FOOTBALL ’90 : Dorsey High Dons the Role of City 4-A Favorite : Preps: Defending champion should be tough to beat with player of the year Lamont Warren.

Among Westside Los Angeles City high school football teams, some might qualify as powers this season and others might have to weather power outages.

The Dorsey High Dons, defending 4-A champion, have a good chance to repeat this year, keeping Carson and Banning from hogging the title the way they have the past 15 years.

Venice, which probably had its strongest team in school history last year, lost several key performers to graduation and is rebuilding.

Always-strong Westchester, led by former St. Monica High wide receiver-defensive back Albert Jones and returning quarterback Brad Freeman, should be a contender for the City 3-A title.

Palisades could improve on last year’s .500 season, and Fairfax and University could bounce back from losing years, but Crenshaw, Hamilton and Hollywood might be in for hard times.

Crenshaw Cougars (Southern Pacific Conference, 4-A Pacific League, 8-4 last year)--Were have all the Cougars gone?

When it comes to offense, Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett can only wonder. “Wow! We graduated everybody,” Garrett said.

Maybe not the entire team, but the loss of six All-City players will certainly hurt. Garrett and Co-Coach Terrell Ray must find replacements at the quarterback, fullback, tailback and wide receiver positions.

Given these departures, it’s not hard to figure out how this team hopes to win games. “The strength would be defense,” Garrett said. The core of the defense is the linebackers, seniors Sean Lowery, Jesse Peterson and Daryl Loper, all three-year starters. Lowery was a first-team all-league selection last year.

On offense, the coaches are looking at Loper as a quarterback, along with junior Scott Fuller. Greg Jones will play tailback. The coaches are undecided on who will play fullback. Chrisshuann Williams, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive guard is a returning second-team all-league selection. “He’s pretty quick for a big guy,” Garrett said.

Garrett’s lament is that he has a constant shortage of players.

“We don’t get any help from Pop Warner programs because we don’t have any programs feeding our school,” Garrett said. “That’s always been the case. I’ve been head coach for two years, and we’ve played only 15 (players). All of our kids go both ways. Depth and inexperience are our weaknesses.” The team will play one less game as Lynwood canceled the scheduled season opener. Crenshaw will be at Manual Arts at 3 p.m. Sept. 21.

Dorsey Dons (Southern Pacific Conference, 4-A Pacific League, 9-3)--Dorsey should be a top contender to repeat as City 4-A Division champion.

“We think we have as good a chance as anyone to win the championship,” assistant coach Darryl Holmes said.

The Dons have a potent weapon in senior tailback Lamont Warren, who scored 19 touchdowns and was named the City 4-A Player of the Year in 1989.

But Warren will be without his partner in the backfield, quarterback Chris Cook, who graduated.

“That’s going to be our question mark, trying to replace Chris,” Holmes said. “We’ll miss his leadership.”

Senior Ron Peoples, who played wide receiver last year, and junior Damon Williams, the B-team quarterback, are competing for Cook’s old position.

The defensive line will be anchored by tackles Carlos White (6-3, 250) and Parrish Jackson, (6-2, 230). Holmes said the secondary looks strong, aided by the unexpected return of Greg Burns. Burns, an all-league player as a defensive back last year, had moved to Texas but has returned. Renaldo Spaulding, Keshawn Johnson and Yulkion Frierfon should also be productive.

The Dons lack depth and must stay injury-free to contend, but their key concern will be the quarterback situation.

“We feel like if things go well with the quarterbacks, we should be one of the top three teams in the city,” Holmes said.

Dorsey opens at Manual Arts on Friday at 3 p.m.

Fairfax Lions (Coastal Conference, 4-A Metro League, 3-6-1)--Here’s a switch: A coach who says his concern this season is not how his team will play but how well it will be coached. That’s the predicament in which Fairfax’s Ron Price found himself when Co-Coach Earl Smith spent some practice time pursuing an administrative post outside the district.

