HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ’92 : After Shaky Opener, Carson Is Looking Over Its Shoulder : Preview: Colts, who were tied, 7-7, in their opener against Mt. Carmel of San Diego, have a challenging nonleague schedule and may have difficulty maintaining their No. 1 ranking.

A week ago, Carson would have been the unquestioned choice as the South Bay’s No. 1 prep football team. After all, how could a team that was ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation not be the area’s best?

How quickly things can change.

Today the Colts are perched precariously at the top of The Times’ rankings, susceptible of taking a fall if they don’t get their act together.

Friday’s 7-7 tie against Mt. Carmel of San Diego exposed Carson as a team that has yet to solve the problems that led to a 6-5-1 record in 1991, its worst finish since 1968.

Playing against a Mt. Carmel team that was 1-9 last season, the Colts were victimized by mistakes. Coaches had trouble getting plays in on time, the running game was shut down, receivers dropped five passes, and two potential game-winning field goals were blocked in the final seconds.

“It was a first-game thing,” Coach Marty Blankenship said.

For the Colts’ benefit, they had better hope so because the road is expected to get tougher in the coming weeks. They play nonleague games against Bishop Amat, San Diego Morse and Colton, all highly regarded teams.

After Friday’s performance, an 0-3-1 start isn’t out of the question for Carson. Then again, neither is a 3-0-1 start.

There is a reason the Colts were ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 2 in the nation by USA Today before the newspaper dumped them from their national top 25 this week. Carson has an abundance of talent. At some point, it should shine through.

But many people felt the same way in 1991 and look what happened.

If Carson fails to live up to expectations, there are several teams capable of claiming the title of “Best in the South Bay.”

Among them:

* Defending Bay League champion Hawthorne, which is No. 3 in the Southern Section Division III rankings and has its usual abundance of athletes.

* Peninsula, which is ranked No. 5 in Division III and should benefit from playing together for a year after the three-school merger in 1991.

* City Section 4-A Division runner-up Banning, which has a new coach and suffered heavy graduation losses but boasts a talented nucleus of players.

* Stais Boseman-led Morningside, which is determined to win back the Southern Section title it forfeited because of an ineligible player.

The picture will become clearer after a few games. In the meantime, San Pedro’s Mike Walsh might have summed up the feelings of all coaches at this point in the season.

“It should be interesting,” Walsh said.

A rundown of the top 10 teams in the South Bay follows:

*

1. CARSON 1991 Record: 6-5-1 League: Pacific Coach: MARTY BLANKENSHIP

Although the Colts played a disappointing opener from an offensive standpoint, Coach Marty Blankenship is confident his team will improve. “There are a lot of things to prepare for,” he said. “As a coaching staff, we need to make sure that by the time we go into conference play, everything in the game plan will be ready to go. . . . It’s more important to us where we are at the end of the season.”

Quarterback Jamie Sander completed only 10 of 24 passes--five were dropped--last week, but Blankenship said he has no plans to replace the senior with junior Tony Harvey, who quarterbacked the B team to a 9-0 record in 1991. Harvey is playing wide receiver. The Colts rushed for only 86 yards in 34 carries against Mt. Carmel, with tailback Robert Johnson, the team’s top returning rusher, gaining a mere 17 yards in eight carries.

2. HAWTHORNE 1991 Record: 9-3 League: BAY Coach: DAN ROBBINS

The Cougars, who have won or tied for the past three titles, are again contenders for the Bay League championship. Second-year Coach Dan Robbins welcomes back 13 starters, along with a promising group of juniors who led the sophomore team to a 9-1 record in 1991. Ronnie Morrisette (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), last year’s quarterback, moves to strong safety and will help out offensively at tight end and running back.

Junior Kenji Tatum takes over at quarterback. The offensive line is anchored by tackle Mostafa Sobhi (6-6, 275), a major college prospect. Corey McCoy, who has run 100 meters in 10.6 seconds, replaces South Bay all-star Morell Ollis (El Camino College) at tailback. Middle linebacker Tevita Moala (5-11, 190), who also plays fullback, leads seven returning defensive starters. Moala set a school record in 1991 with 140 tackles.

