Grant, Poly Still Could Get a Shot to Play Overtime

There eventually could be a winner of the game between Grant and Poly that ended in a 28-28 tie Friday if the result winds up having playoff implications, City Section administrator Lee Joseph said Monday.

If Grant (2-4-1, 1-2-1 in Valley Pac-8 Conference play) or Poly (2-4-1, 2-1-1) needs a victory to reach the 3-A Division playoffs, the teams could play an overtime period after the conclusion of the regular season.

It’s happened before.

In 1993, Kennedy and El Camino Real tied, 22-22, in the final game of the season to finish in a tie for third place in the North Valley League. At the playoff seeding meeting, the selection committee required the teams to play a California tiebreaker at Birmingham High. The following Monday, the Conquistadores won and advanced to the 4-A playoffs, ending Kennedy’s season.

Last week, game officials erroneously ruled against playing overtime at Grant, the only City Section stadium in the region without lights. City Section rules stipulate an extra period cannot begin more than 10 minutes after sunset. But the officials misread a chart and believed sunset was at 5:10--it was actually at 6:10--and stopped the game after the fourth quarter ended at 5:26.

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The City Section Interscholastic Athletic Committee approved final playoff dates for the playoffs.

First-round games will be played on Thursday, Nov. 19, followed by the second round on Wednesday, Nov. 25, semifinals on Friday, Dec. 4, and the 4-A and 3-A championship games at the Coliseum on Friday, Dec. 11.

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St. Francis Coach Bill Redell will return to the scene of some of his greatest coaching victories Friday night, when the Golden Knights play at Crespi.

Redell coached the Celts to their only Southern Section championship in 1986.

“You just can’t help but think of the fact that we played on that field during the championship season with [running back] Russell White,” Redell said. “There were some great games there played by a lot of great kids, good character kids. I never coached a bad kid at Crespi.”

Redell left Crespi in 1988 and retired from coaching before taking the job at St. Francis in 1994.

Redell, whose three sons graduated from Crespi, has been back to the campus several times since he left, but never as coach of the visiting team.

People at Crespi might not recognize Redell, who has dropped nearly 70 pounds this year, but Redell will recognize several faces. Crespi Coach Tim Lins replaced Redell after serving as his defensive coordinator, and Athletic Director Richard Fong coached the Crespi junior varsity team during Redell’s tenure.

“It’s a nostalgic trip back,” Redell said.

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Paraclete quarterback Robby Fockaert, who reinjured a hairline fracture in his left ankle last week during a 19-6 victory over Montclair Prep, practiced Monday after receiving clearance from a doctor to play.

Paraclete (6-1, 1-0 in league play), defending Southern Section Division XI champion and first-year member of the Alpha League, meets three-time defending league champion L.A. Baptist (5-2, 1-1) Friday night at Antelope Valley College.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to play,” said Fockaert, a junior who has completed 62 of 100 passes for 979 yards and seven touchdowns.

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Running back Manuel White of Valencia is questionable for the Vikings’ important Foothill League game Thursday night against Hart at College of the Canyons, Coach Brian Stiman said.

White, one of the top rushers in the region with 951 yards and nine touchdowns, sat out last week and is still recovering from a knee injury, believed to be a bruise.

White practiced with the team Monday, but Stiman said he pulled out the junior after a few plays.

“He wasn’t anywhere near his capabilities,” Stiman said. “Your guess is as good as mine if he’s going to be able to go. He can’t practice right now, I do know that.” . . .

Taft tailback Marquis Brignac practiced Monday after leaving the game last week against Birmingham because of a hand injury. Brignac has gained 949 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

The Toreadors also welcomed back Lawrence Wallace, a two-way starter who missed the last month because of a broken hand after catching 26 passes in the first three games. . . .

Jason Geisler, Camarillo’s kicker, is questionable for the Scorpions’ game against Rio Mesa on Friday because of a groin injury, Coach Carl Thompson said. . . .

Ted Chewning, Fillmore’s leading rusher with 645 yards and five touchdowns, did not play last week in a 39-0 loss to Carpinteria and is questionable for the Flashes’ game Friday at Bishop Diego because of an injured Achilles’ tendon, Coach Matt Suttle said.

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Wes Cobos and Joey Casillas, Thousand Oaks’ best defensive backs, were sick with the flu last week, forcing Coach Mike Kelly to start them only on offense against Westlake. It was risky , considering Westlake possesses one of the best passing attacks in the region.

But the Lancers held Warrior quarterback Zac Wasserman to a season-low 124 yards passing and earned a 31-31 tie.

“I was very pleased with the effort of our other defensive backs,” Kelly said. “Several guys played very well.”

Clint Wilson stepped in at strong safety for Casillas, who played only on the prevent defense, and Santo Riccobono spelled Cobos at cornerback. Riccobono had an interception, and Wilson, along with safeties John Freeth and Larry Schneider and cornerback Darin Rolfe, blanketed Westlake receivers Travis Campbell, Mike Seidman, Chris Catalano and Kevin Howard, a standout group that was slowed by injuries.

A Lancer receiver coming off an injury of his own, Jesse Siebers, made the big play, scoring from 53 yards after catching a pass over the middle with less than two minutes to play to cut Westlake’s lead to 31-30.

With the memory of three losses by a total of four points fresh in his mind, Kelly called on kicker Richard Grossman and settled for the tie.

“I just couldn’t let this team have another disheartening loss,” he said. “We didn’t play conservatively. Twice we went for it on fourth down. But we couldn’t afford another loss.”

Thousand Oaks is 2-4-1, 1-1-1 in Marmonte League play, with one-point losses to Crescenta Valley and Simi Valley, and a two-point loss to Camarillo.