In Smith’s absence, Price relied heavily on volunteer assistants, which included a baseball coach, his quarterback’s father and even his own sons to help coach the Lions.

“I’m not sure that does justice to the talent we have on hand,” Price said. “They need consistent coaching. But I would say it’s probably better than no coaching at all.”

But Smith has returned, and Price has other reasons to be optimistic about the season.

“I think this could be a good year if everything falls into place,” Price said. “I like our players, I like their enthusiasm. If we fall on our face, the coaches are to blame.”

Price expected a more experienced team this year, but he could lose offensive guards Michael So because of academic ineligibility and Andrew Strum, whose knee surgery could sideline him for the season.

The Lions will probably go as far as their running game, namely senior Mario Mattison, can take them. But look for quarterback Rahim Muhammad Jr. to mix things up with some short passes to senior wide receivers Milo Bynum and Tharen Todd. The offensive line has some size, but might have to rely on rookies to fill in for Strum and So. There is some youth on the defensive line as well, but Price thinks the newcomers can make up for their age with their abilities.

“They have more physical talent than the group we had last year,” Price said. “Hopefully that loss in experience will be offset by the physical talent these kids have.”

Price said this team might be better than last year’s record would indicate.

“We were in every game last year, but with an inferior team,” Price said. “We just have to be better this year, I just think we have a more talented team, a little more committed to being better.”

The season opener is at Cleveland on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.

Hamilton Yankees (Coastal Conference, 4-A Metro League, 2-7)--When John Ausbon took over as head coach at Hamilton last season, he inherited a team that was rebuilding. A year later, the Yankees are still rebuilding, only this time they must do it without departed All-City players Jay Fields, a running back and kicker, and Bryan Orange, a mainstay of the offensive line for three years at center.

This team is stocked mostly with players who were on the B team last year, many of whom will see significant playing time. Guard Alston Flowers (6-5, 230) and center Charles Crayton (6-3, 235) provide most of the bulk up front.

Youth is particularly evident on defense, and opposing quarterbacks will test new cornerbacks Sean Cameron and Ikechi Inyama.

The Yankees open at Culver City on Friday (9-14) at 7:30 p.m.

Hollywood Sheiks (Northern Conference, 3-A Northwestern League, 0-9)--The Sheiks have plenty of experience. The problem is that the only thing they’ve experienced is defeat.

“We have a 27-game losing streak,” Hollywood Coach Dave Loera said. “But I think we’re going to snap that.”

Loera’s hopes are based primarily on his 11 returning lettermen, including senior quarterback Jesse Elkins and senior wide receiver Mo Camara, who were all-league selections last year.

There are plenty of veterans on the offensive line as well. Team captain Avo Avetisyan (6-3, 220), honorable mention all-league center Grigor Naldjhian (6-3, 235) and guard Edgar Renderos (6-0, 190) will give the Sheiks experience up front.

Junior tailback Curtis Fisher and senior fullback Shon Shelby highlight the backfield. Adrian Contreras, a City champion in the C division 100-meters last year, gives Hollywood a threat of speed at wide receiver.

While Loera doesn’t have much to worry about on offense, the defense must improve. There are plenty of new faces, including sophomore linebacker Eric King and, sophomore lineman Bidal Orozco and junior two-way guard Levi Barahona, who made all-league for the B team last year.

In Loera’s third year as coach, he and his players might finally experience the thrill of victory. Their first chance comes when Jordan visits Hollywood on Friday at 3 p.m.

Palisades Dolphins (Coastal Conference, 4-A Metro League, 5-5)--Palisades Coach Jack Epstein, with some key returning players, thinks his defending league champions will be improved this time around.

“I expect a little better team,” Epstein said. “Last year we started with a young, inexperienced team and won the league. This year we should start off much faster.”

After losing their first two games by a combined score of 55-15, the Dolphins rebounded to win five of seven regular-season contests before falling to Dorsey in the playoffs.

