FOOTBALL ’91 : THE HIGH SCHOOLS: SOUTHERN SECTION : PACIFIC LEAGUE : Crescenta Valley

COACH: Jim Beckenhauer, 6th season

LAST SEASON: 4-6; 5th in league, 1-4

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Eleven starting players--including four all-league selections--return for the Falcons. Aaron Schaefer will return for his second season as the starting quarterback after being converted from wide receiver. He completed 59 of 157 passes for 1,055 yards and seven touchdowns. “He should be much improved,” Beckenhauer said. “Time makes you more knowledgeable, and Aaron has spent a year in our system.” Brett Miller, an all-league selection, and Koa Nguyen will start at wide receiver. Paul Lopez (6-foot-2, 195) is the fullback and Brian Spayth (6-0, 190) is the tailback. The offensive line has two returning starters in guard Chris Boghosian (6-3, 220) and center Jeremy Infranca (5-11, 185). Jon Berg (5-8, 160), a returning all-league nose guard, and Eric Steinlight (6-1, 215), a second-team, all-league defensive end, are the stalwarts of Crescenta Valley’s 3-4 defense. Nguyen will start in the defensive backfield, where he earned all-league honors last year, and Lopez will double as linebacker. Jason Roundtree is a returning starter at defensive back.

OUTLOOK: “The league has only improved itself over last year,” Beckenhauer said. “We’re a better team this year than we were last year, but so is everyone else.” After starting five sophomores last year, Crescenta Valley is more experienced but still not loaded with veterans. “We have decent experience in some spots--like the defensive secondary--then we throw in some real rookies.”

Glendale

COACH: Don Shoemaker, 4th season

LAST SEASON: 10-1; 1st in league, 5-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Dynamiters were undefeated during the regular season before being hammered by Camarillo, 33-8, in the first round of the Division II playoffs last year. Five all-league players return from that team. Tailback Pathon Rucker (6-0, 190), the league’s co-most valuable player, heads the list. Rucker gained 1,878 yards in 229 carries (8.2 average) and 31 touchdowns last year after rushing for 893 yards as a sophomore. Yoshi Yamawaki (6-0, 210), who will play offensive guard and inside linebacker, was an all-league selection on the defensive line last year. Max Ocon (6-0, 225) was a first-team pick at tight end and he will also play inside linebacker. Jayson Spangler (6-1, 215) and Hairo Torossian (5-11, 230) were second-team selections on the offensive and defensive lines, respectively. Torossian will split time at fullback and tight end in addition to anchoring the defensive line. Nathan Callister (6-1, 170) will play both quarterback and defensive back, and Hugo Ortega (6-0, 175) will play wide receiver and defensive back. Mike Wright (6-4, 175) did not play football last year, but he could give Glendale some needed athleticism at wide receiver. Wright won the Southern Section 4-A Division title in the long jump (23-8 1/4) and averaged 11 points a game in basketball.

OUTLOOK: “We’re in good shape at running back, in the offensive and defensive lines, and in the secondary,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve got a lot of experience and talent at those positions. We lost all our starting linebackers so that is a big concern right now.” Although Shoemaker said last year’s first-round loss doesn’t eat away at him, he would like to enter this year’s playoffs as the league champion again. “Last year was a totally new experience for these kids,” he said. “I think you’d see a completely different team this year. I think they would approach the playoffs with a different frame of mind.”

Hoover

COACH: Dennis Hughes, 6th season

LAST SEASON: 2-8; 6th in league, 0-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: With only four starting players returning, all-league wide receiver Chris Kalaleh--who also will start at free safety--will be counted on to bolster an offense that averaged less than 170 yards a game last season. Kalaleh had 43 receptions for 556 yards and two touchdowns last season. Senior Joby Lewis (5-10, 170) and junior Nathan Dishington (6-1, 195) have impressed Hughes at quarterback. “Joby has a little more experience, but Nathan is just a specimen,” Hughes said. The offensive line--led by Andy Hammond (6-4, 275)--consists of four seniors and is larger (averaging 6-0 and 236) than in previous years. “We’ve basically switched our defensive line from last year to our offensive line this year,” Hughes said. “We felt like we needed more size up front.” As a result of the switch, the Tornadoes’ defense will be small but quick. Junior nose guard Robert Cortez (5-8, 185) typifies the change. Juniors Amer Kahn (6-0, 190), Ed Voskanian (5-9, 175) and Steve Choi (5-8, 175) will play linebacker and Ubaldo Mata and Richard Alvarez are starters in the secondary.

OUTLOOK: “For us to be successful, our offensive line is really going to have to perform,” Hughes said. “We don’t have a lot of experience, but I just have a good feeling about this team.” Although the defensive line will lack size, Hughes thinks it will be superior to last year’s edition, which had size but lacked speed. “We just didn’t have enough speed to make certain plays last year,” Hughes said. “We couldn’t get to certain areas on the field quick enough. I don’t think that will be a problem this year.”