Martinez Back Under Center at St. Francis

The doctors said St. Francis High quarterback Rudy Martinez would be out for the season, but there he was last week, starting for the Golden Knights. It seems the doctors had been overly pessimistic.

Martinez suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the third week of the season against Loyola. He saw four doctors, including noted orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe, and each gave him different diagnoses.

Jobe told Martinez that his separation was of the most serious degree, so Martinez was convinced he was out for the season. But after a few weeks of rest the shoulder started to feel better, Martinez said.

So he went back to Jobe and got medical clearance. That was the easy part. Then there was parental clearance to worry about.

Martinez, a shortstop for the St. Francis baseball team, said “there was some friction” between him and his father, who didn’t want him to play because then he might not be able to play baseball.

Martinez’s father finally left the decision to his son. Martinez began practice on Monday of last week and started Friday night against Notre Dame. He completed 11 of 23 passes for 127 yards.

MENTAL AS ANYTHING

Alemany and Crespi will meet Friday in a Del Rey League game that could decide whether either team has a shot at reaching the Division I playoffs. If not for mental mistakes last week, though, both teams would be in considerably better shape.

In a 21-14 loss to Loyola--the top-ranked team in the state--Alemany (1-6-1, 1-2 in league play) was desperately holding a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter. It marked the first time this season that Loyola (8-0) had trailed that late in the game.

With 10 minutes to play, Loyola faced a fourth and four near the Alemany 20. An Alemany player was ruled to have lined up offside and Loyola took advantage of the free first down, marching in for the winning score.

“Their kids just believe they’re gonna win,” Alemany Coach Pat Degnan said of the Loyola tradition. “That’s something we’re still a little lacking in.”

In Crespi’s 17-14 loss to St. Paul, the Celts gained possession with slightly more than a minute remaining. On third and long, quarterback Matt Walker, who passed for 264 yards, completed a pass to the Crespi 28-yard line. Mistakenly thinking that Crespi had gained enough yardage for a first down, Walker threw a fourth-down pass out of bounds to kill the clock. It was the third loss in a row for Crespi (5-3, 0-3).

FAULTY FOOTWORK

At first glance, it would seem that Kennedy had little trouble replacing kicker-punter Jeremy Deach last Friday. Receiver Keith Thompson, who replaced Deach, booted a 36-yard field goal and converted all three of the PATs he attempted.

The rest of the kicking chores, though, were handled by committee. In actuality, it took four Golden Cougars to replace Deach, and at times the play of the substitutes bordered on the absurd.

Michael Coleman did a capable job handling the punting chores, but the crew that handled kickoffs wasn’t quite up to speed. The first kickoff candidate, Pablo Rios, “fell on his butt when his plant foot slipped, so I yanked him,” Coach Bob Francola said.

The next kickoff hopeful, Felipe Ruiz, followed some advice from Deach and turned the kicking tee upside down. Ruiz promptly booted a pop fly a few yards down the field.

However, Reseda’s return team watched as the live ball fell to the ground and Kennedy recovered. “It was like recovering an onside kick that we didn’t even try,” Francola said.

Thompson handled kickoffs thereafter.

VERSATILITY

Senior offensive lineman Nathan Thompson is among Hart players expected to be recruited by NCAA Division I schools.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Thompson was an all-league selection as a defensive lineman last season, and, for the most part, has made a smooth transition to offense.

While Thompson was somewhat reluctant to make the switch, Coach Mike Herrington believed the move would be best for both Thompson and the team. “He loves defense so much that I knew he would be kind of heartbroken to have to play offense most of the time, but it has helped his development,” Herrington said. “The versatility will only help him in the future.”

REVERTING TO FORM

Notice to Oak Park opponents: Tarik Smith is back.

After being slowed by injuries most of the season, the Eagles’ standout tailback rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns in 24 carries to lead Oak Park past St. Bonaventure in an important Tri-Valley League game last week. Throughout the game, Smith displayed the speed and moves that have made him among the top-rated recruits in the Southland.

“It was great to see him have a game like that again,” Coach Dick Billingsley said. “He was running real hard and he challenged a lot of people.”

Smith’s total was his highest since a 225-yard performance against L.A. Baptist five weeks ago. He has 654 yards and nine touchdowns in 90 carries.

BLOWN OPPORTUNITY

Margarito Casillas of Hoover remained undefeated by posting his ninth consecutive victory in a dual meet against Glendale last week, but Coach Greg Switzer anguished about what could have been.

Casillas timed a personal best of 14 minutes 40 seconds over the three-mile course at Verdugo Park, but that mark was two seconds shy of the course record of 14:38 set by Burbank’s Jeff Nelson in 1978.

“He didn’t kick as hard as he usually does,” Switzer said. “It’s too bad. You don’t get a chance to knock off a name like Nelson very often.”

Nelson, who graduated from Burbank in 1979, is regarded as one of the nation’s best high school distance runners ever. He holds the high school record of 14:32 over the three-mile cross-country course at Mt. San Antonio College, and he is the national high school record-holder in the two mile (8:36.3).

THE COMEBACK TRAIL

When North Hollywood girls’ basketball standout Nikki Hamilton lost the top two joints of her right ring finger in a freak accident Oct. 3, many believed her career was over. But Hamilton has been making great progress in practice the past two weeks and Coach Rich Allen expects her to be in the starting lineup for North Hollywood’s opener Nov. 19 against Washington.

“Nikki has amazed us,” Allen said. “She practiced Monday for the first time full-out and she was real impressive. I would have never expected her to be this far along. It’s been real inspiration for our team.”

Hamilton, an all-league forward last year and a college prospect, caught a ring on the top of a fence, partially detaching the finger. Doctors amputated the first two joints the next day.

Allen said Hamilton’s family was glad to see her back in practice. “She was driving her mom crazy dribbling the basketball around the house.”

A’ FOR EFFORT

St. Genevieve Coach Richard Fong is certainly not happy with the results his team has posted--an 0-8 record--but he is pleased with the attitudes and effort of his players.

“I’ve got guys who show at 6:30 in the morning to lift and do extra stuff,” Fong said. “One of the (assistant) coaches said these guys are learning to win, but what they have to do is learn to hate to lose. Before, we lost and they said, ‘OK. Let’s go to the dance.’ Now they lose and they cry. This isn’t a group of losers.”

The Valiants have lost 22 games in a row dating to Sept. 28, 1990. None of the current coaches or players have participated in a win at St. Genevieve.

PERSONAL TOUCH

Littlerock senior fullback John Venema had taken his fair share of ribbing and ridicule over the team’s past four losses in three years to Highland. Both Antelope Valley schools opened in 1989.

In those four games, including a varsity contest last season, Highland outscored Littlerock, 122-30.

The Lobos scored more points in their 33-6 victory over Highland last week than they did in four previous meetings combined.

Venema, who rushed for a season-high 197 yards and three touchdowns in 28 carries, personally saw to it that the Lobos turned the tables. “John plays every game like it’s personal,” Coach Jim Bauer said. “He plays every practice like it’s personal.”

David Coulson and staff writers Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Paige A. Leech, John Ortega and Jason H. Reid contributed to this notebook.