SCORE TO SETTLE

Hollywood has learned to take defeat in stride. The Sheiks are 0-7 and have won only one game in the past two seasons. But the final minutes of a 40-0 Northern Conference loss against Lincoln on Friday at Wilson High were especially frustrating. Lincoln Coach Randy Rodriguez said he decided to try to run up the score because his players were victims of “cheap shots” from Hollywood players.

“I am normally happy with a 20-0 ballgame, but Hollywood was deliberately going for the facemask and stuff like that,” Rodriguez said. “We wanted to score as many touchdowns as we could.”

Leading, 34-0, with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Lincoln quarterback Gerardo Roman passed five yards to Bob Flores for a touchdown. The Tigers, who had taken possession with 3 minutes 12 seconds to play, ran six consecutive pass plays. Lincoln also called timeout to stop the clock after running back Walter Salcido was sacked for a one-yard loss with 46 seconds left.

“Why try to score again?” Hollywood quarterback Jorge Ramirez said. “They had the game won. They could have ran the ball. Most teams take their starters out after the third quarter against us, but they kept them in. It was not good sportsmanship. I have no respect for Lincoln.”

“Teams used to run up the score on Lincoln,” Rodriguez said. “We built our program up and now we can beat up on teams like Hollywood. (Hollywood Coach Bob O’Connor) should do the same so he could find someone to knock around.”

BACK IN ACTION

Beverly Hills tailback Naoki Echigo, who dislocated his hip Sept. 18 against Inglewood, received medical clearance to play Friday against Mira Costa. Echigo was projected to be the Normans’ leading rusher. In his place, sophomore Aaron Kogan has led the team with 457 yards in 117 carries.

“I’m not sure how we are going to use them, but they will both play,” Beverly Hills Coach Carter Paysinger said.

Expect the Normans (1-6) to add a few new offensive formations to their game plan to utilize Echigo and Kogan.

TOMORROW’S LEADERS

Palisades Coach Russ Howard says the future looks bright because of several outstanding sophomores who have stepped forward in recent weeks.

Leading the group is running back Lafayette May, who has rushed for 342 yards in 94 carries.

“Lafayette has grown up as a person on the field,” Howard said. “He is doing less showboating on the field and he has become less opinionated. He is a talent.”

Other sophomores to watch are receiver M’wshari Scott, tight end Milton Parker and offensive lineman Eduardo Caceres.

“I knew when the season started we were going to take it on the chin,” said Howard, whose team is 1-6, 1-3 in the Coastal Conference. “To be honest, we could be pretty tough next year.”

NEW LOOK

After the fourth game of the season, Fairfax changed quarterbacks and switched from the I-formation to the wishbone.

It took a couple of weeks to adjust, but Fairfax looks like a new team. Quarterback Az-Zahir (Oz) Hakim helped lead a 22-0 victory over Palisades on Friday.

Hakim threw two touchdown passes and intercepted two passes on defense.

“Oz is pretty good at the (wishbone),” Fairfax Coach Terrel Ray said. “He knows how to flip the ball. The other offense was not productive. Players were not sustaining their blocks long enough and receivers weren’t running real good routes.”

The Lions (3-4) play Manual Arts, Hamilton and Los Angeles in the next three weeks.

ALL WET

Although it did not rain Friday, St. Monica discovered that the field at Santa Monica College was too wet. And it was the Mariners’ home game.

St. Monica beat Mary Star, 23-18.

“I don’t know who the gardener is, but he left the sprinkler system on too long,” St. Monica Coach Norm Lacy said. “The field was wet and muddy. There were puddles everywhere and we don’t throw a wet ball very well.”

Quarterback Carlos Casillas completed only three of 13 passes for 38 yards and had one pass intercepted, but running back Kenny Jackson ran for 258 yards and two touchdowns in 38 carries.

Lacy suspects the field was watered down to help Santa Monica College, which played Valley on Saturday. The Corsairs lost, 24-21.

“I’ll have to ask (Santa Monica College Coach) Owen Hahn about the field,” Lacy said.

St. Monica (6-1) plays Verbum Dei, Serra and Cantwell-Sacred Heart in its remaining league games.

TYING ONE ON

Hamilton settled for a 7-7 tie with Manual Arts in a Metro League game Friday, but had to stop a last-minute drive by the Toilers.

