Game Day / A Look at Today’s Key Matchups

HIGH SCHOOL

* LOYOLA (8-0, 1-0) vs. NOTRE DAME (7-1, 0-1)

At Notre Dame High, 7:30 p.m.

If common opponents tell the story, Notre Dame might not want to read on. Notre Dame defeated Alemany in week four, 14-13. Two weeks later, Loyola trounced Alemany, 60-20. Last week against Bishop Amat, Notre Dame rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns but lost, 28-21. Chris Leon has emerged from the Knights’ tailback platoon and has passed the 100-yard rushing mark in each of the last three games. Todd Fenton broke a school record with the 18th touchdown reception of his career last week, but he dropped three passes and muffed a punt return. If Notre Dame loses, it must defeat St. John Bosco next week to stay alive for a playoff spot. Running back John Grady of Loyola has been hampered by a sprained ankle for nearly a month and missed a game against Serra, but is expected to start. If Loyola wins, its game against Bishop Amat next week probably will be for the league title.

* CRESPI (5-3, 0-1) vs. ALEMANY (5-3, 1-0)

At Alemany High, 7:30 p.m.

Will the real Alemany team please stand up? “They look like two different teams on tape sometimes,” Coach Tim Lins of Crespi said. Alemany was beaten by Loyola and Harvard-Westlake, then came back to pull off the upset of the year last week against St. Paul. The Indians learned sophomore tailback De’Andre Scott has the stamina to carry the ball often. Defensive ends Reggie Kinlaw and Ricardo Garcia had big games against St. Paul and need to come through tonight. Crespi’s wing-T offense has sputtered during a three-game losing streak. The absence of an effective ground attack is the major problem. “We have to go back to basics,” Lins said. It’s now or never for tailback Blake Tibbetts of Crespi to break loose. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, but has just 273 yards in 82 carries after struggling with a foot injury. Crespi needs to beat Alemany or St. Paul in its regular-season finale to gain a Division III playoff berth.

* HARVARD-WESTLAKE (7-1, 1-0) vs. SERRA (4-4, 0-1)

At Serra High, 7:30 p.m.

Harvard-Westlake continues its impressive season in a San Fernando League game that lost some of its luster when Serra lost to Chaminade last week, 24-7. Behind a balanced attack, the Wolverines have scored 39 and 38 points the last two games. George Witter has 18 rushing touchdowns, most among Southern Section running backs in the region. Tight end Alex Holmes has 27 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. The Wolverines face Chaminade next week in a game that could decide the league champion. Serra, the preseason league favorite, can’t shake its on-again, off-again tendencies. The Cavaliers looked good in victories over Crespi and Valencia, but stumbled against Chaminade. “If their good team shows up, we’ve got our hands full, that’s for sure,” Coach Dave Bennett of Harvard-Westlake said.

* CHATSWORTH (5-3, 2-3) vs. GRANADA HILLS (8-0, 5-0)

At Granada Hills High, 7 p.m.

One more victory and Granada Hills gets its dream matchup against Taft for the Northwest Valley Conference championship. But Chatsworth is no easy opponent. “It’s the best offense we’ve faced by a bunch,” co-Coach Darryl Stroh of Granada Hills said. Matt Cassel of Chatsworth leads City Section passers in the region with 1,814 yards and 15 touchdowns. Reggie Lee is his top receiver with 35 receptions for 682 yards and eight touchdowns. Running back Jason Holmes will miss the game with a shoulder injury. It’s a big game for quarterback Jason Winn of Granada Hills, a transfer from Chatsworth. Winn has passed for 1,499 yards and 16 touchdowns. Granada Hills’ secondary, led by Peter Gunny and Gerald Jones, figures to be busy.

* BUENA (4-4, 2-1) vs. VENTURA (4-3-1, 2-1)

At Ventura High, 7:30 p.m.

