Midweek Report / High School Football Update : An Unmarked Man

Andrew Montenegro is one lonely cornerback. And he has only himself to blame.

Last year, he intercepted seven passes. Now wary quarterbacks simply refuse to test him.

Opponents of St. Bonaventure High have thrown only one pass in his direction--on the first play of the first game.

Montenegro, a 5-foot-11, 153-pound senior, nearly made an interception.

“I understand that it’s good for [St. Bonaventure] if the other team doesn’t use one side of the field, but I’d like to do more than tackle runners,” he said. “I’m also a little jealous; our safety has two interceptions and the other corner has one.”

Lately, St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Mack has been plotting strategy that might trick opposing teams into giving his star player some action. “We’re going to have to start moving him around so other teams have to guess whether he’s at corner or safety,” Mack said.

Flagged Down

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In two games on the road against teams from the Central Section, Highland was assessed 233 yards in penalties.

Bulldog opponents Foothill and Hanford were penalized a combined 35 yards.

“You watch the films and, my God, we were [cheated] up there,” Highland Coach Lin Parker said.

Highland led, 13-0, in a season-opening 21-13 loss at Foothill, in which officials marched off 118 yards against the Bulldogs. Included was an illegal forward pass call. Parker said film shows that quarterback David Kelly was six yards behind the line of scrimmage when he released the ball.

Highland last week escaped Hanford with a 28-14 victory, but only after being penalized 115 yards, 15 earned by Parker.

“I called one of the refs a weasel and he gave me unsportsmanlike conduct,” Parker said. “I deserved that one.”

Name Calling

Hueneme running back Ronald Jenkins isn’t a rebel, he just wants to spell his name the way he wants to spell his name.

Like many Ronalds, Jenkins goes by a less formal name, one he prefers to spell R-o-n-n-e-y. However, teachers, coaches, even his grandmother, want him to spell it R-o-n-n-i-e. More proper, they say.

“I prefer e-y, but everyone makes a big deal out of it,” Jenkins said. “They argue with me about how to spell my name.”

There is no arguing about whether Jenkins has made a name for himself on the field. The senior--whose talent prompted 33 Division I recruiters to visit the Hueneme campus last spring--has back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances after gaining more than 1,300 yards in 1994.

Headhunters

The Calabasas coaching staff is shedding hair.

Linebacker coach Bob Shea delivered on a promise to cut his ponytail if the Coyotes shut out Bell-Jeff, then held the gathered locks in his hand for each player to touch for luck before they took the field against Oak Park.

After his squad’s second consecutive shutout, Shea wears a flat-top. Next up: volunteer assistant Wayne Quigley, who has promised to shave his head if the Coyotes blank Arroyo Grande.

Around the Leagues

* CITY SECTION

EAST VALLEY

Revenge may be a factor for Reseda in its game at Birmingham. The Regents fell to the Braves twice last season, including an upset in the first round of the 3-A Division playoffs. . . . When teams try to stop Sylmar, they focus on tailback Durell Price, freeing fellow senior Gerrod Taylor, who has rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns. “He’s not a marked man,” Coach Jeff Engilman said of Taylor, who has only 38 fewer yards than Price. “He’s a big catalyst on our team.” . . . Van Nuys scheduled its game against Montclair Prep for three reasons: The schools are only a few miles apart, setting up a geographic rivalry; Montclair Prep has a strong ground attack, which the Wolves expect to see throughout their Valley Pac-8 Conference schedule; and the game improves the Wolves’ schedule strength, a factor used in playoff seeding.

MID-VALLEY

Dante Clay, who rushed for 301 yards for North Hollywood in the Huskies’ opener, was held to 79 yards by Franklin. Clay carried only 12 times, something Coach Gary Gray said won’t happen again. “I didn’t give him the ball enough,” Gray said. “I didn’t even realize it until the end of the game. We’ll fix it.” . . . Coach Tim Feeley wasn’t very happy with Poly players after a 36-6 loss to Eagle Rock. “We played like we’ve never played football before,” he said.

NORTH VALLEY

Devon Rose, who would have been the fifth prominent player to leave Granada Hills in the past three months, has rejoined the team after missing a week of practice. Rose, a fullback and safety, told Granada Hills Coach Brad Ratcliff earlier this month that he intended to transfer to Montclair Prep. . . . Kennedy Coach Bob Francola, whose team defeated Troy, 32-16, last Thursday night, spent Friday night watching the next running back who will challenge his standout defense: Dante Clay of North Hollywood. . . . San Fernando and quarterback Keijuan Douglas had hard-luck weeks. The Tigers had two fourth-quarter touchdowns called back on penalties, including a 54-yard pass play that would have doubled Douglas’ season passing total. The Tigers lost to Westchester, 12-6. . . . El Camino Real has two quarterbacks, junior Shaun Fishman and senior Mike Conn, who were starting pitchers for the school’s baseball team that reached the City Section 4-A semifinals.