3. PENINSULA 1991 Record: 8-3 League: BAY Coach: GARY KIMBRELL

Tailback James Durroh didn’t have trouble adapting to varsity competition after he was called up from the sophomore team in 1991. In three games, Durroh rushed for 453 yards and four touchdowns, averaging better than 11 yards a carry. Coach Gary Kimbrell says Durroh isn’t the only weapon on a deep and talented Peninsula team, but look for the speedy junior to carry a good portion of the offensive load.

Up front, the Panthers are solid with the return of tackle Brendon Ibarra (6-0, 240) and guard Travis Gannam (6-0, 225), and several linemen from last season’s 10-0 sophomore team should contribute. Scott Gordon, who shared time with two other players in 1991, has the edge at quarterback. Standouts on a strong defense include end Bart Glusac (6-4, 225) and linebackers Taso Papadakis (6-0, 235) and Jerry Pilato (5-9, 210).

4. BANNING 1991 Record: 12-2 League: PACIFIC Coach: ED PACULBA

The Pilots must overcome inexperience if they expect a repeat of last season. Only four starters are back from the 1991 team that lost to Dorsey, 33-30, in the City Section 4-A Division final. Moreover, Coach Ed Paculba begins his first season after coaching Banning’s underclass teams for many years. The good news is that Banning boasts three of the area’s premier skill-position players: tailback/strong safety Brandon Moore, quarterback Andre Tua’au and explosive running back Damin Hurst, a recent transfer from Carson.

Moore, a preseason All-American, had six interceptions in 1991 while playing mostly defense. The versatile Tua’au passed for 894 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 11 touchdowns in 1991. Inexperience on the line could be a problem. Guard Aaron Brice (5-11, 210) is the only returner.

5. MORNINGSIDE 1991 Record: 0-13* League: OCEAN Coach: RON TATUM *Forfeited 11 games

With only 18 players at practice last week, Coach Ron Tatum said the Monarchs looked “more like a football club than a football team.” But dealing with a low turnout is nothing new for Tatum, who guided Morningside to the Division VIII title in 1991 with a relatively small group of players. (The Monarchs forfeited the title and 11 victories for playing a 19-year-old player.)

At Morningside, quality is the key, not quantity. It starts with the best player in the South Bay, quarterback Stais Boseman, who accounted for 2,540 yards and 33 touchdowns passing and rushing last season. He also plays cornerback, where he had six interceptions in 1991. His supporting cast is led by tailback/defensive back Michael Chapman, tight end/defensive end Shawn Shamsiadeen (6-3, 200) and center/linebacker Demetrius Hamilton (6-3, 230).

6. SAN PEDRO 1991 Record: 8-5 League: SAN PEDRO Coach: MIKE WALSH

After starting out as a passing team in 1991, the Pirates gradually began running the ball down opponents’ throats as they advanced to the City Section 3-A semifinals for the first time in school history. That trend should continue in 1992. Quarterback Rino Marconi (1,779 yards passing in 1991) graduated, but San Pedro’s top two running backs return.

Ambrose Russo and Jeff Williams combined for 1,150 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns in 1991. The offensive linemen are inexperienced but have progressed well in practice and have good size. Senior Luis Lopez, a strong runner and leader, and junior Chris Pappas, the better passer, are competing for the quarterback job. Free safety Bryant Thomas, who had four interceptions in 1991, leads a defense that also returns outside linebacker Thomas Grettenburg (6-0, 210).

7. SOUTH TORRANCE 1991 Record: 6-5 League: PIONEER Coach: DON MORROW

Coach Don Morrow enters his fourth season at South with potentially his best team. As usual, the Spartans are big and physical, led by an offensive line that returns five starters. The standouts are tackle Chad Sauter (6-6, 260), All-Pioneer League guard Josh Waybright (6-1, 230) and junior tackle John Salas (6-5, 250). Sauter, who missed the early part of last season recovering from knee surgery, is being looked at by major colleges.

After relying almost entirely on the running game in recent years, Morrow is hoping for a more diversified attack in 1992. Mike Rosato, a junior, is considered a better passer than recent South quarterbacks. Returning wide receivers Eric Morton, brother of USC receiver Johnnie Morton, and Shawn Krueger combined for 30 catches in 1991. All-league linebacker Doug Dossey (6-0, 200) is one of seven starters back on defense.

