51 In a Row, But It’s Getting Much Harder

Carpinteria High Coach Coley Candaele knows all about The Streak.

Dating back to the 1930s, Carpinteria has beaten Moorpark 51 consecutive times. During three of those victories, from 1987-89, Candaele played quarterback and defensive back for the Warriors, who won by a combined score of 140-17.

But Candaele, in his first year as Carpinteria’s coach, is making no promises for Friday, when Moorpark (11-1) hosts the Warriors (9-3) in a Southern Section Division X semifinal game.

“It was a lot easier when I went to high school than it will be Friday night,” said Candaele, who helped the Warriors to three consecutive Southern Section championships.

“They’re drastically improved. They have a lot more kids to choose from and they’ve been building a program.”

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Hot ticket: Moorpark expects a crowd of about 7,000 for the Carpinteria game and is selling advance tickets for the first time in school history.

“This is the first time that we have a chance of filling up our stadium,” Moorpark Athletic Director Rob Dearborn said. “It’s kind of like a second homecoming, but there will be more alumni there [Friday] than any homecoming the last 10 years.”

Dearborn said the stadium seats 6,000, but portable bleachers could be added to seat another 500. The final 500 tickets may be sold as standing-room only. Ticket sales will be cut off at 7,000, if necessary.

Advance ticket sales begin today and run through Friday, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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Wish list: The only information Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman had after the Spartans defeated Franklin, 7-0, Wednesday night was that Taft and Palisades were tied at halftime in another City Section 4-A quarterfinal playoff game.

As he waited in the Sylmar coaches’ office for a final score, Engilman mumbled a wish to no one in particular. “Geez, I hope Taft wins. . . .,” he said. “I really want another shot at ‘em.”

He will get it. Taft won, 28-7.

The last meeting between Sylmar and Taft left Engilman with a bitter taste. In the season opener last year, Engilman was serving a two-game suspension for illegal contact with a San Fernando player and could not coach--or attend--his team’s game. Without their intense taskmaster, the Spartans and the assistant coaches were in chaos and were routed, 30-6.

It was Sylmar’s worst loss since 1991, when a Sharmon Shah-led Dorsey squad whipped the Spartans, 40-13, in a 4-A semifinal.

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Work party: Think a high school football coach’s night ends when the final gun sounds? Forty-five minutes after his team lost to Notre Dame last Friday in a Southern Section Division III quarterfinal, Oxnard Coach Wes Morimune was helping a handful of Yellowjacket boosters dismantle a temporary snack bar.

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Setup man: Poor Billy Brecht.

Normally the lone setback in Hart’s run-and-shoot offense, Brecht plays a vital role for the Indians.

He has rushed 139 times for 1,006 yards, a 7.23 yards-per-carry average.

But Brecht’s hard work has gone virtually unrewarded on the scoreboard, because short-yardage running back John Harrison usually comes in to steal Brecht’s glory.

Brecht has only six touchdowns, an average of one every 23.2 carries.

Harrison, who plays fullback in goal-line situations, has 17 rushing touchdowns in only 57 carries, an average of one per 3.35 carries.

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Back in action: Ryan Martinez didn’t care where he was playing--he was just happy to be playing.

Martinez, a senior who Coach Myron Gibford says is Chatsworth’s best athlete, had been missing from the playoffs the past two seasons.

After playing all last year, Martinez was academically ineligible for Chatsworth’s loss to University in the first round of the City Section 3-A Division playoffs.

“That was an embarrassment,” Martinez said. “I wish I could take it back.”

This season, Martinez had to sit out the Chancellors’ opening-round victory over South Gate because he was ejected in the regular-season finale against Granada Hills.

Last week against Garfield, Martinez helped spark Chatsworth to a 36-14 victory by playing quarterback, receiver, cornerback and returning kicks. That helped delay the retirement of Gibford for at least another week.

“I’ve been around the Chatsworth program since I was a ball boy when I was 8,” Martinez said. “We’re not going to let him leave a loser.”