LOS ANGELES TIMES 1994 : ALL-Valley / Football Team : Player of The Year : Iacenda Aims For No. 100

If the nickname “Touchdown Teddy” didn’t fit after a sophomore season in which Ted Iacenda scored 20 varsity touchdowns, it certainly did after the first game of his junior season.

Iacenda scored five times against San Fernando. He has not stopped scoring since.

With four touchdowns in a 55-23 victory over Quartz Hill in the Southern Section Division II semifinals, Iacenda passed former Crespi standout Russell White for the most touchdowns in a season by an area player.

White had 38. Iacenda finished with 41.

Make it 61 and counting for his career. The 6-foot, 215-pound junior, who has scored 368 points, will be back next season to possibly threaten the Southern Section career record of 568 points, held by White.

“I can sense when I’m going to score,” Iacenda said. “I can’t describe the feeling. But I’ve got the ball and I know I’m going to score. I’m not thinking about it, but something clicks inside of me. It’s a rush. I don’t feel like I can be stopped.”

And when that “something” does click, defenders have been able to sense it, too. And their efforts to tackle Iacenda in the open field have been feeble or nil.

“My God,” was the only comment Torrance Coach Rock Hollis could make after Iacenda piled up 309 yards rushing and receiving in a 42-12 victory over the Tartars in the first round of the playoffs.

Iacenda had scoring runs of 80 yards and eight yards and touchdown receptions of 31 and 27 in the game.

“He can do it all,” Hart offensive coordinator Dean Herrington said. “He knows how to run the ball when he gets near the goal line. He gets low and he gets a head of steam going. And the fact that the opponent knows he’s going to get the ball, that’s real impressive.”

Iacenda can be nimble or he can be a battering ram.

He led Hart in both rushing (214 carries, 1,538 yards) and receiving (46 catches, 838 yards) for a combined 2,376 yards.

“He just plays at a different level from everyone else,” Saugus Coach Jack Bowman said.