All-league running backs Dominique Walker and Markell Lincoln return this year, along with senior quarterback Keith Bowers. The offensive attack will be hurt by the graduation of receivers Anthony Cope and Michael Rose.

Seven starters return, but the defensive line is small, with no player weighing more than 180 pounds.

Epstein had a slightly larger turnout than last year, when his team dwindled to 21 players by season’s end. He had about 35 this year, and he hopes to retain them thanks to changes in the academic eligibility rules, which cost him 10 players last year.

University Warriors (Coastal Conference, 3-A Western League, 0-8-1)--University’s theme this year seems to be strength in numbers. Last year, with only 18 players, fatigue contributed to some fourth-quarter losses. But Coach Brad Ratcliff expects to have 45 players to utilize in a two-platoon system.

Quarterback Larry Elmer and tailback Robert Hughes, all-league selections last year, return to lead the offense. The problem will be keeping defenders away from them.

“We have a great backfield,” Ratcliff said. “Hopefully we can put a good line in front of it. We have a senior line with no experience.”

Linebacker Jevone Moore and defensive back Raymundo Calvillo, both juniors, are the standouts on defense. “The neat thing about them is they played at the varsity level in 10th grade,” Ratcliff said.

The Warriors will vary their offense by using the option, the sprint draw and the run-and-shoot. They have a deep threat in speedy wide receiver Jin Yang.

Ratcliff thinks opponents might be in for a surprise when they face University. The Warriors begin at San Pedro on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

“A lot of teams may be taking us lightly because we had such a horrible season (last year),” he said. “I think we’re hungry to get a win under our belt.

“I’d like to come back with a playoff year. I think we can with this group of kids.”

Venice Gondoliers (Coastal Conference, 3-A Western League, 11-1)--The Gondoliers are defending Western League champions, but inexperience at the skill positions and on defense could make repeating difficult.

Quarterback Louis Jones, The Times’ Westside back of the year in 1989, is gone, and there are new faces at the wide receiver spots as well. And it gets worse.

“Right now, the most glaring problem is on defense,” assistant coach Tony Chretin said. “We’re very inexperienced. There are some capable people, but we don’t know what they can do.”

A lot will be expected of the newcomers, as Venice uses multiple defensive formations and features man-to-man coverage. B-team quarterback Jorge Blanco and Jason Ehlers, Jones’ backup last year, will compete for the quarterback spot. Both have good arms, and Venice will be passing more than they did with the gifted runner Jones.

Receivers Alvin Cooley and Jeff Namer, B team players last year, have been asked to step up and produce at the varsity level. The offensive line should be good, with starters Bryn Morimoto and Nygel Edwards returning.

Venice opens at Huntington Park on Friday at 8 p.m.

Westchester Comets (Coastal Conference, 3-A Western League, 9-3)--So Westchester lost superb running back Tim Holliday? No problem. Just add receiver Albert Jones to an experienced offensive attack, and, presto, the Comets are now a passing team and preseason favorite to win the Western League.

“Last year we were a good running team, but when we threw the ball we’d make a touchdown,” Westchester Coach Larry Wein said. “This year, the quarterback’s coming back, and with the addition of Albert, I would look for us to throw the ball this year.”

Jones, a senior who transferred from St. Monica last year, pairs with senior Kevon Walker to give quarterback Brad Freeman two high-caliber targets.

“We’re very fast in terms of our receivers,” Wein said. “We could score quickly.”

The running game will be in the capable hands of senior Walter Grissam.

With linebackers Devon Brown and Don J. Hardaway and cornerback Bradley Thomas returning, Wein’s only worries are the offensive and defensive lines, the areas hit hardest by graduation. Players from the second-string and B team will be asked to fill the gaps. Westchester will play host to Beverly Hills on Friday at 8 p.m.

Even with the youthful line, the Comets should still excel.

“The cream of the crop as far as this league is concerned is Westchester,” said one rival coach. “They’re the team to beat.”