Player Swaps Helmet for Pen, Reports on Fire

Calabasas High, despite being clear of the fire that broke out in Topanga Canyon, was nearly empty by early afternoon because many students left to protect their homes against the raging blaze.

Football practice was canceled, so running back John Corcoran pulled out his note pad and jumped into action in his off-field enterprise: editor of the school newspaper. He filed this report:

“The principal got on the intercom about 11:40 and told us the fire was going in the opposite direction and not to worry,” Corcoran said. “I’m a senior, so I go home at noon. People were just finding out about the fire at that time. Some 30 to 40 parents had come down and the Valmar Road-Mulholland Drive intersection (next to the campus) looked like the 101-405 (freeway) interchange at rush hour.

“There was a lot of fright on campus. We all watched the news last week, and here a fire was, in our own back yard.”

Corcoran said the blaze was heading west, toward Malibu, and he was not certain whether any teammates’ homes were in danger.

Still, he had football on his mind. A valuable practice day was lost in the Coyotes’ preparation for Friday’s home game against Moorpark (6-1-1, 2-0 in Frontier League play). A victory by Calabasas (6-2, 1-1) could create a three-way tie for first place.

Corcoran filed his report moments after his father, John Corcoran Sr.--a field reporter--gave an update on the blaze for KCAL-TV.

CHANNEL LEAGUE

Johnny-on-the-Spot

When the Buena football team is in a pinch, Coach Rick Scott knows he can turn to senior H-back Johnny Chang.

For the second time in two seasons, Chang powered the team while filling in for injured tailback George Keiaho. After Keiaho--the state’s No. 2 all-time rusher--suffered an injury to his right knee on the game’s opening play, Chang moved to tailback and rushed for 226 yards and four touchdowns in 30 carries to lead leading Buena to a 38-24 win over Oxnard.

Chang was an emergency starter in a league opener last season because of an ankle injury to Keiaho. He rushed for 206 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 36-23 win over Dos Pueblos.

Scott credits Chang, who had a 4.0 grade-point average, with much of the Bulldogs’ success on offense because of his ability to grasp changes quickly.

Chang does not carry the ball often. He almost doubled his rushing total for the season against Oxnard. He has 467 yards and eight touchdowns in 57 carries (an 8.2-yard average).

“When George got hurt, I went, ‘Oh, gee, I better get ready,’ ” Chang said. “Actually, it scares the hell out of me when he gets hurt.

“I have the easy part. The offensive line opened holes all over the place and I just ran through them.”

Chang will start at tailback against San Marcos on Friday although Keiaho, whose injury is not as severe as initially feared, might play. Scott has confidence in Chang.

“He is one of those kids who is the backbone of a high school football program,” Scott said. “He does everything we need from him.”

MARMONTE LEAGUE

Doing the Job Up Front

Newbury Park quarterback Keith Smith and receiver Leodes Van Buren are the glamour boys of the area’s premier offense. Smith is the state’s leading passer and Van Buren is the state’s all-time leader in receptions and yards receiving.

Both, however, have been helped by the veteran offensive line of tackles Mark Davis and Tony Weak, guards Eric Crain and Justin Simo and center Eric Masaki.

Not especially big (the group averages 6-feet-1, 218 pounds), the all-senior line relies on quickness and timing. The system must work: The undefeated Panthers average 426.3 yards and 41 points a game.

“They’ve just done an awesome job all year,” Smith said. “When I drop back (to pass), I have all the confidence in the world they’ll get the job done up front.”

Said Coach George Hurley: “They work well together because they played together as juniors. They are the foundation of our success.”

While the praise of teammates and coaches is welcomed, the group feels ignored. Like most offensive linemen, the Panthers work in anonymity.

“It gets frustrating sometimes when all (the backs and receivers) get their names in the papers and we don’t,” said Weak, a team captain. “But Keith and Leodes know what we do and they give us credit.”

Said Davis: “I think it’s pretty evident we’re doing our jobs because their names are getting into the papers. It would just be nice if more people knew it.”

GOLDEN LEAGUE

A Run on Excuses

Antelope Valley was grinding out wind sprints at practice Monday when players started their ever-predictable bargaining session with Coach Brent Newcomb.

The pattern is for the team to run one sprint for each penalty or mistake committed the previous game. Newcomb often subtracts one sprint if players can counter with a particularly good play, alibi or performance.

