City Football Is Alive and Kicking Again

Interest in City high school football was on the wane, both among potential athletes and fans. Reports of bench-clearing brawls and other incidents further tarnished the image.

And it seemed problems would worsen when the school board cut $274 million from its $4-billion budget and adopted the year-round calender over the summer.

All of that, though, seemed to have little impact on the opening of the season last weekend, and the trend may be reversing itself.

Belmont, Washington and Wilson, where struggling programs were once the norm, all racked up home victories before enthusiastic crowds.

And improvement in the level of play, although slow and subtle, is noticeable.

Carson and Wilmington Banning, which have won 13 of the past 15 City 4-A Division titles, are still the class teams of the section, but the gap may be closing. It is no longer quite so easy to predict which teams will be strong, based on previous records.

“The competition is starting to level out,” said Washington Coach Ed Johnson, whose Generals were 4-7 last season but are regarded as a team on the rise. “For a while, with the inner-city kids going to all areas in the city, (programs) were getting watered down. However, with the rise of more Junior All-American football programs, things are starting to pay off now.

“When I started coaching here six years ago, we would get only one or two kids who had any organized football experience. Now, we get 10, 15, and sometimes 20 who have played before, and that makes a big difference.”

Other schools are finding that, as well.

Hollywood has running back Curtis Fisher, who led the Sheiks to their season-opening victory over Panorama City St. Genevieve; Washington has quarterback Sheldon Anderson, who led the Generals over Locke; and Belmont has kicker Juan Sandoval, who kicked three field goals in the Sentinels’ victory over Sun Valley Poly.

Another reason for the improvement is the Carson-Banning factor. Opponents of the two powerhouses have grown tired of lopsided losses and use the South Bay schools for motivation.

In the early 1980s, Dorsey had its share of good teams but never had a consistent program that could rival Carson’s or Banning’s. That changed when the Dons were put in the same league with the Colts and Pilots in 1984 and had to play them regularly.

After contending in 1987 and ‘88, Dorsey defeated Carson for the 4-A championship in 1989. The title gained the Dons respect around the City.

There has been a turnaround as well in the San Fernando Valley.

Granada Hills, which won the 4-A title in 1987, and San Fernando, which has won four City championships, have been the perennial powers but now they have company at the top.

Kennedy of Granada Hills, which has never won a City title, is regarded as the top Valley team in the City this season. The Golden Cougars, who finished 7-5 last season, were impressive in routing Harbor City Narbonne in their opening game last Friday, 43-0.

Poly, defending 3-A champion, also has gained attention with its recent success. The Parrots were 1-8-1 in 1989 before improving to 11-3 last season under second-year Coach Fred Cuccia and becoming the first Valley team to win a 3-A title since 1981.

Hamilton snapped a 10-game losing streak Friday with a 13-9 victory over Eagle Rock in a nonleague season opener.

The Yankees, who trailed in the third quarter, 9-0, rallied behind running back Marcel DeGratel in posting the victory.

DeGratel, who finished with 91 yards in seven carries, scored the second of two touchdowns on an 87-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, putting Hamilton ahead for good.

“We were one excited team Friday night,” said third-year Coach John Ausbon, who was 0-9 last season. “We were young last year, so we’ve got more experience this season. With only 38 kids on the varsity, though, everyone has to give it their all.”

Hamilton plays at No. 3 Granada Hills Kennedy Friday night.

Prep Notes

Simi Valley Royal quarterback Ryan Fien looked impressive in his team’s 34-3 victory over Santa Paula Friday. Fien completed 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. . . . Van Nuys Montclair Prep, banned from postseason play for the next three years, won its opener against Santa Monica St. Monica, 41-0.

Harry Welch, coach at Canyon County Canyon, is upset that Newhall Hart quarterback Ryan Conners was not ejected from Friday night’s game between the Santa Clarita rivals. Conners, who also plays defensive back for the Indians, was called for a personal foul after striking Canyon wide receiver Clint Jones on the helmet in the first half. The official who made the call signaled for Conners’ ejection, but was overruled by the umpire, Welch said. Conners passed for 388 yards while leading Hart to a 32-27 victory before an estimated 8,000 fans at College of the Canyons.

Running back Pathon Rucker of Glendale bruised his left shoulder during the first half of the Dynamiters’ season-opening 30-28 loss to Alhambra Thursday night and probably will miss this week’s game against La Canada. Rucker, who gained 1,878 yards last season, missed the second half of the game.

Times’ Prep Polls

CITY SECTION

No. School Div. Record LW 1. Carson 4-A 1-0-0 1 2. Banning 4-A 1-0-0 3 3. Kennedy 4-A 1-0-0 NR 4. San Fernando 4-A 1-0-0 4 5. Dorsey 4-A 0-1-0 2 6. Granada Hills 4-A 0-0-0 7 7. Belmont 4-A 1-0-0 NR 8. Fairfax 4-A 0-0-0 6 9. Sylmar 4-A 0-0-0 9 10. Wilson 4-A 1-0-0 NR

SOUTHERN SECTION

No. School Div. Record LW 1. Eisenhower I 1-0-0 1 2. Quartz Hill I 1-0-0 3 3. Fontana I 1-0-0 6 4. Esperanza III 1-0-0 4 5. Bishop Amat I 1-0-0 5 6. Mission Viejo II 1-0-0 8 7. Edison I 1-0-0 9 8. Loyola I 0-1-0 2 9. Thousand Oaks II 1-0-0 NR 10. Mater Dei I 2-0-0 NR 11. Hart III 1-0-0 NR 12. Arroyo Grande VII 1-0-0 13 13. Hawthorne III 1-0-0 14 14. LB Wilson I 1-0-0 15 15. Glendora IV 1-0-0 NR