Fargas Making Himself a Target

The thought makes Justin Fargas’ head spin--which is only fair, since it usually is Fargas who leaves others with their heads spinning.

“Next year?” Fargas says with a grimace, squeezing his head with his palms. “After this year, everyone’s going to have high expectations.”

Well, why not consider the future?

That Fargas has come seemingly from nowhere this season as a junior tailback for Notre Dame High to outdistance regional rushing leaders makes one wonder what he will do for an encore.

Or, to paraphrase his teammates, how far will “Fargo” go?

For now, at least as far as a Southern Section championship game.

Notre Dame (12-1) plays Camarillo (12-1) for the Division III title Friday night at Camarillo.

It marks the Knights’ second title-game appearance in three seasons, thanks largely to a strong defense and a grind-it-out running attack that keeps the chains moving and the clock ticking.

With Fargas at the fore, the Knights, ranked first in Division III, have been explosive, winning lopsided contests filled with one breakaway run by Fargas after another.

“He’s kind of taken us all by surprise,” Ricky Bednarek, a senior tackle, said. “We didn’t know how he would do.”

Fargas, 6 feet 1 and 175 pounds, is flirting with the first 3,000-yard season in school history. He has rushed for 2,744 yards, and for at least 200 in nine games--including a 329-yard performance in 14 carries against Harvard-Westlake.

He has rushed for 32 touchdowns and has four touchdown catches among his 20 receptions.

Most impressive, perhaps, Fargas, deceptively strong with exceptional balance and tackle-breaking ability, averages 10.84 yards a carry.

Nearing the end of a whirlwind season, Fargas has broken nearly every school rushing record and exhausted every superlative within the vocabulary of Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney.

So, what about next year?

“He’s gonna get faster, he’s gonna get bigger and he’s gonna to get stronger,” Rooney said. “Physically, he’s very tough. He’s got good vision and he sees the holes. He puts all those things together to be a good running back.”

Rooney, in his 17th season as the Knights’ coach, thought he had seen everything--that is, before watching Fargas cartwheel over a pile of players and run for a long gain in a playoff game against Righetti.

To be sure, Rooney has never seen a player like him.

“His will and his determination are pretty extraordinary,” Rooney said.

Even Fargas is at a loss for words, but more so because of his desire to speak softly when not carrying a football.

“I don’t know if it’s natural, or what,” he said of his running ability.

Fargas, who rushed for 534 yards as a fullback last season, understands that he is an underclassman in a tradition-steeped environment where seniors are respected almost as much as coaches.

Moreover, Notre Dame, a section semifinalist four times in the past eight years, has been prolific yet far from flashy. Rooney’s reign at the 49-year-old Catholic school has been characterized by discipline and conformity.

Few players have stood out, especially juniors.

Ironically, Fargas is the son of Antonio Fargas, a veteran television actor who appeared in the 1970s series “Starsky and Hutch.” Justin’s creative interests lean toward rap music.

Fargas dabbles in writing lyrics, which he shares only among a few friends. He said he aspires to work as a music producer.

When it comes to sports, Fargas is a reluctant star who would prefer to avoid the spotlight.

“I wouldn’t call it star treatment, but everybody is really nice to me,” Fargas said. “I just carry the ball and try to protect it.

“The whole thing about Notre Dame football, it’s really a team thing. You won’t see any players ripping their helmets off in the end zone or pointing or anything like that. At the beginning of the year, the coaches go over attitude and certain things that make up a Notre Dame football player.”

That includes crediting teammates--a must, as far as Fargas is concerned.

“I know that anything I do, like get to 3,000 yards, is because of our line,” he said.

“They just open it up and I just react to it and try to score a touchdown on every play. They do such a good job, it inspires me.”

Members of the Knights’ front five have spent much of the season jogging downfield, trailing after their breakaway back.

But the offensive line is quick to credit Fargas for making the season so entertaining.

“He’s hard to keep up with,” Bednarek said. “But we really enjoy it.”

Fargas is enjoying it all too. He’ll worry about encores next season.

“You can’t be satisfied,” he said. “Expectations are always going to be there. I don’t ever want to fall below them.”

* RELATED STORY: Championship week notes and directions to the title games. C7

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2,744 yards (and counting)

OPPONENT:

D. Alemany, 41-7: 21 for 215 yards, 2 TDs

D. Burroughs, 37-14: 20 for 269, 3 TDs

I. to Beverly Hills, 14-7: 19 for 70

D. Crespi, 28-25: 22 for 215, 2 TDs

D. St Paul, 16-14: 17 for 142

D. St. Francis, 31-7: 25 for 222, 4 TDs

D. Chaminade, 33-7: 15 for 248, 2 TDs

D. Bishop Montgomery, 42-8: 8 for 228, 3 TDs

D. Serra, 42-14: 23 for 176, 2 TDs

D. Harvard-Westlake, 42-0: 14 for 329, 3 TDs

D. Righetti, 48-14: 15 for 268, 4 TDs

D. Lompoc, 45-14: 21 for 164, 4 TDs

D. Muir, 45-20: 33 for 208, 3 TDs