This week, players came up with a couple of doozies.

Newcomb agreed to eliminated one sprint because of the “Academy Award acting job” done by Mike Gleich.

The quarterback was the recipient of a phantom face mask call as Antelope Valley drove for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 26-14 win over Palmdale. The penalty, which kept a faltering drive alive, incensed Palmdale Coach Jeff Williams, who correctly believed that no infraction had taken place.

Another sprint was eliminated at the suggestion of tailback Jermaine Lewis, who evidently prefers to do his sprinting on Friday nights.

With his 222-yard performance against Palmdale, Lewis became the first sophomore in school history to top the 1,000-yard plateau--and he made sure to remind the coach.

Lewis, a diminutive 5-foot-6 and 135 pounds, carried a career-high 39 times against Palmdale. He has 1,115 yards in eight games, six as a starter.

“How about that guy?” Newcomb said. “He’s really turned out to be some little player. It sure didn’t seem like we gave it to him that many times.”

*

Quartz Hill running back Michael Perry, dogged by a string of injuries over the past two seasons, is not expected to play in Friday’s key league showdown with archrival Antelope Valley.

Quartz Hill (8-0) and Antelope Valley (7-1) are ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the Southern Section Division I poll.

Perry, who also missed last week’s game because of a nagging ankle sprain, has rushed for 298 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Jeff Diamond, who leads the team with 306 rushing yards, will start in Perry’s place. “Jeff’s a very good running back,” Coach John Albee said.

Diamond rushed for 93 yards in 15 carries last week against Ridgecrest Burroughs and had 121 yards in the Rebels’ 25-14 victory over Canyon a month ago.

NORTHWEST VALLEY

Upon Further Review

Here’s why folks seek second opinions.

El Camino Real two-way lineman Efrain Perez was feared lost for the season when a doctor reported that he had suffered a broken arm two weeks ago.

Turns out, reports of Perez’s demise were somewhat overstated. Another doctor took a look at Perez and came to the conclusion that the lineman had suffered a severe contusion, co-Coach Mike Maio said.

Perez is expected back during the playoffs.

*

Does Kennedy lack the killer instinct?

The Golden Cougars possess one of the region’s most productive offenses, but consistency is elusive.

For instance, over the past four league games, Kennedy has scored more than half of its total points (63 of 123) in the first quarter. In three of the four games, Kennedy has scored 14 or more points in the first quarter, but tailed off afterward.

“Maybe I need to bone up on my Knute Rockne halftime speeches,” Coach Bob Francola said.

*

Reseda found the optimum way to keep San Fernando quarterback Leon Blunt from stealing a victory in the fourth quarter, as he has done so often in his three-year career: Don’t let him have the ball.

In Reseda’s 13-11 upset, San Fernando had possession of the ball only three times in the second half, six overall, discounting a one-play Tiger possession as time expired in the first half.

Reseda controlled the line of scrimmage and put together drives of 11 and 13 plays to squeeze time off the clock.

“This was my kind of game,” Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer said.

*

What a difference a year makes.

This time last season, Kennedy tailback Donte Scarbrough was temporarily expelled after he allegedly stole from another student. There was some doubt whether Scarbrough, who was shipped to Granada Hills on an opportunity transfer, would ever be back--or whether Coach Bob Francola would welcome him.

Scarbrough not only has kept his nose clean, he has emerged as Kennedy’s most valuable player. He has rushed for 1,009 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 32 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns. Scarbrough has accounted for 1,402 of the team’s 2,615 yards from scrimmage (54%).

“As exciting as it’s been to watch him progress as an athlete, it’s been just as exciting to watch him grow as a person,” Francola said. “If we had an MVP right now, he’d be it.”

MID-VALLEY LEAGUE

Good News, Bad News

By virtue of its 20-3 victory over Canoga Park last week, Grant retained its playoff hopes, but lost a star player. Alex Rose, a two-way starter, dislocated his shoulder and will miss the rest of the season. Rose, a cornerback who also started at quarterback against Canoga Park in place of Ray Singleton, who was ill, usually starts at receiver. But Rose’s versatility made him the best candidate to spell Singleton.

Rose rushed for 91 yards in three carries, scored on an 80-yard run and intercepted a pass before being injured late in the third quarter.

