Casey Tries to Engineer Alemany Turnaround

It wasn’t a good night for Casey Clausen. The Alemany High quarterback had a trace of the flu and was getting blitzed mercilessly.

His coaches weren’t entirely sympathetic.

“You have plenty of time,” they yelled after he threw another incomplete pass. “Step up and throw it.”

Clausen eventually passed for two touchdowns in a 27-13 victory over Torrance last Friday night. But his statistics were unimpressive--seven of 18 for 91 yards--and things won’t get any easier, pass rush-wise, when Alemany faces Notre Dame tonight.

Travis Johnson will be waiting across the line.

“He’s one of the best defensive linemen around,” Clausen said. “We’re going to have to key on him.”

That could be difficult for a team whose offensive line remains a question mark.

Alemany is loaded with talent, running a four-receiver offense that features running back De’Andre Scott and receivers Bryson Atkins and Reggie Kinlaw.

Coach Jim Bonds frets: “We’ve just got to protect the quarterback.”

His quarterback is well worth protecting.

Clausen became a starter in his sophomore season and frequently took a beating. He completed about 50% of his passes, throwing for 1,663 yards and 13 touchdowns and had eight passes intercepted.

Older, wiser and bigger, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior has looked better this season. In the weeks before the Torrance game, he passed for 318 yards and five touchdowns against Hueneme, then 224 yards and five touchdowns against Burbank.

That gives him 12 touchdown passes so far, one fewer than he threw last season.

“His arm strength is much better,” Bonds said. “He worked his tail off over the summer.”

Clausen spent his vacation with private quarterback coach Steve Clarkson, practicing alongside Mike Van Raaphorst of USC, among others.

He threw endless passes, lifted weights and, most importantly, improved his footwork.

“I think I’m better at feeling the pocket,” he said. “Last year, when I dropped back I would look at what was happening with my line and the defensive line.

“Now, this year, I look at my coverage and the receivers. If I feel something I don’t like, I get out of there.”

Coach Kevin Rooney of Notre Dame has seen the improvement in game films. He also has noticed Alemany is trying to keep Clausen upright by calling short slant patterns, crosses and fades.

“They do a lot of things that allow him to get rid of the ball quickly,” Rooney said. “That makes it very difficult to get to him.”

But Alemany has yet to face a pass rusher the likes of Johnson.

Both teams know the defensive lineman could be the difference as Alemany tries to beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1991.

“We want to try to get pressure on [Clausen],” Rooney said. “You’d rather do it without having to blitz.”

Which means Rooney will make the Alemany line prove it can keep Johnson out of its backfield.

Easier said than done.

“We’re going to have to know where he’s coming from,” Bonds said. “I don’t know exactly what we’re going to do.”

Clausen has a suggestion.

“Double-team him, triple-team him, whatever it takes,” he said.