West Torrance High Football Fortunes Sacked for a Big Loss : Preps: All-Ocean League quarterback John Walsh plans to transfer to Carson for senior season.

The dejected look on John Black’s face this week mirrored the mood of the West Torrance High football team.

“We’re in shock,” said the West co-coach, shaking his head.

Black and his partner, Mark Knox, were still trying to come to grips with the loss of John Walsh, the Warriors’ All-Ocean League quarterback. The West coaches learned Monday that Walsh, one of the South Bay’s top players, plans to transfer to Carson High for his senior season.

“I couldn’t sleep (Monday) night,” Black said. “Mark and I are just devastated by this.”

Walsh and his father, also named John, refused to comment on the report, saying it was only a rumor. But the West coaches said they were informed by the Walshes that the quarterback will transfer to Carson, where he hopes to improve his chance of being recruited by a major college.

“(Walsh Sr.) feels that John will get more exposure at Carson and build up better stats,” Knox said. “I hope it works out for him. He’s sacrificed quite a bit. He’s alienated all of his friends on the team.”

The 6-3, 190-pound Walsh passed for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, helping West to a 10-2 record, the Ocean League title and the second round of the Southern Section Division VII playoffs. During three seasons on the West freshman, sophomore and varsity squads, his teams were 27-3.

The situation is similar to one in 1988, when All-L.A. City quarterback Perry Klein transferred from Palisades High to Carson for his senior season and helped the Colts to the 4-A Division title. Like Klein, Walsh receives one-on-one coaching from Steve Clarkson, a former Carson assistant coach who works with several of the Southland’s premier quarterbacks, including Todd Marinovich of USC.

“It’s Perry Klein all over again,” said a disgusted David Snakenborg, a senior tight end and linebacker for West.

The West co-coaches said they believe Clarkson used his influence as a personal coach to persuade Walsh to transfer. Clarkson, who was a member of the Carson coaching staff for one season in 1988, denied the allegation.

“I don’t make decisions for people,” he said. “I’m sure they are hurt (at West) and looking for someone to blame. But that’s not my business. All I do is teach technical skills.

“It’s kind of ridiculous. People have been transferring in and out of Carson for years, but the only time it seems to be an issue is when it’s a quarterback.”

Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle said he has not talked to the Walshes, but confirmed that Walsh Sr. met with Carson Assistant Principal Dick Mattingly last month about the possibility of his son’s transferring to the school.

“He wanted to know the legality of his son transferring if he gets a separation from his wife,” said Vollnogle, who will retire after the 1990 season. “Dr. Mattingly said he would not accept a separation, but he did say that if divorce papers were filed and the father and son moved into the district, (Walsh) would be eligible.

“The whole thing depends if the parents split up. They have to file the papers and go through the courts to get it done. Once that’s done, what can you do? This kind of stuff goes on all the time.”

Knox, however, said that West plans to launch an investigation.

“It might look like sour grapes when we start pointing fingers, but we’re definitely going to look into the Carson situation because I don’t think they are totally innocent,” he said. “We’re not out to get John, but we’re going to look into the actions of representatives of the Carson program.”

The situation is stirring the same emotions as two years ago, when Klein transferred to Carson after a record-breaking junior season at Palisades.

The Kleins, who live in Malibu, rented an apartment in Carson, presumably so Danny Klein, Perry’s father, could live closer to his surplus electronics business in Gardena during the week. After the football season, though, the family gave up the apartment and Klein transferred to Santa Monica High.

Klein, a redshirt freshman at UC Berkeley, answered the phone at Clarkson’s Laguna Hills home Tuesday. He said Walsh has a good chance of becoming Carson’s starting quarterback because the player being groomed for the job, Tarriel Hopper, is better suited to play strong safety, the position he played last season. The Colts were L.A. City 4-A runners-up in 1989.

“If I were (Walsh), I would like to be in his situation,” Klein said. “He will be the only guy. He’ll be able to rack up a lot of statistics. I don’t think Hopper wants to play quarterback. I just think he’s playing it because there’s no other quarterbacks at Carson.

“I’ve been working out at Carson and Tarriel is there sometimes. He’s all right. He’s a good quarterback. But I don’t think that’s what he’s going to play in college.”

Vollnogle and Clarkson, though, said they are pleased with the progress of Hopper, a 6-3, 210-pound senior whose older brother, Darrel, was a standout at Carson and USC. Hopper also receives personalized coaching from Clarkson.

The area where Walsh has a clear advantage over Hopper is experience.

“I’ve seen him throw the ball and he’s very, very good,” said Vollnogle, who has watched Walsh play in passing-league games. “He has experience, too. He’s not someone brand new.”

Asked if Walsh will become Carson’s quarterback if he transfers, Vollnogle said: “He could be.”

While players have transferred to Carson for many years, the loss of a high-profile player at West is regarded as a unique occurrence.

“We’ve lost kids who have legitimately moved, but this is definitely the first time for this,” Knox said. “We’ve had a lot of kids who tried to get into West that we couldn’t take. We’ve never had anybody leave like this.”

Knox said West’s players were angered by the news.

“They’re very bitter,” he said. “They’re shocked like we were. They’ve been a real close group for three years. A lot of them have played Pop Warner together. It’s not only a hard pill for the program, but it’s probably put a dent in a lot of friendships.”

Walsh, who last played with West Sunday in the L.A. Games, had assumed the role of team captain in spring football and was expected to be the leader of a Warrior team considered a favorite for the 1990 Pioneer League title.

Walsh will be replaced at quarterback by Steve Sarkisian, a 6-0, 175-pound junior who led the sophomore team to an 8-1 record last season.

“We’re still going to be a winner,” Knox said. “We’re just starting way behind because we thought John was going to be our quarterback. But we’ll be OK. We’ll still give people headaches.”

This week, though, West was feeling all the pain.