FOOTBALL ’91 : THE HIGH SCHOOLS: SOUTHERN SECTION : SAN FERNANDO LEAGUE : Bell-Jeff

COACH: Doug Woodlief, 7th season

LAST SEASON: 1-9; 4th in league, 1-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Tigran Mekikian (6-0, 215), an offensive tackle and defensive end, is one of the few returning players with experience. Another is quarterback Bobby Machuca (5-11, 165). Greg Cervantes (5-10, 190) will be a starter at running back and linebacker.

OUTLOOK: “St. Francis and Harvard appear to be the teams fighting for the league championship on paper,” Woodlief said. “But El Segundo could be tough. As far as ourselves, we have a lot of seniors, but we don’t have a lot of game experience. If we lose four or five guys at certain spots, we’re in trouble.”

Harvard-Westlake

COACH: Gary Thran, 18th season

LAST SEASON: 9-2; 1st in league, 4-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Harvard-Westlake will rely heavily on Jeremiah Aguolu (5-10, 180), Peter Wood (6-2, 195), Rian O’Meara (5-10, 187) and David Moran (6-4, 185). Those four are expected to start both ways. Aguolu gained more than 800 yards rushing last season. Wood, a sophomore, will play tight end and defensive end. O’Meara will play fullback and linebacker. Moran will start at wide receiver and cornerback. Quarterback Greg Peters (6-1, 170) will run the team.

OUTLOOK: Thran believes Harvard could repeat as champion if the offensive line develops. “Our No. 1 concern right now is the offensive line,” Thran said. “We’re in pretty good shape at the skill positions as long as we stay healthy, but how well the offensive line matures will play a big part in our success.”

St. Francis

COACH: Andy Boynton, 1st season

LAST SEASON: 7-4, 2nd in league, 3-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: St. Francis should have a stingy defense once again, but Boynton is hopeful of developing an offense that is, well, offensive to the opposition. The Golden Knights’ defense allowed less than 182 yards a game last season--fourth among regional Southern Section teams--but their offense (160.8 avg.) was ranked 44th among 45 teams. Senior Paul Silva and junior Rudy Martinez (both 5-10, 175), who threw for 1,300 yards at the sophomore level, will vie for the starting quarterback position. Adrian Lelea will start at fullback and outside linebacker, with Pat Lawrence (6-0, 180), Fred Brashear (5-9, 170) and J.D. Walters (5-8, 165) splitting time at tailback. “Lawrence is the biggest, Brashear is the fastest, and Walters is the toughest of those guys,” Boynton said. “They give us some variety.” Junior wide receiver Armando Mesa gained more than 2,000 all-purpose yards at the sophomore level last year. Senior linebackers Chris Hemela (6-3, 225) and Tim Caraher (5-10, 185) were all-league selections last season. Hemela--who will also start at tight end--is an NCAA Division I prospect according to Boynton, and Caraher is a three-year starter. Tackle Garrett Mauro (6-2, 240) leads the defensive front.

OUTLOOK: St. Francis will rely on strong blocking and tackling. “Up front, we’re very good,” Boynton said. “But we’re very thin at the skill positions so we can’t afford a lot of injuries there. We don’t have much team speed so if we do go up against a team with a lot of quickness, we’re going to have to play with a lot of composure and precision.”

St. Genevieve

COACH: Richard Fong, 1st season

LAST SEASON: 2-7, 5th in league, 0-4

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Valiants have not won a league game since the 1987 season--when they placed second in the Santa Fe League with a 5-1 record--but Fong expects that to change. St. Genevieve’s offensive line averages 6-2, 225 pounds, and junior quarterback Ivan Garcia (6-2, 180) has promise. “How quickly he develops is the key to our season,” Fong said. “He’s got a real strong arm and good feet. The only thing he lacks is experience.” Mike Mirolla (5-11, 180), an all-league selection, rushed for 627 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He will run behind a line that includes tackle Noel Villanueva (6-2, 270), guard Mark Leahy (6-2, 185) and tight end John Hoffman (6-3, 225).

OUTLOOK: “The offensive line will play a big part in how well we do this season,” Fong said. “We’ve got some good size, but we have to stay healthy. We’re not real deep after the first team so we could be in trouble if we get hit by injuries.”