HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK / JIM LINDGREN : Just Kicking Around Idea of Stanford

They call Bill Walsh a genius, but let’s see him pull this off:

Already boasting the Pacific 10’s leading kicker in freshman Eric Abrams, Walsh and Stanford sent a recruiting letter last week to one of the best high school kickers in the nation, who also happens to be Eric’s brother, Adam Abrams.

A junior this season, Abrams opted to attend The Bishop’s School three years ago because his brother was the kicker at La Jolla Country Day.

“Can you imagine that scene?” Jeff Abrams, their father, asked. “I don’t think Adam is going to tell Eric (about the letter).”

Adam said he would consider Stanford, but suggested maybe Cal was the place for him, if only for poetry’s sake. “It would be fun kicking against Eric in The (Big) Game,” Adam said. “But I haven’t really focused too much on my college choices.”

Last year at LJCD, Eric was named Parade Magazine’s national player of the year after having set San Diego Section career records for conversions (177), kicking points (213) and consecutive field goals (six). He has made 12 of 14 field goals and 18 of 18 conversions for No. 15 Stanford (6-2).

Many believe Adam’s skills and mechanics are on par with Eric’s.

“I think he’s as good as his brother right now,” said Mark Steiner, an independent national college consultant. “This kid is going to be outrageous. He has excellent mechanics, height and distance. There may be a junior kicker better, but I haven’t heard of him.”

Steiner, whose operation is based in Florida, tested Adam’s leg strength and accuracy in a workout Thursday at University City.

Off a one-inch tee and with a slight wind, Adam was successful on five of five attempts from 35 and 40 yards, four of five from 45, 50 and 53 yards, three of five from 57 yards and two of three from 60 yards.

“I usually don’t go back that far, but I was kicking well,” Adam explained.

Said Bishop’s Coach Dave Hild: “He can kick the hell out of the ball. When a kid can hit ‘em that well, you don’t have to see it, you can hear it.”

Right-footed Adam (5 feet 9) is slightly taller than than left-footed Eric (5-7), but that’s where their differences end. Friends, as well as each other’s biggest fans, Adam and Eric have trained together for years with Gary Zauner, a former NFL coach, who now works independently with several NFL kickers as well as the Abrams boys.

Zauner’s help is paying off in more ways than one. Like Eric, Adam has collected pledges for every point he makes to be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. With 24 points (three field goals, 13 conversions), Adam has raised nearly $1,500 so far this season.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Section Commissioner Kendall Webb said he heard the long-awaited appeal of Torrey Pines quarterback/safety Ryan Lynch on Monday, and Webb will announce his ruling today.

Lynch was ejected from a Sept. 25 game for allegedly kicking a La Jolla player and was supposed to sit out the Falcon’s next game but received a temporary restraining order. Last week, the Section Board of Managers amended the Ethics in Sports policy to include an appeal for players ejected from a game for a violent action.

Attending the appeal hearing were Lynch, his father, John Lynch, Torrey Pines Principal Simeon Greenstein, Athletic Director Anne Meigs, Coach Ed Burke, two representatives from the officials association and Lynch’s attorney, Brian Forbes, whose son, James Forbes, ironically plays for La Jolla.

FOR THE BIRDS

The San Pasqual Golden Eagles defeated the Torrey Pines Falcons, 42-28, in the Eagles’ homecoming football game Friday night, which featured a pregame performance by a Falcon marching band.

It was not, however, a case of San Pasqual giving Torrey Pines equal time.

This was the Air Force Academy Falcon marching band, in town over the weekend to perform during the San Diego State-Air Force game as well as the Chargers-Denver Broncos game.

Said Eagle Coach Mike Dolan: “We told them they could bring all the falcons in the world, but they’d have to tell everyone they were eagles.”

MILDCATS

“I wouldn’t classify us a good football team,” said Herb Meyer, coach of the three-time defending 2-A champion El Camino Wildcats.

El Camino is 6-1, 3-1 in the Avocado League, but Meyer says injuries, leading to inconsistent play, have decimated his squad this season.

Merely listing the key injured players is painful for Meyer, who has been forced to start 11 players on the offensive line this season.

Running back Ryan Flanders (ankle) has missed 1 1/2 games. Middle linebacker Alex Munoz (dislocated finger), safety Chris Crayton (hamstring), center Brian Chapman (tailbone cyst, knee) and guard Sam Ruiz (lower back) have missed two games. And guard Larry Webber (cracked collarbone) has missed three games.

This is a far cry from 1990 when no Wildcat starters missed any games because of injuries.

“Nobody in our league is going to feel sorry for us,” Meyer said, “but it has been a trying year.”

SOARING EAGLES

With El Camino struggling, and undefeated San Pasqual playing so well, The Times has flipflopped the two in this week’s rankings. El Camino, which had been No. 1 before losing to Torrey Pines, 22-3, on Oct. 2, fell to fourth, and the Eagles moved to No. 3.

Said Meyer: “I know when we play San Pasqual (on Nov. 6), we’ll definitely be the underdog.”