WEST VALLEY

Chatsworth lost two key players, lineman Josh Logan (leg) and fullback/kicker Darrell Butler (elbow) to injures against Sylmar. Each player will miss at least one game. . . . Cleveland Coach Joe Santallano plans to get 6-foot-4 receiver Jason Bolding more involved in the offense against Monroe. Bolding has incentive on his side. He transferred from Monroe last year. . . . Already crippled by the losses of running backs Emmanuel Evans and Robet Bowens, Birmingham suffered another blow when fullback Charles Stewart suffered an injured shoulder while playing linebacker against University.

NORTHWESTERN

Verdugo Hills will have linebacker Miguel Alasco in the starting lineup Friday night at Brea-Olinda. Coach Don Scott benched Alasco two games for disciplinary reasons.

* SOUTHERN SECTION

DEL REY

Tight end Shane Ganzel (6 feet 3, 230 pounds) rejoined Alemany after walking out twice during summer practice. However, quarterback Kevin Peterson is sidelined indefinitely because of a sprained left knee. Junior Gary Nieto probably will start Friday against Simi Valley.

FOOTHILL

The leading tackler for Saugus is defensive end Derek Lyons, a senior who has 18 tackles, two sacks and has caused a fumble. Of the 10 touchdowns Saugus has allowed, eight have gone for 25 yards or more. . . . Burroughs held Bell-Jeff to 15 yards. The Bulldogs might have been fired up after Ken Wilson surprisingly quit the team. Wilson is the third two-way starter to quit in the past three weeks. Running back Mike Barrett, who has rushed for 319 yards and five touchdowns in two games, probably will be replaced by sophomore Robert Barillas. Coach Robert dos Remedios says Barillas, who was previously ineligible for varsity play because he hadn’t turned 15, is that good. . . . Canyon free safety Eddie Pugh had 14 tackles against Loyola. . . . J.B. Nelson of Hart is beating teammate Ted Iacenda at his own game. Iacenda, who has 65 career touchdowns, has five this season. Nelson has six, including his third kick return for a score in a little more than one season.

GOLDEN

Lafayette Bailey of Littlerock was held to eight yards rushing one week after gaining a school-record 218 yards. . . . Highland will be missing four starters this week. Quarterback David Kelly is still recovering from a concussion. Tight end Tom Garcia (sprained knee) and defensive end Barron Gardner (broken leg) are out for four weeks. Linebacker Victor Limones (torn knee ligaments) probably is out for the season. . . . Jermaine Lewis, last year’s most valuable player in the Golden League, has rushed for only 141 yards in two games for Antelope Valley. Last year he piled up 1,367 yards rushing. Coach Brent Newcomb, whose team has won by scores of 63-13 and 46-2, isn’t worried. “If I’d left him in, he could have had 200 [yards] in each,” Newcomb said. Lineman Avery Anderson, a 6-3, 230-pound transfer from Canyon, has been cleared to play for the Antelopes this week. Brian Vollmer (14 tackles, one interception) and John McElfresh (two fumble recoveries) played well for Palmdale in a 34-27 loss to Saugus.

PACIFIC

Crescenta Valley has not completed a pass in four attempts, but the Falcons have a healthy running game. Dion Higuera gained 116 yards and Ken Pritchett added 106 to pace a pack of seven rushers who combined for 412 yards against Blair.

CHANNEL

The Hueneme defense has surrendered 490 yards, fewer than any other Channel League team in the region. Free safety Cesar Rangel and linebacker Byron Williams have played particularly well, Coach Larry Miller said. Williams, a junior, is a cousin of teammate Ronney Jenkins, the team’s top running back. . . . Josh Cross entered the season as the top running back at Buena, but a hip pointer suffered in the first half of the Bulldogs’ opener against Westlake has kept him sidelined since. He is questionable this week. Replacing Cross has been junior Brady Phelps, who has rushed for five touchdowns and 331 yards, including 201 against Westlake. . . . Bruce Samuel has been a bright spot for winless Rio Mesa, leading the team with 275 rushing yards, three touchdowns and 17 tackles.

MARMONTE

The big-play capability of the Westlake offense is no myth: The Warriors’ four touchdown drives last week against Ventura averaged 82 yards in five plays, spanning 2 minutes 9 seconds. Jamal Harris, who has rushed for 300 yards in two games, left the Ventura game because of a sprained left ankle, but he will play against Hart. . . . Jason May of Simi Valley scored four touchdowns and led all area rushers last week with 184 yards, breaking off six runs of more than 20 yards. . . . After playing Buena tough in a 25-18 loss, Agoura players were so excited, “You would have thought we won the football game,” Coach Charlie Wegher said. Linebackers Dan Weikel, Dan Gibbs and Mike Taylor played well, and sophomore quarterback Ryan McCann threw his first two touchdown passes. . . . Defensive backs Josh Casillas and Jeff Feiereisen are expected to return to the Thousand Oaks lineup, but cornerback Matt Hoffman and defensive end Robbie Brady are out for the season after suffering injuries against Hart. Junior quarterback Scott McEwan last week posted career highs of 29 passes, 14 completions and 150 yards. . . . Newbury Park is playing with three sophomores on the offensive line: center Justin Negy and guards Brian Crain and Chris Soury. Negy and Crain have started all season and Soury is replacing Jim Newton, a 6-foot-8 senior tackle, who has a leg injury. . . . Channel Islands quarterback Charles Merricks, a junior three-sport standout, has shown steady improvement as a passer. The left-hander is 23 of 44 for 281 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Merricks threw 10 interceptions in only 54 passes last season. . . . The three touchdown passes thrown by Joe Borchard of Camarillo last week were a career high.

