Jefferson Gets Over Rocky Start : Prep football: Democrats rebounded after forfeiting opener.

The Jefferson High football team had to forfeit its season opener against Lincoln this year because it had only 13 eligible players. District athletic officials did not feel that was a large enough roster to ensure a safe game.

Because the Democrats carry 40 players on the varsity, the forfeit was blamed on the school’s administrators who failed to process all of the necessary paper work. Players must have insurance, physical and parent-consent forms completed before competing.

The loss was particularly embarrassing to Hank Johnson, Jefferson’ coach for the last six years.

“I’ve never had to forfeit a game for any reason whatsoever,” said Johnson, who used to coach at Los Angeles Jordan. “It was a terrible thing to happen to the team. Several of our kids were crying when this happened, and others were very angry. Our coaching staff had a lot of calming down to do.”

The administrative foul-up was not surprising, however, in that the school’s athletic director, Donald Sasaki, died of a stroke the week before the opener.

But Johnson said he could not understand how a whole group of players could be ineligible one week and eligible the next.

Things have worked themselves out since the forfeit. Jefferson tied Locke for the Eastern League title in the Southeastern Conference. That guaranteed the team a berth in the City Division 4-A playoffs, and the Democrats upset San Fernando, 19-16, in a first-round game last Friday.

Jefferson (7-3-1) plays Carson (7-3-1) at Gardena High in a quarterfinal game tonight at 7:30.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our team to show it can play with anyone,” Johnson said. “We’ve shown we can come back from adversity, and we hope the season just keeps going.”

The Democrats rely on their defense, which is giving up eight points a game. Senior defensive back Ed Morris has eight interceptions on the season, including a single-game school record of five against South Gate. His brother, junior defensive back Tyrone Morris, has six interceptions.

Jefferson faces a Carson team that has struggled this season under second-year Coach Marty Blankenship. The Colts needed a late defensive stand in their 28-24 playoff victory over Lincoln last week.

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The Southeastern Conference, the largest in the City with 10 teams in two divisions, is not known for being much of a force in the football playoffs.

That changed last week. The conference’s six entries in the 4-A and 3-A playoffs--Jefferson, Garfield, Locke, Bell, Fremont and South Gate--all won their games.

Among the victories, Fremont (4-7), which had the worst record in the playoff field, defeated Canoga Park, 20-12. Garfield upset Wilmington Banning, 7-6, and Locke knocked off defending 4-A champion Dorsey, 62-27.

“I’ve been trying to tell people for years that the Southeastern Conference is the second toughest football conference in the City behind the Southern Pacific,” said Johnson. “Maybe now people will believe me.”

The seven-team Southern Pacific Conference qualified six teams for the playoffs and had a first-round record of 3-3.

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There has been much concern that the City will not have a viable opponent for the Southern Section Division I champion in the new CIF-Reebok Bowl, which will be played Dec. 18 at Anaheim Stadium.

The bowl, which will be televised live on KCOP-TV, Channel 13, matches the City 4-A champion against the winner of the Southern Section’s Division I title game. With traditional powers Dorsey and Wilmington Banning already eliminated from the playoffs and Carson struggling, there is concern about how the City will fare in the game.

Little attention has been given to Sylmar, however, a 4-A team that is 10-0 and has not lost a Valley Pac-Eight Conference game in three years. The Spartans feature one of the best running backs in the Southland, Tyrone Crenshaw. The junior, who rushed for 317 yards in a 49-7 playoff win over Venice last week, has 1,434 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.

Sylmar plays host to Crenshaw High tonight.

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The City plays its quarterfinal round tonight instead of Friday because the district has trouble getting teachers and administrators to come back and work games over the holiday weekend.

The Southern Section will play its quarterfinal round Friday night.