NOTEBOOK / ROB FERNAS : Receiver Rachal Is Discovering That Success Comes by Degrees

No one questions Latario Rachal’s ability to play major college football. The explosive wide receiver has been coveted by recruiters since his senior season at Carson High in 1990, when he led the South Bay in every receiving category.

Unfortunately for Rachal, academic problems have prevented him from making the jump to the big time. He was unable to attend a four-year college out of high school because his grades and test scores fell below the NCAA’s minimum requirements.

After two stellar seasons at El Camino College, Rachal’s plans have again been put on hold.

Because he has yet to earn an associate of arts degree, Rachal cannot enroll at California, the school he signed a letter of intent with. He will sit out next season and attend fall classes at El Camino in an effort to earn his degree and transfer in the spring to a four-year college, where he would have two years of eligibility remaining.

The setback was disappointing for Rachal, as well as for Cal, which was counting on the 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver to help fill the void created by the early departure of All-American Sean Dawkins, who was drafted in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts after his junior year.

Rachal was so frustrated, in fact, that he considered dropping out of school and trying to play professionally in the Canadian Football League.

“It was an option I considered early on when I found out that I would have to do another semester,” he said. “I talked it over with my mom and we both felt it was best for me to finish up and get my A.A. (degree).

“I can deal with it. It hit me hard, but it’s not like I’m giving up.”

El Camino Coach John Featherstone said Rachal was on schedule to get his degree this summer until he failed to earn credits in two classes last spring. Rachal is attending summer school at Compton College and hopes to have his class load down to two courses in the fall.

“Latario is working hard,” Featherstone said. “I still have a very good feeling that Latario is going to get it done in the fall and attend Cal in the spring of ’94.”

Whether or not Rachal signs again with Cal remains to be seen. He said the Golden Bears are still his No. 1 choice, but he plans to take other recruiting trips. He visited Arizona State, Utah and Cal last year, and canceled trips to Washington and Iowa.

“I want to give some schools a look that I didn’t visit,” he said.

Featherstone, who called Rachal the best offensive player he has coached in eight seasons at El Camino, said recruiters are lining up to get another crack at the two-time community college All-American.

“I’ve already had 10 calls from people,” Featherstone said. “It’s going to be like a bunch of piranhas again.”

Rachal can deal with the recruiters. Not being able to play football next season is what bothers him.

“Missing a season of football is going to be different,” he said. “It’s going to drive me crazy watching games. I’ve been playing since I was 6.

“But I think it will be easier for me school-wise, not having the pressure of playing football.”

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A spokesperson for the Shrine all-star football game said Alice Caruthers and Rudy Boseman, the mother and uncle of Morningside standout Stais Boseman, will be reimbursed for a $250 full-page congratulatory ad in the game program and the cost of any tickets the family may have purchased.

Boseman did not play in Saturday’s game after being dismissed from the Southern California team last week for violating curfew.

“We haven’t informed them yet, but we are going to give the money back,” Kelli Hatch said Wednesday. “We feel bad that (Boseman) was dismissed.”

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The play of Mira Costa High’s water polo team this summer indicates the Mustangs might be capable of duplicating the success of last season, when they won the Ocean League title and reached the Southern Section Division III semifinals.

Mira Costa won the Watts Summer Games title in June and has continued to play well in three summer leagues, posting a 15-2 record. The team returns six regular players and three starters from last season’s 24-6 squad.

“At this point, we’re not as good as last year’s team,” Coach Mike Nollan said. “Our record is as good as last summer, but there are a lot of ifs. With last year’s team, I knew from the get-go we were going to be good.”

Nollan expects another tough fight next season from league rival Peninsula. Mira Costa beat Peninsula twice by two-goal margins in 1992 to win the Ocean title with a 12-0 record. The teams engaged in another battle July 20, with Mira Costa winning the summer league game, 11-9, behind two goals apiece from seniors Paul Barr, Sean Nollan (the coach’s son) and Dan Stephenson, the team’s three returning starters.

“They’re definitely our three strongest players,” Coach Nollan said. “We try to keep them in the game and sub for the other guys. We like to have them in there all the time.”

Mira Costa, as well as all Southern Section teams, begins practice Aug. 23 and is set to open the season Sept. 16 in the Millikan tournament.

Notes

Justin Stallings, a wide receiver and defensive back for Hawthorne, the defending Southern Section Division III champion, was the only South Bay football player selected to a list of the nation’s top seniors by Street & Smith’s magazine. . . . In the college football section of the publication, Nevada wide receiver Bryan Reeves (Carson) was named a second-team preseason All-American and USC wide receiver Johnnie Morton (South Torrance) and Kansas defensive lineman Chris Maumalanga (Bishop Montgomery) were honorable mention. Reeves had 81 catches for 1,114 yards last season.

Among the top receivers for Fresno State are Carson graduates Tydus Winans and Michael Ross. One of the Bulldogs’ top running backs is former El Camino standout Anthony Daigle. . . . Cornerback Craig Weems (Mira Costa, Harbor College) has emerged as a starter at San Diego State after a good spring. The Aztecs’ offensive line is anchored by 340-pound guard Carlson Leomiti (Banning). . . . Zac Odom (Leuzinger) is set to return in the defensive backfield for Hawaii. . . . John Walsh (West Torrance, Carson) is again projected as the No. 1 quarterback at Brigham Young after a shoulder injury sidelined him in 1992.

Josh Moore (West Torrance) is set to return at starting cornerback for Washington. . . . Bryan Proby (Banning, Harbor) and Ken Talanoa (El Segundo, El Camino) are expected to contend for starting spots on the Arizona State defensive line. . . . Nkosi Littleton (Carson), The Times’ South Bay lineman of the year in 1989, is a likely starter at inside linebacker for UCLA. . . . Look for Jerald Henry (USC) to start at cornerback for USC. . . . Na’il Benjamin (Inglewood) could help out as a punt and kickoff returner for Cal. . . . Jason Lucky (St. Bernard) is one of the top wide receivers at San Jose State. . . . Quarterback John Ma’ae (Banning) and defensive end Eric Simien (Serra) are probable starters at Nevada Las Vegas.