MISSION

The renovated stadium at Chaminade should be ready for the Eagles’ home game Sept. 29 against Littlerock. Grandstands under construction will double the stadium’s capacity of 2,500. . . . St. Francis linebacker Jonathan Jones picked off three passes against Verdugo Hills, but he managed only five return yards. Jones leads the Golden Knights in interceptions and tackles. Sophomore Matt Blaney, who leads the team with six receptions for 147 yards, might miss St. Francis’ game against Murphy because of a swollen ankle. Tackle Greg Perez, a starter last year, has recovered from off-season knee surgery and is expected to play.

RIO HONDO

Dean McCoy has replaced Derrick Dyslin as kicker for La Canada. Dyslin, one of region’s top prospects at the position, left the team to concentrate on soccer. La Canada has picked up senior defensive tackle Stanley Butler, a transfer from Pasadena. Tackle Orbel Ovanespour is expected to play after missing five weeks following knee surgery.

CAMINO REAL

“The bulk of our offense has been running on his shoulders,” Harvard-Westlake Coach Dave Bennett said of tailback Abed Abusaleh. Interesting choice of words. Abusaleh three times was forced from a game last season because of a shoulder injury. Fully recovered, Abusaleh has rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

FRONTIER

Calabasas quarterback Scott Quigley is giving credit to the Coyotes’ small but fast offensive line for back-to-back 42-0 routs of Bell-Jeff and Oak Park. “They can pull out and block the ends and get our backs outside a lot better than a slow, fat guy could,” he said. . . . Inside linebacker Casey Groves, who has six sacks, and defensive end Cadge Clayton have played well for Moorpark in the Musketeers’ 2-0 start. . . . Santa Clara already has as many victories as it did in 1994. Quarterback Adrian Maciel completed only six of 18 passes against St. Monica, but they went for 151 yards, including a 65-yard play to Andy Super. . . . After missing the opener because of off-field problems, Santa Paula free safety Rocky Frutos returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown and took an interception 40 yards for a score that was nullified by a penalty. Inside linebacker Gil Segovia will miss the Carpinteria game because of an injured knee. . . . Ben Harrold will replace Matt Cresto, who has a hip injury, at strong safety for Nordhoff.

TRI-VALLEY

Quarterback/cornerback James Cummings will miss his second game in a row for Fillmore because of bruised ribs. The Flashes’ defense, led by linemen Tim Pina and Eddie Gonzalez, surrendered only seven points in a 21-7 loss to Moorpark. The other points were scored on fumbles. . . . The 42-0 loss to Calabasas was the worst in Coach Dick Billingsley’s six-year tenure at Oak Park. “I don’t think we had a single play in the game where everyone did what they were supposed to do,” Billingsley said.

ALPHA

Four Village Christian starters probably will miss the Kern Valley game. Tight end Tim Gustafson, running back Chris Carruba and defensive lineman Troy Campbell have knee injuries. Kicker Kim Wolfe has an ankle injury. . . . Kilpatrick Coach Alex Williams is replacing two-way starting linemen Maurice Allen and Edward Mamoe on offense with David Jack and Chris Corbin. . . . After allowing almost 500 yards in its opener, L.A. Baptist tightened up against Mojave, surrendering 206. Running back John Wilson has rejoined the Knights. Wilson, an All-Southern Section outfielder, did not play last year in order to concentrate on baseball.

HIGH DESERT

Paraclete has scored only seven points in the second half, on an interception return by Sal Iabichella. However, the Spirits scored 23 points in the second quarter against Serrano.

SANTA FE

Bell-Jeff gained 18 yards against Burroughs, giving the Guards 16 for the season. “Our goal is to score some points,” Coach Doug Woodleif said after the Guards were blanked for the second week in a row. Bell-Jeff’s three first downs came on Burroughs penalties. . . . St. Genevieve should have running back Ricky Estrada back for Saturday’s game against Western Christian. Estrada has not played after having surgery to repair a broken thumb suffered in a summer passing tournament.

FREE-LANCE

While Akil Anderson nursed an ankle injury, Montclair Prep used eight ballcarriers against Murphy. Three scored touchdowns. . . . Valencia blew a lead for the second week in a row. “When kids are as young and green as ours are they’re mentally fragile and they lose their concentration when they get tired,” said Coach Brian Stiman, whose team consists of juniors and sophomores. Cornerback Ryan Edmonson has a sprained ankle and is questionable for the Yucca Valley game.

Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Dana Haddad, Steve Henson, Vince Kowalick, Michael Lazarus, Tris Wykes, Peter Yoon.