8. SERRA 1991 Record: 8-3 League: CAMINO REAL Coach: KEVIN CRAWLEY

The Cavaliers have their third coach in as many seasons. Former assistant Kevin Crawley takes over for Jon Dimalante, who took over last season for Leo Hand. So far, the revolving door of coaches hasn’t slowed down the Cavaliers. Serra has won five consecutive Camino Real League titles. This year’s team returns only seven varsity lettermen, but should be bolstered by a group of juniors and sophomores who helped Serra’s underclass teams to a 17-0 record last season.

The return of all-league tackles Marlon Anderson (6-4, 295) and Dwayne Meriweather (6-3, 260) and center Joey Hodges (6-0, 250) give Serra one of the area’s biggest offensive lines. The wing-T backfield features halfbacks LaJon Jordan and Kenny Friedieu. The defense might start as many as 10 juniors and could take time to jell as a unit.

9. NORTH TORRANCE 1991 Record: 4-5-1 League: PIONEER Coach: JOE AUSTIN

There is no shortage of offensive weapons at North, which is considered a contender for the Pioneer League title along with defending co-champion South. All-league quarterback Frank Ramirez returns after passing for 2,071 yards and 21 touchdowns in 1991. Also returning is top receiver Dean Halverson, who caught 29 passes for 485 yards and five TDs.

Others expected to contribute to the Saxons’ high-powered attack are running back Dano Casillas, fullback Chi Lam (6-2, 205) and receiver Lacy Watkins, also an excellent free safety. North could use more size up front, but tackle Harout Barsoumian (6-2, 260) is a good one. Despite returning seven starters, the defense is an area of concern because of a lack of depth. Several players are expected to go both ways, which could take its toll over the course of the season.

10. LEUZINGER 1991 Record: 4-6 League: BAY Coach: STEVE CARNES

Steve Carnes, who guided Leuzinger to a 56-22-6 record and a Southern Section championship from 1984-90, returns as coach after a year away from football. The Olympians struggled last season, going 1-3 in the Bay League. Eight starters return from that team. “The players are real young,” Carnes said. “Hopefully they can come along.”

The offensive line is experienced and has size, especially on the right side, where guard Anthony Baker (6-4, 220) and tackle Tevete Usu (6-2, 330) take up considerable space. The quarterback position is a question mark. Three players are competing for the starting job--seniors Jerome Cain and Ronald Nickerson and junior Jason Simmons, who is considered the front-runner. Linebackers Matthew Sagato (6-1, 220) and John Niko (6-1, 210) anchor the Olympians’ attacking, split-six defense.

Other teams to watch

Mira Costa (5-5) will miss quarterback Greg Gilmer, but Coach Bill Lysle believes the Mustangs will be a better team in 1992. The strength of the offense is the line, where All-Ocean League center Trevor Knowlton (5-9, 230) and tackle Tate McCallister (6-4, 245) return. Big things are also expected from 6-2, 240-pound sophomore fullback Phil Fonua. All-league linebacker Craig Zimmerman (6-5, 220), who had more than 100 tackles in 1991, leads an inexperienced defense.

Redondo (7-5) will be hard-pressed to duplicate the success of last season, when the Sea Hawks were unbeaten at home, including victories over Hawthorne, Morningside and Beverly Hills. Look for Redondo to run the ball. Tailback Scott Moore, the team’s leading rusher in 1991 with 703 yards, and fullback Robert Cracknell are back. The defense returns five starters, led by All-Ocean League linebacker Mike Frias (6-1, 215).

Torrance (4-6-1) returns 10 starters from last season’s pass-happy team that had little trouble scoring, but failed to stop opponents from doing the same. Bill Bynum, son of Coach Bill Bynum, takes over at quarterback for Jason Kendall, who led the South Bay in passing a year ago. Top returners include wide receiver Antoris Coleman (33 catches for 558 yards in 1991), linebacker Jay London (6-2, 210) and tailback/strong safety Jay Silverman.

