Highs & Lows the Halfwayint of Season

A look at the winners and losers at the halfway point of the football season:

The contenders for No. 1.

1. La Puente Bishop Amat--A coaching change has had little effect on the talented Lancers, who showed their strength by routing highly regarded Bakersfield on the road Oct. 1.

2. Los Alamitos--The Griffins have the area’s best passing game and the return of quarterback Kevin Feterik last week made it even stronger. Any opponent with a shaky secondary is in for a long night.

3. Santa Ana Mater Dei--Depth is a plus for the Monarchs, who have shown power on both sides of the ball. Lack of speed is a concern, but a favorable schedule should ease the road to the playoffs.

On the bubble--Long Beach Poly: A weak league won’t help in preparation for the playoffs. Newhall Hart: Being in the Southern Section’s Division II hurts the Indians’ chances at finishing No. 1. Loyola or Santa Fe Springs St. Paul: The winner of their game will battle Bishop Amat for the Del Rey League title and the top spot in the playoffs.

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Teams that were expected to contend for No. 1.

1. Rialto Eisenhower--Heavy graduation losses and the opening of nearby Rialto High have taken a toll on the Eagles, who were 14-0 last season but are 1-4 this year. They are coming off a 31-0 loss to Hart.

2. Pasadena Muir--Bizarre coaching changes continue to plague a program with many of the area’s top college prospects. Mike Harrison was named interim coach last week, the school’s eighth coach in the past seven years. The Mustangs are 3-2.

3. Carson--City Section football is down again this season. The Colts might defend their Division 4-A title, but they were 0-3 in intersectional competition, and suffered lopsided losses to Bishop Amat and San Diego Morse.

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The biggest turnarounds.

1. Bloomington--In an area that has been dominated in football by Eisenhower and Fontana, tiny Bloomington is stealing some of the spotlight. The Bruins, 1-9 last season, are 5-0 and the favorite in the Southern Section’s Division VIII.

2. Huntington Beach Marina--The Vikings are 5-0 for the first time since 1981. They usually struggle in the Sunset League, rarely finishing above .500. But they should make the playoffs this year.

3. Arcadia--For the last decade, Muir has been the favorite in the Pacific League. Suddenly, the Apaches are the top contender with a 5-0 record. Not bad for a team that had won only seven games in the previous two seasons.

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The top coaching jobs.

1. Don Markham, Bloomington--He is not winning many friends by running up the score, but Markham is working miracles in his first season at Bloomington. The Bruins have outscored their opponents, 352-46.

2. Marijon Ancich, St. Paul--In the second season of his second stint at St. Paul, Ancich has the team in contention for a league title for the first time since the early 1980s. The Swordsmen are also playing before capacity crowds at home.

3. Gilbert Ruedaflores, Alhambra--Patience in rebuilding a program has paid off for Ruedaflores, who is in his sixth season. The Moors are a surprising 5-0 after years of mediocrity.

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Coaches on the hot seat.

1. Bill Denny, Mission Viejo--Denny is in only his first season, but a boisterous community is not happy about the team’s 1-4 start. A program that was on top in the 1980s continues to decline.

2. Dean Bennett, San Dimas--The move to the Valle Vista League has been hard on the Saints, who are 1-14 the last two seasons. Bennett has also had to play second fiddle to the basketball program, which has not made his job any easier.

3. Ed Paculba, Wilmington Banning--If the Pilots don’t advance far in the playoffs, Paculba will probably step down. Expectations are high at the school and the team has not been living up to them.

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Early top candidates for player of the year:

1. Daylon McCutcheon, Bishop Amat--The converted wide receiver is exceeding all expectations as a running back. He has gained 918 yards in five games and is averaging more than 10 yards a carry. He leads the Lancers with 16 touchdowns.

2. Reuben Droughns, Anaheim--The junior running back has the Colonists off to a rare 5-0 start. He has gained 805 yards in 123 carries and scored 10 touchdowns.

3. Rob Toler, Long Beach Poly--The three-year starting quarterback has been the team leader for the undefeated Jackrabbits. Despite having lost 36 players from last season, Poly is back on top, thanks in large part to the versatile Toler.

Still in the running--Billy Miller, wide receiver, Westlake; Greg Marquez, quarterback, Sylmar, and Kory Minor, defensive lineman, Bishop Amat.

Prep Notes

Ignacio Brache of Sun Valley Village Christian tied a state record with five field goals in a 29-14 victory over Southern California Christian of Orange last Friday. Brache’s record performance included field goals of 55 and 56 yards. Six other players have kicked five field goals in a game.

Times’ Top 20 Football Poll

The Times’ top 20 high school football poll, with teams from the City and Southern Sections.

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Bishop Amat SS I 5-0 1 2. Los Alamitos SS I 5-0 2 3. Mater Dei SS I 5-0 3 4. LB Poly SS I 5-0 4 5. Loyola SS I 5-0 5 6. Hart SS II 5-0 6 7. St. Paul SS I 5-0 7 8. Edison SS I 5-0 10 9. Sylmar City 4-A 5-0 9 10. Westlake SS III 4-1 11 11. Canyon Springs SS IV 4-1 12 12. Ayala SS III 5-0 14 13. Esperanza SS I 3-2 8 14. R. Cucamonga SS VI 5-0 17 15. Los Amigos SS VII 5-0 NR 16. Anaheim SS V 5-0 18 17. Arcadia SS II 5-0 NR 18. Bloomington SS VIII 5-0 NR 19. Alhambra SS III 5-0 19 20. Mira Costa SS VII 5-0 NR