Angelus League Going Out in Blaze of Glory

The Angelus League will not be around next season, but four of its football teams are making their presence felt in a big way this fall.

When Southern Section realignment takes effect for the 1992-93 school year, the five-member Catholic school Angelus League will be broken up. Santa Ana Mater Dei High will move into the South Coast League to compete against Orange County public schools; Anaheim Servite will become part of the Sunset League, and Loyola, La Puente Bishop Amat and Bellflower St. John Bosco will join the all-Catholic Del Rey League.

Vying for the honor of being the last Angelus League champion are Mater Dei, Bishop Amat, Loyola and Servite, all of which are off to fast starts this season with a combined overall record of 19-2.

Last week, Mater Dei (6-0) ranked No. 3 in The Times’ Southern Section poll, staked its claim of being the best team in Orange County by routing previously unbeaten Mission Viejo, 42-7. Bishop Amat (5-0), ranked No. 5, was also impressive in its 27-22 victory over Pasadena Muir, and Loyola (4-1), ranked No. 7, handed Arcadia its first loss, 34-12. Servite (4-1) suffered its first defeat, 13-12, against Santa Margarita.

The Angelus has been respected as one of the toughest leagues in the Southern Section. Last year, Loyola won the Division I championship by defeating Quartz Hill, 24-14. Servite won titles in 1982 and ’83. Bishop Amat has made several appearances in the finals.

“The Angelus League has always had good football programs, good talent and excellent coaching,” Bishop Amat Coach Mark Parades said. “But most importantly, the schools have always had great spirit, and that has basically pushed everyone on to make sure that their program is top-notch.”

One trademark of the league has been the steady flow of talent.

In recent years, the league has produced several outstanding players, including Randy Tanner, Mazio Royster and Eric Bieniemy of Bishop Amat, and Steve Beuerlein and Derek Brown of Servite.

Quarterback Billy Blanton of Mater Dei and tailback Scott Fields of Bishop Amat are standout players this season.

Mater Dei has been the surprise team, and Blanton is a major reason. Against Mission Viejo, which entered last Thursday’s showdown as the top-rated team in Orange County, Blanton completed 13 of 22 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns.

Fields has been equally impressive for Bishop Amat. In the Lancers’ victory over Muir, Fields carried 22 times for 242 yards and three touchdowns.

“Every league has its own share of talented players, and the Angelus League is no different,” Parades said. “But it is the tradition of the schools that makes the Angelus League so special, and I am sorry to see it disband.”

Prep Notes

Culver City’s Dameron Ricketts, a senior two-way starter at quarterback and defensive back, took matters into his own hands last Friday night as the Centaurs defeated Santa Monica, 26-20. After rushing for 123 yards in 12 carries, Ricketts returned an interception 55 yards for the winning touchdown with time running out. It was the second week in a row that Ricketts had won a game with a last-minute touchdown. Two weeks ago, he beat West Torrance with an 11-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left. . . . Marshall’s 49-26 victory over Wilson Friday was its first over the Mules since 1952.

Valley View running back David Dotson of Moreno Valley rushed for 445 yards in 40 carries and five touchdowns Saturday in a 38-3 victory over Riverside Norte Vista. Dotson leads the Southern Section in rushing this season with 172 carries for 1,779 yards and 24 touchdowns. . . . Michael Brown of Loyola rushed for 130 yards in eight carries in the Cubs’ 34-12 victory over Arcadia. . . . Tony Thomas of Jefferson accounted for 209 total yards, including 169 yards in 26 carries, and three touchdowns in the Democrats’ 18-6 victory over Los Angeles Jordan. . . . LaKarlos Townsend of San Fernando gained 179 yards in 19 carries and scored four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 40-0 victory over Woodland Hills Taft. . . . Alvin Cooley gained 224 yards in 20 carries to lead Venice to a 17-10 victory over Manual Arts. . . . Geraldo Roman of Lincoln completed 12 of 19 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns--the scoring throws all went to Marcelo Ortega--in the Tigers’ 44-14 victory over Verdugo Hills. . . . Brian Roberson of Sylmar scored four touchdowns--on an 82-yard punt return, a 98-yard interception return, a 31-yard run and a 29-yard reception to lead Sylmar over Van Nuys, 33-0.

Times’ Prep Polls

CITY SECTION

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

SOUTHERN SECTION

No. School Div. Record LW 1. Eisenhower I 5-0 1 2. Fontana I 5-0 2 3. Mater Dei I 6-0 6 4. Esperanza III 5-0 3 5. Bishop Amat I 5-0 5 6. Loyola I 4-1 7 7. Tustin VI 5-0 8 8. Dominguez II 5-0 10 9. CC Canyon I 3-1 15 10. Mission Viejo II 4-1 4 11. Glendora IV 5-0 11 12. JW North IV 5-0 12 13. Thousand Oaks II 4-1 13 14. Royal II 5-0 NR 15. Chaffey V 5-0 NR