Second place in the Channel League is at stake and, more important, bragging rights. These cross-town rivals have met 34 times since 1963 with Buena, which won, 8-7, last year, holding an 18-16 series advantage. Both are coming off games that went down to the final seconds. Buena dropped a 35-34 decision to league-leading Santa Barbara. Ventura tied Pacific View League co-leader Hueneme, 32-32. Buena last week was without running back Freddy Keiaho, out with an ankle injury. But he has been practicing and is expected to play. Keiaho is averaging 7.9 yards per carry and was the Bulldogs’ leading rusher until D.J. Blackledge overtook him last week. Blackledge, shaking off his own ankle injury, gained 99 yards to give him 680. Keiaho has 629. Kyle Loughman of Buena has passed for 1,394 yards, fifth-best in the county. Tyler Ebell of Ventura has rushed for 794 yards and 11 touchdowns.

* CANYON (6-2, 3-0) vs. VALENCIA (5-3, 2-1)

At College of the Canyons, 7 p.m.

Assured a playoff spot, Canyon can win the league title with victories in its last two games, but it won’t be easy. The Cowboys face their two toughest opponents, the Vikings and then Hart. To get into a league title game against Hart, Canyon must stop Manuel White, who looked as good as he has all season when he rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-14 loss to Hart last week. Brian Hamilton, Valencia’s quarterback, is a rushing threat with 374 yards. Linebacker David Johnson, Canyon’s leading tackler, will be counted on to stop White, who has 1,072 yards despite playing through illness and injury most of the season. The Cowboys must do what they always try to do, let its deep corps of running backs grind out time-consuming scoring drives. But Valencia allows a league-low 218 yards a game. White rushed for a season-high 300 yards in a 34-13 victory over Canyon last season, something the Cowboys have commemorated by taping a picture of White on their locker room wall as reminder of who they need to stop.

* KILPATRICK (4-4, 3-0) vs. PARACLETE (7-1, 2-0)

At Antelope Valley College, 7:30 p.m.

This game will determine the Alpha League championship. Newcomer Paraclete, defending Division XI champion, is seeking its third consecutive league title after winning High Desert League championships in 1996 and ’97. Kilpatrick hasn’t won a league crown since joining the league in 1992. Kilpatrick is averaging 337 rushing yards and 43 points per league game after scraping its power-I formation in favor of a double-wing. Albert Youngblood has rushed for 842 yards and Kevin White has added 486 in three games. Paraclete, ranked No. 1 in Division XII, began the season relying on quarterback Rob Fockaert and receiver Tommy Breech. Fockaert has battled through injury problems to pass for 1,124 yards and Breech has caught 20 passes for 401 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing two games to suspension. Freshman Curtis Brown has emerged in recent weeks to give the Spirits balance, rushing for 583 yards, including 155 last week in a 34-14 victory over defending league champion L.A. Baptist.

In other games today:

City Section--Northern Conference: 7 p.m., Verdugo Hills at Franklin. Northwest Valley Conference: 7 p.m., Birmingham at Kennedy; 7:15 p.m., Cleveland at San Fernando. Valley Pac-8 Conference: 2:15 p.m., North Hollywood at Grant; 7:30 p.m., Monroe at Canoga Park; Van Nuys at Poly; Sylmar at Reseda.

Southern Section--Foothill League: 7 p.m., Saugus at Burroughs. Frontier League: 7 p.m., Nordhoff at Calabasas; Santa Clara at Santa Paula. Golden League: 7:30 p.m., Antelope Valley at Highland; Palmdale at Littlerock; Quartz Hill at Lancaster. High Desert League: 7:30 p.m., Bishop vs. Vasquez at Quartz Hill High. Marmonte League: 7 p.m., Newbury Park at Agoura; Thousand Oaks at Moorpark; Westlake at Simi Valley. Pacific League: 7:30 p.m., Crescenta Valley at Glendale; Hoover at Muir. Pacific View League: 6 p.m.--Camarillo at Channel Islands; 7 p.m., Oxnard at Hueneme. Rio Hondo League: 7:30 p.m., South Pasadena at La Canada. San Fernando League: 7:30 p.m., Chaminade at Bishop Montgomery. Tri-Valley League, 7:30 p.m., St. Bonaventure vs. Carpinteria at Carpinteria Middle School; Oak Park at Fillmore. Nonleague: 7:30 p.m., San Diego Orange Glen at Royal; Rio Mesa vs. Dos Pueblos at San Marcos High.

Eight-man--Heritage League: 3 p.m., South Bay Lutheran at First Lutheran.