Andreas Shows She Can Make Football Impact

Rebecca Andreas, who gained recognition last year after being voted to an all-league football team as a lineman, is being recruited by at least one junior college.

The Lee Vining senior has received several letters from the coaching staff at Sierra College in Rocklin, near Sacramento, according to her coach, Ed Blankenship.

Andreas, 5 feet 6 and 140 pounds, had a banner senior season, leading the school to its first playoff appearance since it began playing the sport in 1962. Lee Vining, located 25 miles north of Mammoth, plays eight-man football in the Southern Section’s Hi-Lo League.

Although the Tigers lost to Antelope Valley Christian in a first-round game Saturday, 52-0, Andreas had another solid performance and is expected to be voted to the all-league team again.

She started at both offensive and defensive guard and was the leader on special teams. Blankenship said that Andreas had seven open-field tackles on special teams, saving several potential touchdowns.

“She was much more solid and steady on the line, too,” Blankenship said. “Her capacity as a blocker really improved. She always was in the right place.”

Andreas also plays basketball and softball. She was voted the team MVP in both sports last year.

Although Rocklin has shown interest in Andreas in football, UC Santa Barbara is discussing offering her a scholarship in lacrosse, even though she has never played the sport.

“They’re obviously recruiting her based on her athletic ability,” Blankenship said.

Lee Vining, which finished last in the league last season, won the championship this year, finishing 7-3.

Andreas is not the only female football player making her presence known.

Cesarae Marlowe of Canyon Country Canyon, a junior defensive tackle, played in her second varsity game Friday in the Cowboys’ 41-0 victory over Ridgecrest Burroughs. Marlowe, 5-5 and 140, got knocked down a few times but was ecstatic over her assist on a quarterback sack.

“I started playing football with my brothers as a youngster and I liked the game,” she said. “I plan to go out against next year.”

Marlowe also is a princess for the school’s winter formal dance and has a chance to be voted queen.

South Gate nearly lost a chance to hold its own homecoming game Friday when its opponent, Los Angeles Jordan, forfeited for lack of eligible players.

With no varsity game, South Gate used the ‘B’ game as its homecoming attraction.

Jordan Coach Ed Woody said the situation was unfortunate but that he had no other options after losing six starting linemen to bad grades last week.

“Kids’ safety has to come first, and I couldn’t assure that with no experienced linemen,” Woody said. “Our administrators felt a forfeit was the best thing.

“Everyone wanted a game (because of the homecoming), but grades have to come first,” he said. “Hopefully my players now understand better what is required of them to maintain eligibility.”

Jordan finished the season 1-8.

Running back David Dotson of Valley View in Moreno Valley finished the regular season with 3,354 yards in 332 carries and 44 touchdowns. He has 7,075 yards for his prep career. He set the state single-season and career rushing records this year.

His 44 touchdowns rushing are a Southern Section record.

Close behind is Vaughan Kerkhoff, a senior running back at Trona near Death Valley. Kerkhoff has scored 39 touchdowns and 10 two-point conversions this season for 260 points. He is second on the Southern Section season-scoring list.

Kerkhoff, who has 1,662 yards in 168 carries, has scored 35 touchdowns rushing and two apiece on kickoff and punt returns.

Trona, which competes in the Division X Desert-Inyo Small League, is 9-1 and will play L.A. Baptist in a first round playoff game Friday at Monroe High.

Prep Notes

Football playoffs in the City and Southern sections begin Friday, with championships scheduled for Dec. 13-14. . . . Pius X, which had to forfeit seven victories and a tie after using ineligible players, apparently allowed seven players to participate that were academically ineligible. The team finished 0-10, dropping its record to 1-38 for the last four seasons. . . .

The early signing period for basketball ends Wednesday. Forward Shaun Battle of San Bernardino Cajon, who averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds last season, signed with UC Irvine. . . . Brandon Jessie, a forward from Huntington Beach Edison, skipped football this fall to concentrate on basketball. He said last week that he won’t sign a letter of intent until spring. . . . Loyola Marymount signed guard Tom Airey of Capistrano Valley and forward John Anthony of Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Southern Section team championships will be held Saturday in volleyball at Cerritos College, in cross country at Mt. San Antonio College, and in tennis at the Claremont Club. The City will conduct its volleyball tournament Friday night at Cal State Northridge.

Times’ Prep Polls

FINAL

CITY SECTION

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

SOUTHERN SECTION

No. School Div. Record LW 1. Eisenhower I 10-0-0 1 2. Fontana I 9-1-0 2 3. Esperanza III 10-0-0 4 4. Loyola I 7-2-0 5 5. Mater Dei I 9-1-0 6 6. Bishop Amat I 9-1-0 3 7. Royal II 10-0-0 7 8. Valencia VI 10-0-0 8 9. Canyon Springs IV 9-1-0 9 10. Tustin VI 9-1-0 10 11. Glendale II 9-1-0 12 12. Artesia VI 10-0-0 13 13. Thousand Oaks II 8-2-0 14 14. Nogales IV 9-0-1 15 15. Quartz Hill I 7-3-0 NR