off the wagon.”

The Dolphins finished with a 2-5-1 record. Not a great debut for a new head coach, but nothing a little hard work couldn’t overcome.

Last year “wasn’t a rebuilding situation,” Grant said. “We had all the components, but things just didn’t work out. This year, over the summer we got into an extensive program and we did a lot of lifting. We have several guys squating over 400 pounds. We had spring practice, which Chadwick hasn’t had in a while. Those things combined have made the difference. We have a lot of dedicated seniors who are willing to work.”

Grant says the team has followed the leadership of several seniors, headed by All-Prep League guard Kevin Neal (5-11, 200), lineman Brian Suh (6-0, 200), all-league linebacker Phil (Stump) Clark, quarterback Jason Ambrose and wide receiver John Sheldon.

Offensively, the Dolphins have received a boost from junior running back Brian Lui, who rushed for 163 yards and scored five touchdowns last week in a 47-0 victory over Coast Christian. On the season, Lui has rushed for 472 yards and leads the South Bay with 11 TDs.

“The confidence of the guys is sky-high right now,” Grant said. “I think we’re going to do OK.”

Chadwick plays host to Pacific Christian at 3 p.m. Friday, before opening Prep League play Oct. 13 at home against rival Pasadena Poly.

Miraleste’s all-sophomore backfield of quarterback Steve Cooper and running backs Dan Sarner and Dan Crofton don’t have drivers’ licenses yet because of their ages, but that hasn’t stopped them from steering the Marauders (3-1) to three consecutive wins.

In last week’s Olympic League opener, Sarner rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries and Crofton added 104 yards on 16 carries in an 18-14 victory over Orange Lutheran.

“Going into the year, I figured we had a lot of question marks,” said Miraleste Coach Todd DeAngelis. “But Steve Cooper hasn’t made any mistakes. And the two running backs, what a gift. I wasn’t counting on that.”

Miraleste will take a 3-1 overall record and 1-0 league mark into Friday night’s league meeting with Santa Margarita (3-1, 1-0) at Saddleback College.

PREP NOTES--The Mira Costa girls’ volleyball team has been ranked No. 1 in the first-ever State CIF coaches’ poll. The Mustangs (10-0), who recently won the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Huntington Beach, are followed in the top 10 by T of C runner-up Corona del Mar, Santa Barbara, Laguna Beach and Thousand Oaks . . . Bishop Montgomery’s two football shutouts over North Torrance, 10-0, and Pius X, 20-0, represent the first time the Knights have registered two shutouts in a season since 1983, the year they reached the CIF Northwestern Conference final. Matt Burrola’s 95-yard kickoff return against Pius X last week was Bishop Montgomery’s first scoring kick return since 1984 . . . the top water polo teams in the South Bay will compete in the two-day El Segundo Tournament starting at 3 p.m. Friday at El Segundo and Mira Costa high schools. The 16-team field is headed Palos Verdes and Miraleste, ranked in the CIF 3-A and 2-A division polls, respectively. Palos Verdes beat Miraleste last week, 8-7. Other teams entered include Loyola, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. The championship game will start at 7:30 Saturday night at El Segundo.