NOTEBOOK : Garrison Resigns as St. Francis Football Coach

Coach Bill Garrison, who re-established the St. Francis High football program, has resigned effective at the end of the school year.

Garrison, 33, said his decision to leave St. Francis, where he teaches science and physical education, was based on “philosophical differences” and “financial considerations.”

“A lot of things that were promised to me by the administration that hired me weren’t completely followed through on,” Garrison said.

Garrison said he is among the finalists for the coaching job at South Pasadena High, which opened up when Pat Mack resigned after last season.

Garrison compiled an 8-13 record in his two years at St. Francis.

In 1989, the Golden Knights were 1-9. But last season, after a move from the Del Rey League to the San Fernando League, St. Francis finished 7-4 and advanced to the Southern Section Division VII playoffs in which the Golden Knights lost to Glenn, 40-19, in the first round.

“I didn’t move here to change jobs in two years,” said Garrison, who came to St. Francis from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “I came here under the (idea) of staying for a while.

“I think I got things going in the proper direction (at St. Francis).”

Lawrence Caruso, principal at St. Francis, said the school will be accepting applications for the job through Monday.

Calling all coaches: St. Francis is not the only local football program seeking coaching candidates. Occidental College Coach Dale Widolff said he is looking to add at least one member to his staff. Greg Seamon, who coached the Tigers’ quarterbacks and receivers last season, is now the offensive coordinator at the University of Akron. Lannie Julius, who coached the defensive line, has become the director of player personnel for the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football.

Caught in the draft: Brigham Young tight end Chris Smith, a 1984 La Canada High graduate, and Pittsburgh punter Brian Greenfield, who played at Glendale College in 1987 and 1988, could emerge as the top picks at their positions in Sunday’s NFL draft. Smith and Greenfield both participated in February’s NFL-sponsored draft combine in Indianapolis and in separate workouts at their schools.

“(NFL scouts and coaches) say I need to improve my upper body strength, which I’ve been working really hard on lately,” Smith said, “but as far as the receiving tight ends in the draft, I’m the best.”

Smith is expected to be selected in the first round. Some draft experts have graded Smith down because of his age. Smith, who spent two years on a Mormon Church mission after redshirting at Arizona in 1984, turns 25 on June 27.

“It just depends on what team is looking for what,” said Smith, who has worked out for the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Phoenix Cardinals. “Some people say I’m too old to play NFL football. Other people say at 24 I’m more mature and can handle the NFL better.

“As far as will I be able to play five, six or seven years, yes I will. Instead of playing four or five years straight out of college, I had a two-year break with my mission, so my body had a chance to recover.”

Add draft: In three days at the combine, Greenfield punted 10 times. But he said that brief exposure impressed NFL coaches and scouts.

“They said I did the best of any punter at the combine,” Greenfield said. “I’ve heard anything from the third to the 10th, but realistically, I’m looking at the fifth or sixth round and I should be the first punter taken.”

Greenfield, who was voted a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Assn. of America, averaged 45.6 yards in 1990.

Who’s No. 1?: Glendale-area softball observers might never know the answer to that question simply because there is not enough time to find out.

Glendale High, ranked sixth in the Southern Section 4-A Division, was supposed to meet La Canada, ranked second in the 2-A, in the championship game of the Glendale tournament on March 14, but the game was rained out.

Administrators thus far have been unable to find an open date in the teams’ Pacific and Rio Hondo league schedules.

Onward and upward: Former La Canada High basketball player Chris Jones has committed to play for Southern Utah next season. Jones, a sophomore, was a two-time All-South Coast Conference pick at Pasadena City College. He averaged 22 points a game last season.

Quadruple winner: Occidental’s Jacquie Dent won the 200 and 400 and was part of two winning relay teams last weekend in the Tigers’ dual-meet victory at UC Santa Barbara last week. Dent won the 200 in 24.95 seconds, the 400 in 55.69 and helped the Tigers to relay wins in the 4 X 100 (48.69 seconds) and the 4 X 400 (4:4.67). Occidental will compete against La Verne and Cal Lutheran in a triangular meet Saturday at Caltech.

Running strongly: Hugo Allan Garcia of Glendale College continued his winning ways last weekend by placing first in the two-mile race in the Meet of Champions at Azusa Pacific.

Garcia, who won the state championship in cross-country last fall, was clocked in 9:07.1 at Azusa. Glendale’s Obed Aguirre finished fourth in 9:20.0

Arcadia recap: Local high school track athletes performed well in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational on Saturday. Charlie Welde of Crescenta Valley finished fifth in the open 400 meters in 50.64.

Margarito Casillas, a sophomore from Hoover, finished 11th in the 3,200 meters in 9:19.8 seconds, which lowered the school best for a sophomore by almost 10 seconds. Robert Dilts of Crescenta Valley set a school sophomore record in the discus with a throw of 154-4.

Staff writer Steven Herbert contributed to this notebook.