THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Guzzo Fits Into the Scheme of Things in El Camino Real Defense

Remember Jack (Hacksaw) Reynolds, the inside linebacker who left the Los Angeles Rams and helped the San Francisco 49ers win Super Bowl XVI in 1982?

Meet Adam (Jigsaw) Guzzo, an inside linebacker who left the Simi Valley High Pioneers to become the final piece of the puzzle for an El Camino Real defense that has quickly become one of the best in the City Section.

The Conquistadores are whole again, the last hole filled by a surprise transfer three weeks into the season. Guzzo is a perfect fit.

The senior showed up at El Camino Real two weeks ago, having moved from his mother’s home in Simi Valley to his father’s home in West Hills. Guzzo already had ties to El Camino Real: His girlfriend is a student there and he had played in the West Valley Eagles youth football program with many of the Conquistadore players.

“I walked in the locker room and there he was,” said Chris Griggs, the team’s other inside linebacker. “It was just in time. We needed inside linebacker help.”

A knee injury to linebacker Damien Lopez had forced lineman Hilton Romanski to fill in at linebacker. In its first three games, El Camino Real was able to defeat punchless Monroe and Cleveland but had been defeated by Sylmar. Powerful San Fernando and Kennedy loomed ahead.

The addition of Guzzo enabled Romanski to return to defensive tackle and gave the Conquistadores a talented quartet of linebackers--Troy Snider and Jim Robertson on the outside, Griggs and Guzzo on the inside.

“When Adam came, everything came back together,” said Ryan Marine, a two-way starter at running back and safety.

El Camino Real stunned San Fernando, 14-13, last week, with Guzzo dashing 76 yards with a fumble recovery to set up the winning touchdown. The Conquistadores were even more impressive Friday night, blanking Kennedy, 20-0, and holding talented Golden Cougar running back Ontiwaun Carter to 45 yards in 18 carries.

Flashbacks: Those merry pranksters who made up the Quartz Hill Class of 1970 were at it again Friday night during the Rebels’ homecoming game that also served to celebrate its 20-year reunion.

“Made up” is the key phrase here.

Reporters from several newspapers were told by helpful members of the Class of ’70 that Quartz Hill’s 35-7 win over Saugus was the school’s first homecoming victory since, you guessed it, 1970. Can you dig that? Like, unreal, man.

Unreal, indeed. Turns out the Rebels won homecoming games in “1988, ‘87, and many other years,” according to John Albee, who has been the Quartz Hill coach since 1968.

Home sweet home: After two decades of feeling like an unwanted guest, Royal finally has a castle to call its own.

Until this season, the Highlanders played home games at rival Simi Valley High. In 1988, a bond issue to build a stadium at Royal High was defeated by less than 1%, a margin of 65 votes. Morale on campus was low.

But thanks to the efforts of Principal Dave Jackson and Athletic Director Terry Dobbins, the Highlanders this year play at Moorpark College, perhaps the finest facility in Ventura County.

“The lack of a stadium was a major problem. The kids felt like they were second class,” said Dobbins, in his third year at Royal after serving as Simi Valley athletic director for six years. “Royal needed an identity of its own.”

The Highlanders have responded with first-class performances, shutting out Newbury Park and Agoura in their two Marmonte League home games. Royal is 6-1, having lost only at Camarillo.

“Getting Moorpark was a big boost,” said Tim Ross, a third-year starter. “It’s our place. We’re proud to have people come and watch us there.”

Able Gable: Leon Gable’s 330 rushing yards Friday night against Monroe bettered by three yards his total of two weeks ago against Van Nuys. The North Hollywood tailback’s 657 yards in those two games is more than the season rushing total of seven area City Section teams.

Gable and Montclair Prep’s Eliel Swinton became the second and third area rushers to break the 1,000-yard barrier. Swinton, a Montclair Prep sophomore, had his fourth 200-yard game of the season Friday night to give him 1,016 yards. Gable has 1,029.

Glendale’s Pathon Rucker leads area players with 1,183 yards.

Block party: Someday, somewhere, somebody will mention to Eugene Dreher that blocking a kick is supposed to be a rare occurrence.

Meantime, the Antelope Valley linebacker has blocked three field-goal attempts and four point-after attempts this season. His latest came Friday against Canyon on a fourth-quarter conversion kick.

Dreher blocks kicks with the frequency most people take vitamins: One a day. The Antelopes have played seven games; Dreher has blocked seven kicks.

His secret? He blocks out negative thoughts. “It’s just something I do,” Dreher said. “It needs to be done, so I do it.”

The 6-foot-3 junior linebacker rushes from the right side. Freddy Edwards lines up beside Dreher and charges inside, giving Dreher a clear shot at the kick.

“Most of the time, nobody touches me,” Dreher said.