ON THE PREP PATH / BARBIE LUDOVISE : Quarterback Fakes Out Trick-or-Treaters

F erraris, heavy metal and sleeping underwater.

True, I have weird dreams sometimes, but this isn’t one of them. It’s merely a hint at what’s in store in our Blurbs du Jour . . .

* How eager is Los Alamitos quarterback Mike Good in regard to tonight’s showdown against Esperanza? “When I wake up (today) I’ll be mad,” Good said. “I’ll want to play at 8 in the morning.”

Good is reputed to be a tenacious athlete. Apparently, though, his extra efforts only go so far. With his mom out of town last week, and his allowance set aside for the movies, Good didn’t buy any Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters.

“I set an empty bowl outside with a note that said, ‘Please take one,’ ” Good said. “That way, people would at least think I tried.”

* Last week’s fires in Laguna Beach were, of course, nothing short of horrendous, but for a moment or two, Artist quarterback Pat Wood could have almost smiled. A man Wood had never met tossed him the keys to his car, asking Wood to drive it to safety. I don’t care when you get it back to me, the stranger said. Just get it away from the fire.

The car was a convertible red Ferrari.

Said Wood: “All he said was, ‘Can you drive a stick?’ Then he gave me the keys.” Wood said he only put about 20 miles on the car before returning it the next morning. Had it been under different circumstances, Wood said, “I might have driven it to Vegas.”

* Facing sophomore running back Michael Graham is never much fun. Especially when you have to face him twice in the same season.

That’s the fate of Santa Ana, which watched Graham run for 201 yards and three touchdowns in Week 3. Graham, then at Mater Dei, led the Monarchs to a 49-6 victory. Now Graham’s at Edison, which plays Santa Ana tonight.

Said Santa Ana Coach Bob Hinman: “I’m not too thrilled.”

* Kids come up with the craziest excuses sometimes for missing practice. But Foothill linebacker Scott Sveslosky has a darn good one. He has board meetings to attend.

Sveslosky, a senior, is the student representative on the local school board, which meets after school on Mondays.

* Brad Pence may be one awesome water polo player, but don’t ask the Newport Harbor senior for camping tips. He once pitched his tent in a dry river bed--and woke up practically underwater.

Unlike most athletes, Pence doesn’t bow to superstition. His mom does it for him.

“I always feed him pancakes on game days,” Sharon Pence said. “I don’t think he even notices but I’m afraid to feed him anything else. I once wore a shirt to a game that had his picture on it, but they lost. Now it’s in a wad in my closet. I’m afraid to throw it away.”

* Fullerton sophomore Kelley Cawthra, a varsity cross-country runner as a freshman, has better things to do this fall. As one of the top 20 junior speed skaters in the nation, Cawthra is leaving next week for the U.S. Olympic Training Center at Lake Placid, N.Y., where she will live, train and go to school until the end of January.

Don’t fret, Fullerton track coaches. Cawthra, a standout sprinter, will be back in time for track.

* Foothill opponents beware: Speedy running back Ethan Taub, who broke his leg during a game six weeks ago, got his cast off Wednesday. He could be back in the lineup midway through the playoffs.

* The epitome of competitiveness? Look no further than Santa Ana quarterback Mark Fausto. “Whenever I ask someone to do something, Mark says, ‘Hey, let me!’ ” Saint Coach Bob Hinman said. “If he could throw the ball to himself, he would.’ ”

* For most 10-year olds, the biggest decision they face is choosing between Rocky Road or Chocolate Chip. When Irvine water polo player Jason Lezak was 10, he had to choose between competing in a “Hit, Run and Throw” regional championship in front of 50,000 at Dodger Stadium or an age-group national swim championship at the Air Force Academy.

Lezak chose the latter; life’s gone swimmingly ever since.

* Even though they’re only taking batting practice in sixth-period P.E. these days, Esperanza baseball players know they better not goof around. Not when their coach, Mike Curran, is coaching the freshman football team on a practice field a few feet away.

* You might say Foothill water polo Coach Jim Brumm was confident going into Wednesday’s game against Villa Park. He brought a spare set of dry clothes to the match--just the thing to have after his celebratory post-game dunk. (With their 8-5 victory, the Knights were Century League champs).

* Some say Dan Glenn, Newport Harbor volleyball coach, has become more intense over time. Glenn says the only change he notices is his taste in music.

“I used to hate heavy metal, now I even listen to that,” Glenn said. “To me, that’s scary. I worry about that.”

* Finally (and let’s continue with this French theme, shall we?) our Quote du Jour :

Good, the Los Alamitos quarterback, on the pressure to fill Tim Carey’s shoes: “I don’t have to fill Tim Carey’s shoes. Tim Carey’s shoes are at Stanford.”

Touche, Mr. Good, touche.

Barbie Ludovise’s column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Ludovise by writing her at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, 92626 or by calling (714) 966-5847.