HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : Hart Must Climb a Mountain to Reach Top of Foothill

Hart High quarterback Ryan Connors lost consciousness momentarily after being hit on a desperation pass attempt on the final play in a 42-35 loss to Schurr on Friday, but Connors wasn’t the only one knocked out.

The loss to Schurr virtually knocked Hart from the Foothill League championship race. Schurr (5-2-1, 3-0 in league play) will play Burroughs (2-6, 2-1) and Alhambra (3-5, 2-1) in its two remaining games. Hart (5-3, 2-1) will meet San Gabriel (0-7, 0-3) and Burroughs.

Either Schurr and Hart has won or shared the Foothill League title since entering the league in 1982. Hart has won at least a share of seven of the past eight league titles.

“It’s over,” Hart Coach Mike Herrington said. “They’re going to win the rest of their games and we’re going to win ours. It’s a situation where we have to look for second place and to do well in the playoffs.”

Connors, who suffered a mild concussion and was released from a hospital less than an hour later, is expected to play Thursday against San Gabriel.

“I didn’t know (Connors) was hurt at first,” Herrington said. “I thought he was just disappointed we lost.”

Schurr quarterback Jay Macias, who passed for 280 yards, threw a 97-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes 27 seconds to play to break a 35-35 tie. Hart had intercepted a Macias pass on the same play earlier in the game.

“Our guy tried to knock it down instead of making the tackle and (a Schurr receiver) broke away for the long one,” Herrington said.

Wishful wager?: Burroughs started the season 0-5 but has won two of its past three games to put itself in contention for a playoff berth. The Indians, however, must face Schurr on Friday and Hart the following week.

“If I had five bucks, I’d bet Burroughs would win,” Burroughs Coach Butch McElwee said. “I think we can beat both Schurr and Hart. We’ve beat Schurr up pretty good in the past and now they’re trying to get even.”

Schurr and Burroughs have split the past eight meetings, but Burroughs has not beaten the Spartans since 1987 when it advanced to the Northwestern Conference title game.

“I guarantee you John Burroughs will be there on Friday,” McElwee said. “We’ve ordered the bus and we’ll take a couple of extra kids. We’ll kick the ball, tackle and hope we score.”

Young gun: Canyon might have found a talented tailback to augment an injury-laden running game. The only problem is that the talented tailback might not want any part of it.

Aidan Stanford, a 15-year-old sophomore, was promoted to the varsity for last week’s Palmdale game. Stanford (5-foot-10, 168 pounds) apparently enjoyed the varsity atmosphere: He rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns. He also enjoyed Canyon’s sturdy offensive line.

“The blocking’s a helluva lot better up here,” he said after the game.

But Stanford told Coach Harry Welch that he wishes to return to the sophomore team (3-0) and help that group win the Golden League championship. Welch, who is at a loss for healthy running backs after fullback Mike Torres was lost for the season, cannot understand why Stanford would not stay.

“We’re talking a lot of national college exposure,” Welch said. “He’d be foolish not to stay.”

Turning prophet: After tailback Derek Sparks left Montclair Prep for Mater Dei in early September, Montclair Prep Coach George Giannini did not panic. Instead, he calmly stated: “I think that anybody who would like to lead the San Fernando Valley in rushing ought to come to Montclair Prep.”

Eight weeks later, Giannini stands a prophet. But the Mounties did not have to look off campus for help. Instead, sophomore Eliel Swinton has taken the challenge and run with it--run for 1,254 yards and 16 touchdowns, to be exact.

But does he lead San Fernando Valley backs? Not just yet. Glendale’s Pathon Rucker, a junior, has rushed for 1,259 yards. Glendale finishes against Crescenta Valley and Hoover. Montclair Prep finishes with Village Christian and Marshall Fundamental.

Quotebook: Calabasas, which has struggled with a small squad all year, will suit up 14 players Friday. But Calabasas Coach Larry Edwards is one to look on the bright side: “Well, at least we shouldn’t get any penalties for too many men on the field. It’ll be easy to count three on the sideline for every play.”

Disarming defense: Taft has established a reputation for physical defensive play. Just ask Cleveland’s Dave Erhardt or Kennedy’s Mike McMullen.

Taft knocked both quarterbacks out of recent games with separated shoulders. McMullen, who entered last Friday’s game against the Toreadors as the area’s leading City Section passer, was injured in Kennedy’s first possession. It is uncertain when he will return.

After two weeks on the sideline, Erhardt returned last week and passed for a season-high 179 yards.

Taft has not escaped unscathed, however. Quarterback Jesse Menchaca suffered a broken left ankle three weeks ago and is out indefinitely.

Raider stand: When Channel Islands stopped Agoura running back Kurt Klotz on fourth and goal at the Raiders’ one-foot line with a minute remaining Friday, it preserved a 13-10 Channel Islands win and kept the Raiders in the hunt for a playoff berth.

“That was the finest defensive stand in the history of Channel Islands,” Coach Joel Gershon said.

That stand also served as one of few pleasant moments for the Raiders this season. Injuries to All-Marmonte League running back Renard Carn and a host of other Raiders sent them on a four-game losing streak. But Friday’s victory gives them a 5-3 record (2-3 in league play), including a forfeit win from Oxnard.

Carn, who rushed for 243 yards in the Raiders’ first two games, sustained a stress fracture in an ankle and missed the next five games. He returned Friday and played defensive back, and Gershon said Carn might return to the backfield on Friday at Newbury Park.

“We have to take a look and see how he’s doing,” Gershon said.

Staff writers Steve Elling, Kirby Lee, Brian Murphy and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.