Hart Makes a Run at Balanced Attack

In a normal year, playing tailback for Hart High would be a good place for a young man involved in a witness protection program.

Even the team’s strong, silent types--the linemen--often receive more notice. The quarterbacks are the marquee players, the receivers their supporting cast.

Usually, there is little run in Hart’s run-and-shoot offense. The backs are kept around to grab an occasional swing pass, or to punch in a touchdown or two from close range when the pass catchers get winded.

This might not be a normal year.

Check these numbers from Friday night:

Hart quarterback Steve McKeon completed seven of 16 passes for 111 yards.

Indian running back Ted Iacenda rushed for 120 yards and four touchdowns in nine carries and caught four passes for 74 yards and another score.

In his first varsity start, after nine consecutive years in which Hart quarterbacks garnered All-Southern Section honors, McKeon passed for yardage many of his predecessors accounted for in a decent quarter. His spotlight was stolen by a bit player.

Funny thing is, he didn’t mind.

“Ted was making everything work,” said McKeon, a former Hart water boy. “It didn’t bother me at all. I was real happy for him.”

Hart defeated San Fernando, 41-18, and that, according to the Indians’ quarterback, is his bottom line.

“I’m just glad we won,” McKeon said.

Iacenda, whose brother, Andy, also carried the ball with some success for Hart several years ago, echoed McKeon’s sentiments.

“Whatever we do is fine, as long as we win,” he said. “You’re still going to be hearing a lot about McKeon.”

And quite possibly more about Iacenda, too. He did, after all, score 20 touchdowns last season as a sophomore.

“I’m pretty hyped-up about the five in one game, though,” Iacenda said. “It hasn’t really hit me yet.”

*

Josh Hawkins finds himself in an enviable quandary.

What to do for an encore?

Against Fillmore on Friday, the Nordhoff High senior scored the first time he touched the ball, racing 82 yards with the opening kickoff.

He was just warming up. On the final play of the first half, Hawkins converted on a play that spanned the length of the field.

With four seconds left, Nordhoff punted from its end zone. Fillmore’s Felipe Ordaz caught the kick near midfield, but Hawkins, the first man down on defense, stripped him of the ball, recovered the fumble, and sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown.

At tailback, Hawkins rushed for two more touchdowns and 158 yards in 16 carries.

His next act? Nordhoff would surely settle for a repeat rendition.

*

Hawkins’ kickoff and fumble returns were merely blips on the radar screen in a night of big plays.

In games involving teams from the region, there were 34 scoring plays of 50 yards or more. Nine were kickoff returns.

The longest play was a 96-yard dash by Taft running back Jerry Brown against Crespi.

There were six plays covering at least 90 yards, including two in one game--a 91-yard fumble return by Jess Laue of Channel Islands and a 91-yard kickoff return by Charles Boch of Rio Mesa.

*

As debuts go, Larry Mohr’s was right up there with the Titanic.

Both sank fast. After things looked so promising on paper.

In his first game replacing the venerable Harry Welch as Canyon High coach, Mohr and the Cowboys faced Righetti, which had lost 12 games in a row dating back to 1992.

Now Righetti has a one-game winning streak. Canyon lost, 37-22.

“It was ugly, a tough night,” Mohr said. “We weren’t a very good football team.

“This team has a lot to learn. For one thing, we’re not going to show up and beat people just because we’re the Cowboys.”

Especially not next week.

For those who might think things can’t get worse for Mohr, think again. Next on the schedule is Loyola.

*

Mohr isn’t the only coach who tripped coming out of the gate.

Monroe’s Fred Cuccia, Rio Mesa’s George Contreras, Agoura’s Charlie Wegher, Hueneme’s Larry Miller, Fillmore’s John Wilbur, Poly’s Tim Feeley, Glendale’s Ted Clarke and Santa Clara co-coaches Dan Dolby and Dick Weber all lost in their debuts.

The list of first-time winners is much shorter: John Hazelton at Burbank, Robert dos Remedios at Burroughs, Tom Harp at Granada Hills and co-coaches Bob Ganssle and Rick Hayashida at El Camino Real. Harp qualifies as a rookie even though he is in his 10th season at Granada Hills. Prior to this season, he shared duties with the now-retired Darryl Stroh.

*

Channel Islands’ 20-7 victory over Rio Mesa ended an 18-game losing streak dating back to the second game of the 1992 season.

*

Daniel Hernandez’s 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave Sylmar a 16-14 victory over Kennedy and saved Spartan tailback Durell Price from earning the week’s Phi Beta Kappa award.

With Sylmar trailing, 14-13, Price drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for doing a duck walk to celebrate a touchdown.

Price perhaps failed to notice that several yellow flags were littering the ground before he started to strut. Sylmar had been called for holding on the play, negating the score long before Price went into his waddle.

The penalty cost Sylmar 10 yards. Price’s premature victory dance tacked on an additional 15.

Guys, guys, guys. Just hand the ball to the official.

*

Bryan Paul was ready to leave Moorpark after last season before reports of his possible transfer to Thousand Oaks hit the newspapers.

Indeed, Paul probably would be playing for Thousand Oaks this season if the Southern Section let him. Instead, he stayed at Moorpark and both team and player are happy.

Paul, a junior who believed he was forever stuck behind Tyler Dritz, the quarterback who led Moorpark to a Frontier League title last season, passed for 206 yards in a 26-12 victory over El Segundo.

Dritz, as fate would have it, can’t play quarterback while recovering from an arm injury. He has been moved to wide receiver.

“Everything worked out,” Paul said. “I always liked my coaches. (The possible transfer) had nothing to do with that. I was just looking for a place I could play, basically.”

Of all people, it was Dritz who provided Paul with a cushion early. He returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown.

“I like having him around,” Paul said. “He’s good wherever you play him.”

What a difference a year makes.