San Fernando Defenders Make Marks Marked Man

San Fernando’s 4-0 start is the product of rough-and-tumble football, the kind played by the Tigers even before legendary running backs Charles White and Anthony Davis starred at the schoolnearly three decades ago.

Expect a physical battle tonight when Taft tries to hand an opponent its first loss for the second week in a row. The Toreadors defeated Kennedy, 24-19, with a strong power running game and tough defense near the goal line.

Defense is San Fernando’s strength. Linebackers Noe Ramirez and Bob Stanley and two-way linemen Steve Nevarez and Frank Nolasco--who are cousins--head a unit that has allowed only 120 yards rushing and 428 passing.

Nevarez (6-foot-4, 280 pounds) is one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen in the state, but he is enjoying playing defensive end for the first time.

Taft’s bread-and-butter running play is a sweep by Lee Marks, who has 572 yards and averages 8.1 per carry.

“He won’t get around me,” Nevarez said.

Taft can always fall back on the arm of Brandon Hance, whose spreads the ball among receivers Greig Carlson, Gerard Jones and Chris Morgan. They will be guarded by athletic defensive backs Gerardo Rubi, William Lang and Dominic Lugo.

“Taft is tough, no doubt,” Nevarez said. “But I think we have the athletes to match up.”

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The difference between one for three and two for three? Any baseball player can tell you that.

But how about a quarterback?

For Billydee Payne of North Hollywood it’s the difference between victory and defeat.

Payne threw three passes in each of the Huskies’ first three games--all losses--completing one each time. In a 36-7 victory over Wilson last week, he was two for three, including a 38-yard touchdown to Michael Moses.

To use another baseball analogy, Payne’s passes are the equivalent of a seldom-used changeup. Matthew Hicks is the fastball, rushing for 730 yards and eight touchdowns in 99 carries. Rasheed Hawkins is the curve, rushing for 243 yards and three touchdowns in 29 carries. Hicks is the leading rusher among City players in the region and Hawkins has gained all but 14 of his yards in the past two games.