THE HIGH SCHOOLS : McFarland Finds a Fan in Grimes

Maurice McFarland, the North Hollywood High tailback who was kicked off the San Fernando team four weeks ago, has found a happy home with the Huskies, according to Coach Fred Grimes.

McFarland had a troubled stay at San Fernando. He was suspended from the team’s opening game Sept. 15 for missing a practice, then was suspended for a game against St. Paul on Sept. 29 after a run-in with police the day before at the Kennedy-Crenshaw football game at Kennedy High.

The latter incident resulted in his departure from San Fernando. He enrolled at North Hollywood under the Los Angeles Unified School District’s opportunity-transfer program that is used for students in disciplinary cases or for the student’s protection. McFarland, San Fernando’s leading rusher last season, has since scored high marks with Grimes.

“I sat him down right away and told him that his slate was clean with me,” Grimes said. “And I’ve been really happy with him. He hasn’t missed a practice, any meeting or our Saturday meetings.”

On the field, McFarland has gained 108 yards in 28 carries for the Huskies. Off the field, he has earned respect.

“He still hopes to have a future in football,” Grimes said. “And I’m rooting for him.”

No gain, no Bain: “Bring on the Bains,” a celebratory call among Hart football players, can be heard in the closing minutes of any game in which the Indians are soundly defeating their opponent.

The call is to summon the services of twins Chris and Kim Bain, who are substituted into the game at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively, when Hart has the game in hand.

The popular pair, starters on special teams, are respected among teammates because of their tenacity, Coach Mike Herrington said. Chris (5-foot-5, 125 pounds) and Kim (5-7, 135), “play like they’re six foot, 210,” Herrington said.

“They’re an inspiration. They’re always going 100% and they are great practice players. And they don’t back down to anyone.”

Not even each other.

“I remember when I had them on the freshman team,” Herrington said. “On Sundays, we didn’t practice, so they’d bring home their gear and put it on and go out in the front yard and hit each other.”

When Chris hit Kim with a pass for a six-yard gain against Burroughs on Oct. 13, school history probably was made.

Although records before 1980 are not available, Herrington said, it is believed to be the first time in school history that a pass was completed, one brother to another.

Overlooked prize: Notre Dame’s Chris Afarian is one of the best kickers in the Valley area and not just because he is perfect on 27 conversion attempts and is two for two on field-goal attempts. His numbers as a punter and kickoff man are difficult to beat.

The senior, who punts with his right foot and kicks with his left, is averaging 41.2 yards a punt. Only seven of his 22 punts have been returned--for a combined 28 yards.

In addition, he has booted 11 of 38 kickoffs into the end zone. On 16 other kicks, Notre Dame has pinned the receiving team inside the 20-yard line.

“He gets great hang time on both his punts and kickoffs,” Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. “He kicks the ball real high on kickoffs, and, if it doesn’t go into the end zone, he’s right around the one-yard line.”

Despite his numbers, Afarian has attracted no interest from college recruiters. Rooney attributes that to a leg injury last season that limited Afarian to only three games.

“I think it’s just a matter of time before the college scouts start paying attention to him,” Rooney said.

Add Notre Dame: Rooney plans to work on the Knights’ running attack in tonight’s nonleague game against St. Francis at home. Since his opening-night, 213-yard performance against Alemany, tailback Errol Small has averaged fewer than 100 yards a game.

Injuries to offensive linemen have hurt the running game, Rooney said. Guard Mike Jewsbury sustained a strained knee two weeks ago in the first half of the Chaminade game and isn’t expected back until the end of the regular season. The team’s other starting guard, Anthony Fanara, has missed two games because of a sprained ankle but practiced this week and might play tonight.

“The injuries have been part of our problem,” Rooney said. “But teams have bunched everybody up at the line against us and kind of sold out on stopping the run and are leaving the pass open.”

Making a break: One has to believe that when one breaks a bone on the opening kickoff of a football game, it won’t be recalled as one of those shining moments from high school.

Remember that night we beat the heck out of Simi Valley?

Yeah, that was great, wasn’t it?

How’d you do?

I broke my finger before the scoreboard lights warmed up.

Oh.

The seemed to be the case last Friday for Westlake’s Seamus Gibbons, who indeed broke the pinky finger on his right hand on the game’s opening kickoff. The final numbers, however, tell a different story. Gibbons caught three passes from quarterback Todd Preston--all for touchdowns--and didn’t even know there was a problem. Westlake went on to win, 34-7.

“I had no idea I broke it,” Gibbons said. “I thought it was jammed or something.

“The passes by Todd were right in my chest, so I didn’t have to jump up and grab the ball with my hands.”

After a diagnosis was made, Gibbons’ finger was placed in a cast. So, now that he knows, will he sit out tonight’s game against Thousand Oaks? Nah.

“I’ll get the cast off (today) and I’ll tape up my finger and will be ready to go,” he said.

No reason to miss out on a potential shining moment.

New attitude: Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance, disgruntled because of a recent three-game losing streak, has moved quarterback Matt Bates to receiver and replaced him with Mark Vail, a “cocky little kid,” in the words of Plaisance.

Vail led the Crusaders to a 31-21 win over Marshall Fundamental in his first start. He is listed at 5-8, 166 pounds. Plaisance concedes that might be a bit on the creative side. “He’s more like 5-7, 145,” Plaisance said with a laugh. “We need somebody like that right now. He’s a hustler, a go-getter. Hopefully, it’s rubbing off.”

Staff writers Tim Brown, Vince Kowalick, John Lynch and Brian Murphy contributed to this notebook.