Richter’s Style Like a Barnyard Brawl

Growing up on a hog farm in Kansas helps explain the fearlessness of free safety Justin Richter from Agoura High.

At age 2 1/2, he got into a car, started the engine, drove off into the pasture and came to a halt only after running into the guide wire of an electrical pole.

When it came to weaning pigs from their mother, it was Richter’s job to enter a room filled with 200 pigs, catch them and give each one a vaccination shot.

Asked how he handled a young pig, Richter said, “Very carefully.”

While other kids used weights to gain muscles, Richter developed his by lifting bales of hay.

He moved to Agoura in the second semester of his eighth-grade year with his mother and stepfather, but those days on a hog farm in Riley, Kan., provided lessons for life.

“I’ve grown up having to work for whatever I get,” he said. “That goes for athletics. I’m trying as hard as I can to be the best.”

Last season, when he was an All-Marmonte League selection, Richter made so many hard hits that his helmet was sliced in half and put on a plaque. It’s part of an Agoura tradition that 25 hard hits gets your helmet retired. He had 29--the first junior to receive such recognition.

“I like to be aggressive, go after people, get into receivers’ heads to make them wary about going over the middle,” he said.

And what happens to receivers who enter Richter’s territory?

“They’re on their backs,” he said.

Richter, 5 feet 10 and 195 pounds, was playing in the Valley College seven-on-seven passing tournament Saturday. It’s touch football, but Coach Charlie Wegher warned, “He forgets he’s not in pads.”

During practice, Richter bleeds so often that the team trainer needs extra gauze to deal with the scabs and scrapes that suddenly break open.

“I had a blood streak last year every day in practice,” Richter said. “I kind of let my body go.”

With 4.6 40-yard speed, Richter will get a chance to play tailback for the Chargers this fall. But make no mistake--free safety is the position he enjoys.

He has a 4.0 grade-point average and possesses the toughness and intelligence coaches dream about in an athlete.

“If I think I can do something, I’m going to do it,” he said.

Before Hell Week begins next month, he’ll head back to Kansas to spend 10 days on his father’s hog farm.

What better way to prepare for the 1999 football season than lifting hay bales and wrestling young pigs.

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There were 36 high school teams competing in the best passing tournament of the summer Saturday at Valley, and no athlete was a more imposing physical specimen than receiver Will Svitek of Newbury Park.

Svitek is 6-6, 235 pounds. He’s as big as an offensive lineman, runs like a running back and has the arms of an octopus.

If there were a competition for the best athlete, Svitek would win in a romp--although his buddy from Notre Dame, Travis Johnson, might offer a challenge.

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How good is cornerback Derek Goodman of Alemany?

“He’s the best defensive back out here,” Coach Jim Bonds said of the 5-6, 145-pound senior. “He can cover anybody. He shut down Marcell Allmond last year when we beat St. Paul.” . . .

Co-coach Darryl Stroh of Granada Hills had an excused absence from the passing league this weekend. He was in Denver attending a retirement party for John Elway, former Highlander quarterback. . .

One school missing was St. Francis, which won the Whittier College tournament two weeks ago behind quarterback John Sciarra and tight end Tyler Terrazone. The Golden Knights figure to be the prime challenger to Notre Dame in the Mission League. “This should be the best St. Francis team I’ve had,” Coach Bill Redell said. . .

The starting free safety for Sylmar, 6-3 basketball player Damon Derrico, has never played football before. “He has come so far in 20 weeks,” Coach Jeff Engilman said. “He said, ‘When we get our uniforms, you’re going to have to show me how to put it on.’ ” . . .

Junior receiver Elray Hawkins of Newbury Park is the brother of Washington receiver Dajuan Hawkins, a former Panther standout. . .

Newbury Park is undergoing an invasion by the Lombardo family.

Quarterback Chris Lombardo transferred from St. Bonaventure. His brother, Brian, will be a freshman quarterback for the Panthers, and their cousin, Ren, a freshman receiver, is moving from Idaho. . .

With starting quarterback Jonathon Brewster absent because of a baseball commitment, sophomore Phil Beckmann of Notre Dame performed well in leading the Knights to the consolation title at Valley. “For a sophomore, he’s done exceptional,” Coach Kevin Rooney said.

This fall, there could be a family war in the Beckmann house. Notre Dame plays Burroughs, and Beckmann’s older brother, Randy, is a running back-linebacker for the Indians. “I’m going to try to tackle him,” Phil said. “It’s going to be pretty cool.” . . .

Jerry Robinson, former UCLA All-American and All-Pro linebacker, has become an assistant coach at Serra. . .

Today is the day quarterback Kyle Boller, a graduate of Hart, will board a plane for Berkeley to attend California. He spent Saturday hanging out with his neighbor, linebacker Scott Hunt, who he’s known since they were 4 years old. They watched “Varsity Blues.” Hopefully, Boller will be a better quarterback than James Van Der Beek.

Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com