FOOTBALL ’92 : THE HIGH SCHOOLS: SOUTHERN SECTION : TEAM CAPSULES

ALPHA LEAGUE

L.A. Baptist COACH: Mark Bates, 4th season LAST SEASON: 6-5; tied for 2nd in league, 3-2 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Experience on both sides of the ball is plus for L.A. Baptist. Virtually all of this year’s starters started at some point last year, but some have changed positions. Junior Zack Hernandez (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) started at safety last year until quarterback Dane Brown was sidelined because of an injury. Hernandez took over and completed eight of 23 passes for 120 yards in three games. “He should be the best quarterback that we’ve had in the past few years,” Bates said. Hernandez should be thinking along with his tailback, because he is his twin, Matt Hernandez (6-0, 170), who gained 294 yards in 47 carries. Both were second-team all-league picks in 1991. Junior wide receiver Jim Romero (5-11, 165) was a first-team pick last year, when he had 23 catches for 561 yards. Senior Eric Coyle (6-0, 170) is a three-year starter at wide receiver. Top defensive players include junior linebackers Craig Lord (6-0, 210) and Trenton Mooney (6-1, 215), and three-year starting linebacker Vinnie Degl’Innocenti (5-7, 160), a senior. OUTLOOK: With the official departure of Montclair Prep, the Alpha League is anyone’s race, but L.A. Baptist appears to be the favorite. Most of the key players are back from an offense that generated 276.8 yards per game last year. “I think we should be one of the top teams in the league,” Bates said. “We have a lot of speed and good size.”

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Village Christian COACH: Mike Plaisance, 13th season LAST SEASON: 6-6-1; tied for 2nd in league, 3-2 PLAYERS TO WATCH: The defense is the strength for the Crusaders. “That’s where we’re loaded,” Plaisance said. “I think we have the best secondary in the league.” Defensive backs include Darren Campbell (6-0, 170), Brodie McClain (5-10, 175) and Mike Spielman (5-10, 175), who is also the backup quarterback. Plaisance calls junior linebacker Mike Agnor (5-11, 205) “one of the best in the area. He’s a coach’s dream.” Offensively, senior Tarik Blair (5-11, 185) plays the unusual combination of fullback and wide receiver. “I didn’t know he could catch the ball (until the summer passing league),” Plaisance said. “So I guess that’s my fault.” Blair scored five touchdowns rushing in three playoff games last year. Senior quarterback David Treanor (5-11, 175) will return, and Plaisance is expecting him to improve his passing statistics. Treanor was 53 of 138 with 15 interceptions last season. OUTLOOK: Last season, Village Christian started 1-4-1. “We had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel,” Plaisance said. But the Crusaders won their last five games to make the playoffs. They should not need to go to such extremes this year. If they can stay injury free--the team has little depth--they have a chance to challenge L.A. Baptist.