NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Bishop Amat Players Earn Rest After Title

Bishop Amat put the finishing touches on a perfect season Friday when the Lancers defeated Sylmar, 31-10, in the inaugural California Interscholastic Federation Reebok Bowl at Anaheim Stadium.

Bishop Amat, which defeated Loyola for the Southern Section Division I title, finished 15-0 under Coach Mark Paredes.

“To have an unbeaten season, a lot of things have to happen, and two of those things are good luck and players that come through at the right time,” Paredes said. “That was indicative of this team. We had different kids come through all year.”

Bishop Amat’s Southern Section title was its first since 1971.

“Every year we were stopped, there was a reason, and the main reason was that the other team was better than us,” Paredes said. “At the end of this (bowl) game, I told the kids: ‘We beat everyone they threw at us. We are the champions.’ ”

In past years Bishop Amat players would begin their off-season weightlifting program two weeks after the end of the season. Not this year.

“We’ll ease into the weightlifting program, and I mean ease,” Paredes said. “The kids need a chance to recover from a long season. They earned it.”

Chris Morgan, a tight end for the Mt. San Antonio College football team, was selected as a national scholar athlete by the J.C. Grid Wire.

Morgan, a sophomore, caught 22 passes for 360 yards and four touchdowns for the Mounties.

He has a 3.4 grade-point average as an engineering major.