Grant is tied for second with North Hollywood in league play at 2-3. Poly (3-2) has a one-game edge.

Around the Leagues . . .

* When Brandon Del Campo of Thousand Oaks won Monday’s Ventura County cross-country championships, it was the first time since 1985 that the boys’ individual champion had been a member of the first-place team. Jim Zimmer won the county title eight years ago while leading Simi Valley to the title.

* Crespi running back Shaun Williams has rushed for 1,047 yards. The rest of the Celts have rushed for minus-eight yards.

* Crespi’s Wayne Emerson, the team’s leading receiver last season, had four catches for 34 yards and one touchdown Friday in his 1993 debut. Emerson had been sidelined because of a foot injury he suffered before the first game.

* Four different Sylmar players have thrown a touchdown pass, but one player has been on the receiving end of all four: Dwight Patton.

* North Hollywood’s Ryan Jones leads area City receivers with 701 yards and nine touchdowns in 22 catches (31.9 average).

* With a 3-0 start in Santa Fe League play, St. Genevieve has clinched a playoff spot for the first time in six years.

* After making the first 42 extra-point attempts in his high school career, Notre Dame junior Chris Sailer has had two blocked in two weeks.

* Channel Island’s Tony Moore gained 84 yards in five carries in a 21-0 Marmonte League loss to Thousand Oaks, pushing his season totals to 102 yards in 12 carries. Of 14 Raiders who have carried the ball, Moore is the first to total 100.

* Antelope Valley’s five nonleague opponents have a combined record of 28-12. Quartz Hill’s five nonleague foes are 12-28.

* When St. Genevieve little-used backup receiver Emilio Gonzalez walked off the field after a play late in the game, he was greeted by chants of “Rudy, Rudy,” from his teammates.

* Alemany will play its first game this season at its home field Friday. Remodeling, which included the installation of new bleachers, was completed this week. The Indians played previous home games at Valley College.

Kennedy Cosgrove and staff writers Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad, Paige A. Leech and Jason H. Reid contributed to this notebook.

The Times’ Top 10

Rankings of Valley-area high schools by sportswriters of The Times:

Rank Prev. Team League W-L 1 1 Newbury Park Marmonte 8-0 2 2 Taft North Valley 8-0 3 3 Antelope Valley Golden 7-1 4 4 Hart Foothill 7-1 5 5 Quartz Hill Golden 8-0 6 6 Crescenta Valley Pacific 7-1 7 10 Westlake Marmonte 6-1-1 8 NR Buena Channel 6-2 9 NR Canyon Foothill 6-2 10 NR Sylmar East Valley 6-1-1

*

Team Last week This week Newbury Park Def. Royal, 37-16 Fri. at Agoura Taft Def. Granada Hills, 42-14 Fri. at Cleveland Antelope Valley Def. Palmdale, 26-14 Fri. at Quartz Hill Hart Def. Burroughs, 41-0 Fri. vs. Burbank Quartz Hill Def. Ridgecrest Fri. vs. Antelope Valley Burroughs, 37-28 Crescenta Valley Def. Glendale, 14-13 Fri. vs. Muir Westlake Def. Camarillo, 17-6 Sat. at Channel Islands Buena Def. Oxnard, 38-24 Fri. vs. San Marcos Canyon Def. Saugus, 28-26 Bye Sylmar Def. Van Nuys, 48-14 Fri. vs. Poly

Milestone Makers

Jermaine Lewis joined a select group of Antelope Valley High running backs in the past three decades to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Lewis, 5 feet 6, 135 pounds, became the first sophomore in school history to pass the milestone at the varsity level.

Year Player Att Yds Avg 1971 Gary Cox 239 1,714 7.17 1973 Jack Tolliver 281 1,634 5.81 1975 Bill Hilliker 236 1,618 6.86 1976 Bill Hilliker 284 2,069 7.29 1976 Lee D’errico 144 1,077 7.48 1977 Mike Tolliver 154 1,198 7.78 1978 Rod Finkley 186 1,030 5.54 1981 Marco Johnson 247 1,840 7.45 1986 Eric Mortensen 268 1,840 6.87 1988 Tommie Smith 267 2,020 7.57 1991 Freddie Edwards 209 1,340 6.41 1993 Jermaine Lewis 158 1,115 7.06