A Speed Deficit Is Forcing Monarchs to Play Catch-Up

Mater Dei hasn’t lost many football games in the 1990s--16 to be exact--but the Monarchs have dropped two of their last four, and for the same reason: Speed kills.

Against Long Beach Poly in last year’s section Division I title game and against Concord De La Salle Saturday night, Mater Dei was unable to keep pace with its faster opponents.

Poly won, 28-25, behind its speedy running backs and receivers, in particular Herman Ho-Ching (Oregon) and Kareem Kelly, who ran away from Monarch defenders once they reached the open field.

De La Salle’s offense was as good as advertised, but it was the Spartans’ speed on defense that kept Mater Dei off-balance and on the losing end of a 28-21 score.

De La Salle was able to shut down the Monarchs’ running game--they finished with a net 17 yards rushing--and its secondary only gave up a couple big plays--the biggest being Scott Lukash’s 74-yard touchdown pass play to Kelvin Millhouse in the third quarter to tie the score.

“Their team defensive speed was more than you saw on film,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We could not get to [and block] their linebackers, and their front guys did a great job of tying us up. It seemed like there were no creases or seams [to run through].

“We also didn’t have the ball much in the first half. They are very good at getting you out of your game plan, because if you’re not doing much on offense, you don’t have any rhythm.”

Still, after tying the score at 21, the Monarchs had momentum on their side until De La Salle running back Atari Callen broke loose on a 58-yard run--on a third-and-32 trap play from the Spartan 19--in the fourth quarter to set up the winning touchdown.

“We wanted to take the run away and force them to pass,” Rollinson said. “And even though their quarterback threw a couple of touchdowns, I don’t think their passing game hurt us that much. But their running game did.

“We were starting to wear them down, and we made some plays. But I keep coming back to that trap play. It’s the one time where we don’t make the one big play when we need it.”

*

De La Salle and Mater Dei agreed before the game to use the California tiebreaker to determine a winner, if necessary.

Had Mater Dei scored on its final drive in the final minutes--the Monarchs were at the De La Salle 43 when Lukash fumbled after being tackled with 1 minute 37 seconds remaining--Rollinson said Monday he was leaning toward going for two points.

“If you go for one and give them the ball back, as volatile as they were, they could go down and score,” he said. “If there was a little time left on the clock, I would have entertained thoughts of a two-point play. A lot is determined on how you score and where the momentum is.”

Rollinson was upset over Lukash’s fumble. At least, the ruling of a fumble.

“His arm was going forward,” Rollinson said. “It should have been an incomplete pass.”

One of the biggest calls came during De La Salle’s first possession.

On fourth and four at the Mater Dei 35, Millhouse swatted away a pass that apparently gave his team possession, but he was called for a dubious pass interference penalty. It kept the drive alive and De La Salle scored.

*

Lenny Vandermade, a Mater Dei defensive end, may have been the only Monarch who had bigger things on his mind than the De La Salle game Saturday.

Vandermade’s home was among those destroyed when a water tank ruptured Sept. 21 in Westminster.

According to Rollinson, the Vandermade family spent the week in a hotel. Lenny’s books, as well as his clothes--including his school uniform--were washed away.

The high school replaced his books and uniform.

*

It didn’t spark the huge celebration some people might have expected, but ending their 30-game losing streak was enjoyed by the members of the Santa Ana football team, which defeated Bolsa Grande, 48-14, Saturday night.

The streak predated second-year Coach Mark Miller and most of the players. It began with a 23-6 loss to Los Amigos on Sept. 23, 1995.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Miller said. “The kids may have acted like they won the Super Bowl for a bit, but if we had executed better in our first two games, we’d be 3-0.”

Santa Ana came within a half minute of defeating Sonora in its opener but lost, 29-22. The Saints turned the ball over nine times in a 45-30 loss to Santiago.

Up next? Fifth-ranked Woodbridge Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.

*

Whittier Christian’s football team, which hasn’t given up a point in rolling to three nonleague victories, was supposed to open Olympic League play Saturday against Sierra Madre Maranatha at Whittier College. However, Maranatha, new to the league this season, has dropped its football program.

The Heralds, under Coach Steve Randall, will instead play another nonleague game on Saturday, when they travel to Downey Pius X High to meet Downey Calvary Chapel. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

*

Matt Kellogg has been hired as wrestling coach at Costa Mesa High, Athletic Director Kirk Bauermeister said.

Kellogg graduated from Calvary Chapel in 1993. He wrestled for the Eagles, twice earning all-county distinctions at 140 pounds.

He is a varsity assistant for Costa Mesa’s football team and attends Orange Coast College.

*

Nearly one-third of the passes completed by Liberty Christian quarterback C.J. Leeman has gone for a touchdown. Leeman, the leading passer among quarterbacks playing eight-man football in the Southern Section, has completed 27 of 68 passes for 509 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception.

Times staff writers Martin Henderson, Paul McLeod and Bob Rohwer contributed to this report.