One-Way Flight to Round Trip in a Detroit Minute

It didn’t take Rashad Haughton and his family long to realize maybe Los Angeles wasn’t such a great place to be after all.

The Haughton family was moving from Detroit, and Rashad, a 6-foot-2 junior, was to enroll at Chaminade.

The Haughtons landed in Los Angeles around 12:30 a.m. last Monday. About four hours later. . . . Well, we all know what happened.

The initial quake was not enough to dissuade the Haughtons. They stayed through the week, but their desire to remain lessened with each aftershock. The series of jolts within 21 minutes Friday was the last straw.

They were on a flight back to Detroit the next day.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

Tailback Roll Continues

According to Kennedy football Coach Bob Francola, tailback Donte Scarbrough was acutely aware of the success of his predecessors.

Scarbrough wanted more of the same. In fact, he intentionally chose the same uniform number as former Golden Cougar running back Ontiwaun Carter.

Last week, Scarbrough got his wish. He accepted a scholarship offer from San Jose State and became the third Kennedy tailback to land an NCAA Division I scholarship since 1990.

He follows 1990s standouts Carter (Arizona) and Elijah Raphael (Washington State). Since Carter started as a sophomore in 1988, Kennedy has ranked among the region’s most consistent rushing teams. In fact, Kennedy’s starting tailbacks have racked up 8,345 yards and 95 touchdowns since 1988--an average of nearly 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground per season.

Before Carter, other scholarship winners included 1984 graduate Michael Pringle (Cal State Fullerton), 1986 graduate Edwin Jones (Iowa State) and 1987 graduate Ron Hardy (Oregon). Pringle was a third-team All-American.

Scorecard: Six scholarships for Kennedy tailbacks in 10 years.

“I think most of the young kids in the neighborhood know that if they play here, (the tailback) is going to get the ball 240 times a season,” said Francola, who took over in 1986.

The heir-apparent to the aforementioned trio could be Antwane Smith, a speedy sophomore who started at receiver last fall. Smith rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns in 24 carries, most of which were reverses and inside handoffs from the wing position.

“He’s the real deal too,” Francola said.

MARMONTE LEAGUE

Tough Opposition

Few opponents got the best of Royal’s Rommel Butler on the football field.

The All-Southern Section cornerback often dominated the competition during his three years as a starter for the Highlanders. Butler always battled the opposition’s best receiver one on one.

Unfortunately for Butler, however, he has encountered another powerful foe--the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

In two previous attempts, Butler failed to earn the NCAA-required 700. Butler, a member of The Times’ All-Ventura County team the last two seasons, has been offered a scholarship to USC, providing he earns a qualifying score.

Butler took the test again Saturday but will not receive his score for at least two weeks. The NCAA national letter of intent signing period begins Feb. 2.

Even if Butler did score 700 during his latest attempt, sources said that USC might not hold a scholarship for him.

Butler is understandably troubled by the situation.

“I didn’t pick up my score that much from the first time,” he said. “Even though I took it again, it doesn’t really look good.”

If Butler does not receive a scholarship to USC, he said, he will probably attend Moorpark College this fall.

Around the Leagues. . . .

* Good things are happening in pairs at Palmdale. Last week, quarterback Rocque Sandoval and receiver Tony Coleman committed to play football at New Mexico. Last season, quarterback Terrence Zenno and receiver Al Corney, 1993 Palmdale graduates, both played as freshman at Colorado State.

* Agoura senior Chad Payne has won 20 consecutive matches at 125 pounds for the Charger wrestling team. Payne is 24-1 this season and won the Newbury Park, Quartz Hill and Alemany tournaments. Payne’s only loss came in the Schurr tournament in the second week.

* When Oak Park soccer player Cheryl Klein scored in the Eagles’ 5-1 loss to La Reina on Wednesday, it snapped a 27-match streak during which the Regents had not given up a goal in Tri-Valley League play.

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