HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

It was like starting over.

Under first-year Coach Chris Richards, Monroe went 6-4 and earned a berth in the City Invitational playoffs.

Then all the victories were forfeited because linebacker Gabriel Figueroa was determined to be ineligible. Figueroa started high school in 1995 at Van Nuys, and after dropping out for two years, enrolled at Monroe.

Monroe retained its playoff berth, however, and defeated Narbonne, 32-27, in the first round. The Vikings play at Gardena in a quarterfinal Wednesday.

Also getting a fresh start is senior quarterback Diego Barba, who has bounced around more than an onside kick.

The Vikings’ starting quarterback as a sophomore and junior, Barba transferred to Sylmar, then transferred back to Monroe weeks before the season started. By then Steven Beltran had taken his job.

Barba waited in the wings for four games before quitting. He reconsidered and the team voted to reinstate him.

Good thing, because with sophomore receiver Brandon Browner academically ineligible the past two weeks, Beltran moved to receiver and Barba is at quarterback.

Barba led the Vikings to a victory over Van Nuys in the regular-season finale and keyed the playoff victory with a touchdown pass with about a minute to play, erasing a 27-26 Narbonne lead.

“Diego has grown quite a bit as a person,” Richards said. “He’s a different kid. He’s listening. He’s making the most of the opportunity.”