PREP NOTES / ROB FERNAS : Palos Verdes Football Team Is Playing Well, but Still Losing

Want to hear a good one? Palos Verdes Coach Bill Judy says his team is playing its best football of the season.

Sure, Bill. Anything you say. (Quick, somebody get the smelling salts.)

Maybe we missed something, but the last time anyone looked, Palos Verdes had lost three consecutive games and four of its last five. One more defeat and it’s kiss the playoffs goodby.

But maybe Judy knows what he’s talking about. After all, the Sea Kings were in position to upset West Torrance last week when a last-minute field goal try was blocked, sending them to a 9-7 nonleague defeat.

More than that, though, Palos Verdes appears to have solved its personnel problems, which began after the second game of the season when running back Bill Smiley, the team’s leading rusher last year, abruptly moved to Texas to live with his grandparents.

Smiley’s departure left a hole in the Sea Kings’ offensive scheme. It didn’t help that Tim King failed to pan out at quarterback, his progress hindered by a painful injury to his throwing arm.

But those problems are behind Palos Verdes. Rich Radford, a versatile junior who plays free safety, made an encouraging debut at quarterback last week, and junior Brian Durbin has settled into the No. 2 running back spot alongside George Felactu, the team’s leading rusher. Durbin had his best game against West, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

“We played very well at West,” Judy said. “We were in position to win the game. Coming that close and playing that well, we can’t be discouraged. We’re finally beginning to come around.”

This isn’t where Judy had envisioned his team before the season. The Sea Kings were the coaches’ pick to win the Ocean League title, and briefly were ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division VIII poll after starting 2-0.

Since then, Palos Verdes has struggled. The team is 4-4 overall and 0-2 in league play and needs a victory Friday night at Redondo (4-4, 0-2) to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“I’m not predicting anything tremendous,” Judy said. “But I really feel we’re in the hunt for the (third) playoff spot. It’s not like we’re buried. I would rather be playing well now than going downhill.”

Judy said Smiley’s mid-season transfer came after it became apparent that Felactu would be Palos Verdes’ primary ball carrier.

“The bottom line was the dad felt (Smiley) wasn’t getting enough publicity,” Judy said. “He didn’t feel his son would get a Division I scholarship running behind Felactu.”

Judy said Smiley’s father was especially upset with a photograph in the Daily Breeze that showed the running back fumbling in a game against Inglewood. Somehow, Judy said, the father felt the coach was responsible.

The transfer initially was a setback, but Judy said it will be better for Palos Verdes in the long run.

“Durbin is going to end up being a better back than Smiley ever was,” he said. “We’ll end up being a better team because of the change.”

Jerald Henry, Serra’s standout running back-cornerback, says USC tops his list of prospective colleges.

“I’m leaning toward USC a little bit,” he said, adding that he is also considering Notre Dame, Kansas and California.

Henry expects to play defensive back in college. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior combines good speed with an aggressive style of play. His ferocious tackling has resulted in some long nights for receivers.

Henry probably isn’t big enough to play running back at a major college, but he’s a terror on the high school level. He leads the South Bay with 19 touchdowns and 134 points scored in six games, and last Friday scored five touchdowns and rushed for 248 yards on only five carries in a 54-3 victory over St. Anthony of Long Beach.

In fact, Henry has scored more points this season than nine South Bay teams--Bishop Montgomery (111), El Segundo (112), Inglewood (75), North Torrance (89), Palos Verdes (130), South Torrance (113), Gardena (78), Narbonne (33) and San Pedro (126).

Henry should have plenty of opportunities to add to his scoring total Friday night. Serra, averaging 48 points in three Camino Real League games, plays host to Pius X of Downey, which has the longest losing streak in the Southern Section at 27 games.

Serra has been challenged in only one game--a 24-10 victory over St. Paul in the fourth week of the season that followed a two-week layoff. Other than that, the Cavaliers (6-0) have won every game by at least 24 points.

Would they like to play a tougher schedule?

“Yeah, we would,” Henry said. “I don’t really think it’s hurting us. We practice against each other, and that kind of helps us out. But we would like to play against better competition.”

Serra’s last test before the CIF playoffs figures to come next week when it meets Verbum Dei in a showdown for the Camino Real title.

South Torrance, which started the football season 1-6, is suddenly in the hunt for the Pioneer League title and a playoff berth after posting a 19-6 upset over Torrance last week.

The Spartans are tied for third in the five-team league with a 1-1 record.

“It’s a funny year,” South Coach Don Morrow said. “With the short league schedule, we knew that despite all the losses, the whole league thing was still in front of us. So we’re looking to keep it going. I don’t think you’re going to see these kids get arrogant or anything. They’re going to savor (the victory over Torrance) and want to get some more.”

The Spartans should make it two in a row Friday night. They play host to Centennial, which has a 22-game losing streak and has been outscored, 323-34, in eight games this season.

Morrow praised his players for working hard through the slow start, which included four losses of eight points or less.

“They’re a funny group,” said the second-year coach. “They’ve had the opportunity so many times and not seized it. So you think they’re getting the attitude that they’re never going to (win). But they practice hard every day, so the effort has always been there. Maybe a win is what they needed to get out of that rut.”

South’s late emergence brings back memories of last season, when the team rebounded from an 0-3 start to finish second in the Ocean League. And, like last year, the Spartans are benefiting from a change at quarterback. Junior Alan Hook has provided a lift in much the same way Kevin Fitzpatrick did in 1989.

Notes

Palos Verdes’ water polo team, ranked ninth in the Southern Section 2-A Division, clinched the Ocean League title Tuesday with a 17-6 victory over Redondo. Jason Chung and Anthony Kordich had four goals apiece and Chris McAllister and Eric Vanek each had three goals as the Sea Kings improved to 13-8 overall and 7-0 in league play. . . . Carson quarterback John Walsh has more completions (127) than all but four South Bay quarterbacks have attempts this season.

South Bay’s

Football Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters Rank, School, League: Record

1 Serra (Camino Real): 6-0

2 Carson (Pacific): 6-1

3 Hawthorne (Bay): 7-1

4 West Torrance (Pioneer): 7-1

5 Morningside (Ocean): 6-2

6 Banning (Pacific): 4-3

7 Leuzinger (Bay): 5-3

8 Torrance (Pioneer): 6-2

9 Mira Costa (Ocean): 4-3-1

10 Mary Star (Santa Fe): 5-3