NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Brothers Play a Big Role in Covina High’s 5-0 Start

The Covina High football team is keeping it all in the family.

The Colts are off to a 5-0 start behind the play of 12 returning starters and brothers Brian and Matt Kearns.

Covina Coach Dick Sheehan moved Brian, a senior, from quarterback to flanker this season and and installed Matt, a sophomore, at quarterback.

Matt has responded by completing 44 of 84 passes for 678 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last week, in a 15-12 victory over Arroyo, Matt threw a touchdown passes to Brad, who has eight scoring receptions.

Brad also scored a touchdown on a 19-yard run against Arroyo.

“Moving Brad to flanker forced teams to spread out,” Sheehan said.

The move has also enabled Brad to play on defense in what is already an experienced secondary. He has five interceptions for a defensive unit that features linebackers Mark Marbury and Marcus Alridge--both of whom are three-year starters--and has allowed only 27 points.

The Colts play host to winless La Puente tonight in a Valle Vista League game. They meet South Hills next week.

Volleyball tryouts: The San Gabriel Valley Volleyball Club is seeking girls 18-and-under for participation in the U.S. Volleyball Assn. Junior Olympic Program.

Tryouts will be held at the Ramona Convent High gym in Alhambra on the following dates: 14-and-under division, Oct. 27; 16-and-under, Nov. 3; 18-and-under, Nov. 10.

Information: (213) 254-8476.

Good year: Murph Proctor, a former standout at Muir High and USC who was selected by the Dodgers in the amateur draft in June, was chosen to the Short Season all-star team by Baseball America magazine.

Proctor, a first baseman and outfielder, batted .309 with seven home runs and 61 runs batted in for Yakima (Wash.), the Dodgers’ affiliate in the Class A Northwest League.

Hot streak: The La Verne College football team will put its four-game winning streak on the line when it travels to Menlo in Menlo Park for a nonconference game on Saturday.

La Verne (4-1) is coming off a 28-6 victory over Cal Lutheran. The Leopards lead the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in passing with 236.4 yards a game. They are second behind in Redlands in total offense with 341 yards.

Pomona-Pitzer (1-4), which defeated Claremont, 22-9, plays host to Principia College of Illinois on Saturday.

Claremont (0-5) plays host to San Diego.

Scoring summary: Claremont, Pomona-Pitzer, Caltech and La Verne will participate in a SCIAC eight-way dual cross-country meet Saturday at La Mirada Park.

The first-year format, featuring men’s and women’s teams, enables every team to score seven dual meets in one morning.

Confused?

Apparently, you’re not alone.

This week’s SCIAC press release included the following note: “Somebody (a math expert) will figure out how each team did against every SCIAC team.”

Making the grade: Onnaca Heron, who finished her tennis career at Cal Poly Pomona last year, has been named Scholar Athlete of the Year by the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.