With a second to play and the ball at Hamilton’s 21, Dartanyum Smith caught a short pass from Kareem Wafer, but was stopped for a three-yard gain as time expired.

Manual Arts’ drive began after Hamilton’s Malcolm Close missed a 38-yard field goal with 5:08 left. Hamilton also failed to score on its opening drive, when it drove to Manual Arts’ one-yard line.

“I would have liked to win, but a tie is a lot better than a loss.” said Hamilton running back Carl Himes, who rushed for a team-high 70 yards in 20 carries. “With our luck, we would have probably lost in other years.”

MURPHY’S LAW

Overconfidence was a problem for Murphy on Friday, when the Santa Fe League co-leaders played 0-6 La Salle. At the end of the third quarter, the Nobles trailed, 31-15.

“They were moving the ball with ease and only had to punt once in the first half,” Murphy Coach Greg Dixon said. “They caught us totally off guard.”

Quarterback Danny Ragsdale started the rally with a one-yard touchdown run. Gibbons St. Paul scored on a 60-yard touchdown run and Ragsdale scored on a five-yard run with 3 minutes remaining for a 35-31 victory.

OPENING MOVE

Although Chris Ellison’s 65-yard touchdown run was called back because of a clipping penalty, it gave Culver City a boost of confidence in its Ocean League game against Redondo.

“It set the tone that we could run for the rest of the game,” assistant coach Anthony Thomas said. “It was right up the middle.”

Ellison and Aki Wilson combined for 254 yards rushing and two touchdowns in Culver City’s 27-15 win.

LEG UP ON COMPETITION

Before Venice kicker Michael Barry attempted a 41-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in a 14-14 game against University, the Warriors called a timeout.

That would rattle the nerves of some kickers, but not Barry.

“It didn’t even faze him,” Gondolier co-coach Tony Chretin said. “I don’t think he’s aware of that type of tactic since he really doesn’t have a football background.”

Barry made the kick and the Venice won the game.

Barry, a soccer player, was a student in Chretin’s health class and was encouraged to give football a try.

“He got a look at our place-kicker and thought he could do better,” Chretin said. “In practice now, he’s kicking them 55 and 60 yards.”

University Coach Marshall Jones was impressed with Barry’s poise.

“We knew from the start of the season that he posed a threat,” Jones said. “That leg is quite a weapon.”

HEALTHY RETURN

Santa Monica back Michael Jackson had three receptions for 44 yards and returned a punt 75 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown in Friday’s loss to Peninsula. The senior had missed the previous game against Hawthorne because of an allergy to grass.

Jackson, who suffers from asthma, had a respiratory reaction caused by a midweek rainstorm before the Hawthorne game.

“That time it was more of a problem. We usually just need an inhalator on the field for him,” Viking Coach Danny Escalera said.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

West L.A.’s 21-9 Western State Conference Southern Division victory against L.A. Southwest on Saturday was its first win over the Cougars since 1986.

The Oilers (4-4, 1-0) will try to defeat Santa Monica for the first time in seven years Saturday night at Santa Monica. The Corsairs (2-4, 0-1) are coming off a 24-21 conference loss to Valley.

“This was a milestone victory for us, but I see a tremendous task ahead against Santa Monica,” West L.A. Coach Rob Hager said. “Any time you’ve only beaten a team once, that has to say something about tradition. Santa Monica is hungry. They have their pride at stake and are looking for this game to redeem themselves.”

The Oilers are leading the conference in rushing and offense, in large part because of Michael Black. Black rushed for 263 yards in 35 carries and two touchdowns against Southwest to earn state player-of-the-week honors. Black ranks third in the state in rushing with 817 yards in 108 carries and in all-purpose yardage with 977.

“We’re scared to death of Michael Black,” Santa Monica Coach Owen Hahn said. “Whatever happened before is out the window. There is an interesting set of problems. We’re down in the dumps and facing an archrival that is feeling very good about themselves.”

The Corsairs had little reason to celebrate after their game against Valley (6-0), the seventh-ranked team in the state. Santa Monica had seven turnovers and squandered a 21-14 halftime lead.

“We should have won,” Hahn said. “I don’t buy into the rankings. There is definitely an elite group of teams at the top. But from No. 4 all the way through the top 10 and the middle 30 teams, the difference is infinitesimal. Anybody can beat anybody.”