Two-Week Layoff Is OK With Serra Coach

Most football coaches would dread having a two-week layoff at this point in the season, when game experience is crucial for building consistency.

Serra High Coach Leo Hand, though, says he doesn’t mind that the Cavaliers’ next game isn’t until Sept. 28, when they visit St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs.

“I don’t see any problems with it,” he said. “It gives us an opportunity to heal up and work on some of our mistakes.”

Serra was left without a game this week because of a scheduling mistake by Centennial. The schools had a contract to play Friday night at Centennial, but when the Ocean and Pioneer leagues cross-scheduled their non-league games last year, Centennial arranged a game with Rolling Hills on the same night.

Hand said Serra, which also has a bye next week, discovered the error last Thursday.

“We were kind of shocked,” he said. “(Centennial) changed their athletic director and football coach last year, and somebody didn’t check it out. They apologized. They knew they had made a mistake.”

Because Centennial was at fault, Serra suggested that it be allowed to play Rolling Hills. But the schools couldn’t agree on a time and place to play, so Serra bowed out and Rolling Hills will play Friday night at Centennial.

Hand said he was against playing at Rolling Hills in the afternoon because of the heat, and Rolling Hills was not willing to play Serra at night. Rolling Hills’ field does not have lights.

“We said we’d play them any night at any place,” Hand said. “But I don’t think it makes much sense to play in the daytime at this time of year.

“They preferred not to play us, and that was it.”

Two of Serra’s starting running backs were injured last week in a 38-0 win over Pasadena. Halfback Tim Trahan suffered a hairline fracture of the leg and fullback Corey Jones bruised his knee.

Hand, however, expects both players to be ready to play against St. Paul.

As for his team’s performance last week against Pasadena, Hand said he was disappointed despite the lopsided win. Pasadena made things easy for Serra by losing six of seven fumbles.

“We played very poorly, but you really couldn’t tell by the score,” Hand said. “We got a lot of opportunities.”

The coach said part of the problem is that Serra has two many players going both ways. That will have to change, he said, if the Cavaliers want to compete against St. Paul, which carries close to 70 players.

Serra has a roster of about 30 players.

“We need to sacrifice in certain instances to have fresher bodies,” Hand said. “If we don’t, we’re going to get hurt.”

Rolling Hills football Coach Gary Kimbrell was disappointed with more than his team’s performance last week in a 28-9 loss to Mary Star.

“We weren’t much of a team,” he said. “We had guys talking in the huddle and finger-pointing, things that hadn’t gone on before.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I’m beyond being embarrassed by a defeat. But the attitude of the kids on the field is what was disappointing to me.”

Kimbrell expects a better attitude against Centennial, and a bigger night from All-CIF running back Robert Coulter, held to 36 yards on 12 carries.

“We still have some good kids and we will improve,” he said.

West Torrance, which averaged 140 yards rushing a game last season, gained 276 yards on the ground last week in a 30-16 win over Verbum Dei. Included in the total was 216 yards by Alex Schultz, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound fullback.

“He’s going to be very, very good,” said West Co-Coach Mark Knox.

Another key, Knox said, was the play of the offensive line, anchored by tackles Scott Werner (6-2, 260) and Josh Gormley (6-5, 260). Werner is back after missing most of last season with a stress fracture in his foot. Gormley is a transfer from Northern California.

Schultz, Werner, Gormley and free safety Jason Orpe, a junior who had an interception, all received game balls.

West will play host Friday night to Mira Costa, which played El Segundo to a scoreless tie last week.

“You could see the pieces are all there offensively,” Knox said of Mira Costa. “They just didn’t get it together. But their defense is very good.”

Four Carson football players who were suspended from school last spring, including All-American defensive back Clayvand Thomas, have been readmitted after a review by the administration.

Coach Gene Vollnogle, though, said he doesn’t expect Thomas to play until the middle of October. The senior is still recovering from a broken kneecap suffered in a car accident in March.

“He started running Monday, but he wasn’t able to get a mile in without stopping,” Vollnogle said. “It’s a month-by-month situation.”

Vollnogle said one of the reinstated players, Fiti Gagau, will play a key role in the Colts’ opener Friday night against Bishop Amat at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. The 5-11, 185-pound junior plays defensive tackle and outside linebacker.

“He raises hell on defense,” Vollnogle said. “He’s so damn quick.”

The South Bay Girls Basketball Club, founded by Palos Verdes High Coach Wendell Yoshida, will meet for the first time at 4 p.m. Saturday at Palos Verdes.

The club, open to players 13 and under, offers a fundamentals clinic, from which all-star traveling teams will be formed to compete in Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned tournaments. Yoshida, one of the South Bay’s most successful prep coaches, will serve as club president.

Fees are $36 per player for the first month and $30 each month thereafter. The club will meet from 4-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, contact Yoshida at 318-5491.

PREP NOTES--Hawthorne (1-0), ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division III poll, faces Santa Ana (0-1), which opened the season ranked No. 10 in Division I, at 7:30 tonight at Santa Ana Bowl. . . . Mary Star senior Matt Redlew returned three kicks for 115 yards, including a 36-yard punt return for a touchdown, and made several tackles at free safety in last week’s win over Rolling Hills. Strong safety J.R. Javier, with six unassisted tackles, also had a big game for the Stars. . . . North Torrance quarterback Brian Jurado, the area’s leading passer last season, was held to 45 yards passing in a 14-11 win over San Clemente. Jurado did better on the ground, rushing for 60 yards and a one-yard TD. . . . Joe McEwen, a junior running back for Bishop Montgomery, had 112 yards on six carries and scored on a 72-yard run in a 25-15 losing effort to Leuzinger.