NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Palisades’ Epstein, DeLeon Earn Top Football Awards

Jack Epstein of Palisades was named coach of the year and Dolphin linebacker Erwin DeLeon was selected lineman of the year during The Times’ Westside All-Star Football breakfast Sunday in Santa Monica.

Westchester junior quarterback Seka Edwards also was honored as the back of the year.

Epstein, who retired after the 1992 season, guided Palisades to a 9-3 record and berth in the City 3-A Division playoffs. The Dolphins lost to South Gate, 9-6, in the semifinals.

It is the third time Epstein has been named The Times’ Westside coach of the year. He received the honor in 1970 at Hamilton and 1987 at Palisades. He also won The Times’ South Bay coach-of-the-year honors in 1979 at Narbonne.

Epstein has been a high school football coach for 21 years. His teams are 1-1 in championship games and had been to the semifinals four times.

“This is a terrific way to end my career,” Epstein said. “It’s a bittersweet experience retiring as a coach because I always enjoyed doing that.”

DeLeon, a senior, was the Dolphins’ leading tackler on defense. He also played wingback on offense, rushing 20 times for 141 yards.

Edwards led Westchester to a 9-0-1 record. He completed 85 of 187 passes for 1,638 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Wrestling with success--St. Bernard’s Joe Henderson, a linebacker and running back for the football team, is finding success in another sport.

Henderson, who wrestles in the 189-pound and heavyweight classes, has won his first 10 matches and is the top-rated heavyweight in the Southern Section. Last season, Henderson reached the final 16 at the Master’s Meet. His goal this year is to win State.

Henderson is being recruited to play football. He has scheduled visits to Santa Clara, California, Colorado State and Army.

His top choices are Cal and Army.

“I hear West Point is one of the most beautiful places to play football, especially in the fall,” Henderson said.

Finding her mark--Sherrise Smith has been the leading scorer for the Crossroads girls’ basketball team, but she had two career bests last week in pivotal Delphic League games.

Smith, a 5-foot-4 sophomore point guard, scored a career-high 26 points as Crossroads beat two-time defending champion Brentwood, 42-30, Jan. 12. Two days later, Smith scored 28 points as the Roadrunners beat Faith Baptist, 54-32.

“She’s finding her range,” Crossroads Coach Larry Wiener said. “She is taking her shots during the flow of the game and not forcing them.”

Sophomore Yasmeen Benjamin, a 5-foot-10 forward, also had a big week, with 12 rebounds against Brentwood and 15 against Faith Baptist. Another sophomore, center Erin Irving, had 11 rebounds against Brentwood.

“That sophomore class is going to be awesome in two years,” Wiener said.

Head of the class--Loyola High is known for its outstanding football and basketball programs, but one thing often overlooked is the school’s success at placing athletes in four-year colleges.

Consider the Cub’s 1990 basketball team. The entire squad, including the manager, is attending college, and seven are playing sports at the Division I level. They had a cumulative 3.3 grade-point average at Loyola.

Among the team members from the Westside, Ryan Jamison of Mar Vista and Okwi Anuluoha of Culver City are playing basketball for Cal, and Jamal Adams of West Los Angeles is playing for Columbia.

Erich Weber of Culver City is attending Georgetown on a volleyball scholarship.