HIGH SCHOOLS : Eight-Man Football Soon Might Be a Thing of The Past

Eight-man football served its purpose, but now a number of 1-A football teams are hoping to return to the good old-fashioned, 11-man game next season.

Some details still need to be ironed out, but if all goes according to plan, eight-man football could become extinct in this county at the conclusion of this season.

“There was always somewhat of an asterisk surrounding eight-man football,” Bishop’s Coach Dave Hild said. “It’s still fun, but we always felt if there were ever a situation we could play 11-man we’d like to do it.”

The situation apparently has arisen. Of the six schools playing eight-man football this fall, Bishop’s, Francis Parker, La Jolla County Day and Santa Fe Christian favored the proposed move to the 11-man game and Julian indicated it could make such a move as well.

That leaves only tiny Borrego Springs, which has only been able to field an eight-man team the past two seasons. Should the others forgo the eight-man game, Borrego’s status is uncertain.

“In weighing the pros and cons, the only negative, and it’s a big negative, is numbers,” Francis Parker Coach Dan Kuiper said. “Will we have enough players year in and year out?”

Said Santa Fe Christian Coach Clark Gilbert: “We’re excited. As a coach, I’m really excited. Eleven-man football to me is easier to coach. Eleven-man is more scientific. Eight-man is more creative.”

Eight-man football has been around for about a dozen years, but the San Diego Section only began sanctioning championship games in 1986.

MOUNTING SUPPORT

The Coordinating Council of the San Diego Section has joined the football advisory committee and the North County Conference in recommending that team playoff limitations remain as they were last year--16 teams per division.

The Section’s Board of Managers, which will decide the issue at its Oct. 20 quarterly meeting, limited to 12 the maximum number of teams eligible in each division at its meeting in June.

The Coordinating Council met Wednesday.

“After much discussion, they are recommending to the Board of Managers that there be a moratorium placed on team playoff formats for one year,” Section Commissioner Kendall Webb said. “This is the same thing the North County Conference has already formally requested.”

EIGHT-MAN AIR SHOW

Despite playing eight-man football at Francis Parker, senior quarterback Scott Schneider is being recruited by a number of Division I schools, including Kansas and Missouri of the Big Eight.

In three games, Schneider, who is 6-feet-3, 195 pounds, has thrown for 919 yards and 17 touchdowns, including a section record eight touchdown passes two weeks ago.

In comparison with 11-man quarterbacks, O’Brian Woods of Southwest is leading the county with 692 passing yards and Moses Moreno of Castle Park is No. 1 with five touchdown passes.

When asked about Schneider’s arm strength, Lancer Coach Dan Kuiper replied: “He can hose the thing.”

Matt Garrett (21 catches, 381 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Charles Pope, Schneider’s top two receivers, could also receive scholarships. Pope is being recruited by a number of Division II schools, and Garrett is likely to field several Division I offers for soccer, in which he is one of the top players in the county.

SCREEN PLAY

Here’s one way of avoiding coaching burnout.

Clark Gilbert, Santa Fe Christian’s football coach, has this message on his home telephone answering machine: “ . . . If you’ve called between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m., we’ve set aside this time to spend as a family. We’ll call you back if you leave a message . . . “

HAPPY HOLLADAY

Terry Holladay, whose professional tennis career includes victories against Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong and Virginia Wade, has been hired as the tennis coach at The Bishop’s School.

In 13 years as a touring pro, Holladay made 10 Wimbledon and U.S. Open appearances and was once ranked 10th in the world.

Under Holladay’s predecessor Bill Scott, the Knights won one boys’ championship (1986) and finished second twice since 1984. They also won three girls’ titles (‘89, ‘88, ‘87) and finished second eight times since 1977.

SPARTAN STREAK

Entering tonight’s Metro Conference opener against winless Hilltop, Chula Vista (1-1-1) has not lost a league game since being shut out by Sweetwater, 20-0, five years ago.

Chula Vista is 29-0-2 in league since that game and has won 18 in a row, the fourth longest streak in Section history.

Sweetwater, under then-coach Dave Lay, set the record of 31 from 1970-73.

THE FINAL COUNT

Only one football team in the eight-team Metro Conference has a losing record. Hilltop is 0-3. . . . Poway’s 53-0 rout Friday of San Marcos was the biggest margin of victory in school history and the most points scored by the Titans since 1984. . . . Billy Dill, a junior running back at Serra, set a school record with 271 rushing yards in 21 carries in Friday’s 34-28 loss to Simi Valley . . . James Vaughn (33 carries, 233 yards) recorded the fifth-highest rushing total at El Cajon Valley . . .

A week after nabbing a 98-yard touchdown reception, Jere Miller of Patrick Henry hauled in an 85-yarder . . . St. Augustine’s three opponents thus far are a combined 0-9 and have scored only 25 points. As if that wasn’t enough, the Saints play USDHS (1-2) in the annual Charity Bowl this Saturday at Southwestern College.

That Was Then

School 1992 1991 Marian 2-1 0-10 Madison 1-2 0-9-1 San Dieguito 2-1 1-8-1 Mt. Carmel 1-1-1 1-9 Poway 2-1 2-8 Mar Vista 2-1 2-7 Bonita Vista 2-1 2-6-2 Mission Bay 3-0 3-6 Rancho Bernardo 3-0 4-6 El Cajon Valley 1-2 2-7 Southwest 2-1 3-6-1