Bishop Montgomery (6-4) has a new coach, Bob Tompson, and a new tailback, Tim Woods, who replaces South Bay all-star Koury Clark (1,612 yards rushing, 22 TDs in 1991). The offensive line is experienced, led by returning tackle Ben Castellanos (6-2, 245) and guard James Martinez (6-1, 230). Woods and Jon Martinez (three interceptions in ‘91) lead a strong secondary.

Inglewood (6-4) improved greatly in its first season under Coach Angelo Jackson, and there’s nothing to indicate the progress won’t continue in 1992. The Sentinels will rely on a speedy backfield featuring wingbacks LeAndrew Childs and Kenyatta Morgan. Childs is a transfer from Leuzinger, where he rushed for 545 yards and averaged 11.6 yards per carry in 1991.

El Segundo (8-3) returns to the Pioneer League after several years of competing in Catholic leagues. Depth again will be a problem for the area’s smallest public high school, especially after the recent transfers of quarterback Landon Wilson and lineman Hauss Hancock. Key returners include tailback/safety/kicker David Scanlan and wide receiver Nick Coulter. Former assistant Craig Cousins starts his first season as coach.

West Torrance (5-6) returns only five starters from last season’s Pioneer League co-championship team. Leading the veterans is versatile running back Leo Galvan, who rushed for 561 yards and seven touchdowns and had 26 catches for 297 yards and three TDs a year ago. The defense is inexperienced.

Chadwick (5-4), ranked No. 7 in the Eight-Man Division, should have a prolific offense with the return of quarterback Joe Giaconi, running back Scooter Atkins and wide receiver Neil Thakur. Giaconi led all Eight-Man passers in 1991 with 1,620 yards and 20 TDs, Atkins rushed for 802 yards and 11 TDs, and Thakur had 69 receptions for 979 yards and 11 TDs.

Best of the South Bay

Ranking, league and 1991 record Comment 1. Carson, Pacific League 6-5-1 Great expectations 2. Hawthorne, Bay League 9-3 Winning tradition 3. Peninsula, Bay League 8-3 Durroh holds key 4. Banning, Pacific League 12-2 Many new faces 5. Morningside, Ocean League 0-13* The Bose is back 6. San Pedro, Southern League 8-5 Solid running game 7. South Torrance, Pioneer League 6-5 Physical as ever 8. Serra, Camino Real League 8-3 Another new coach 9. North Torrance, Pioneer League 4-5-1 Ready to pass the ball 10. Leuzinger, Bay League 4-6 Carnes returns

* Forfeited 11 games in 1991.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player School Pos. Ht Wt Class Marlon Anderson Serra OL 6-4 295 Sr. Stais Boseman Morningside QB 6-4 190 Sr. Dion Brumfield Carson DB 6-1 180 Sr. LeAndrew Childs Inglewood RB 5-9 170 Sr. Antoris Coleman Torrance WR 6-1 195 Sr. James Durroh Peninsula RB 5-8 170 Jr. Mike Frias Redondo LB 6-1 215 Sr. Bart Glusac Peninsula TE-DE 6-4 225 Sr. Damin Hurst Banning RB 5-9 160 Sr. Sipo’u Mareko Carson DL 6-0 250 Sr. Tevita Moala Hawthorne FB-LB 5-11 190 Sr. Brandon Moore Banning RB-DB 6-0 195 Sr. Ronnie Morrisette Hawthorne DB 6-3 215 Sr. Taso Papadakis Peninsula FB-LB 6-0 235 Sr. James Pepe Carson TE-LB 6-3 220 Sr. Frank Ramirez North Torrance QB 6-1 175 Sr. Chad Sauter South Torrance OL-DL 6-6 260 Sr. David Scanlan El Segundo DB-K 5-10 160 Sr. Shawn Shamsiadeen Morningside TE-DE 6-3 200 Sr. Mostafa Sobhi Hawthorne OL 6-6 275 Sr. Bryant Thomas San Pedro DB 6-3 190 Sr. Andre Tua’au Banning OB 6-1 195 Sr. Tevete Usu Leuzinger OL 6-2 330 Sr. Greg Zimmerman Mira Costa TE-LB 6-5 220 Sr.