Palmdale and Highland Will Make Run at Golden League Title With the Pass

The joke, almost always accurate if not prophetic, can be heard every time football season rolls around in the region.

If you want to see a forward pass, don’t go to a Golden League game.

Based on the Cal State Northridge passing tournament, however, the fullback dive on first down might travel the same path of extinction as leather helmets for at least one Golden League team.

Palmdale High, nicknamed the Falcons, took to the air Saturday and defeated Taft, 22-14, to win the tournament and show things might be changing in the Golden League.

The six-team league, which amassed 12,842 yards on the ground last year compared to 4,746 through the air, might be heading toward more passing if Palmdale and Highland have anything to say about it.

Palmdale defeated the Bulldogs by a 34-20 score--a shootout--in the semifinals.

To its credit, Palmdale was the only league team last year to pass for more yards (1,455) than it ran for (1,318), a trend that could continue when the pads are put on in a couple months.

“We came here to do what we’re going to do in the fall,” said Coach Jeff Williams. “It’s going to be fun.”

Touchdowns have been as commonplace in recent weeks for Palmdale as draw plays on third-and-13 in recent years.

The Falcons won the John Robinson passing tournament in Las Vegas on June 16, with Tyrone Culver scoring 17 touchdowns and Derek Hagan, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior-to-be, scoring 11 times.

With Culver out Saturday because of a sprained ankle, the onus to score fell on Hagan. He gratefully accepted, scoring twice against Taft on passes from Terry Furlow.

Hagan, who will play receiver and running back in the fall, looks forward to an up-tempo offense.

“We were going to do that last year, but the seniors didn’t step up,” Hagan said. “This year and next year’s going to be different.”

If Palmdale hits it big through the air, it won’t be the first time in school history.

Palmdale ran the run-and-shoot with reasonable success in 1993, passing for 2,687 yards, a whopping sum when compared to some of the other Golden League passing performances in recent years (228 yards for Littlerock in 1996 and 319 passing yards for Lancaster last season).

Despite losing in the final, Taft had a successful two-day run.

Senior Rick Clausen, a transfer from Alemany who is attracting attention from colleges even though he has never been a starting quarterback on the varsity, is getting more comfortable with the offense.

The status of sophomore Steve Smith of Taft is growing with every game.

In a 14-12 semifinal victory over Westlake, Smith intercepted a pass in the end zone with two minutes left and batted down a pass on fourth down earlier in the game.

He also had four receptions and a touchdown. He scored Taft’s touchdowns in the final.

“The kid’s getting a reputation like Jesse James,” said Coach Troy Starr of Taft. “Not in a negative way, just in the folklore way.”

Another receiver who played well was senior Ryan Foltz of Westlake. He had seven catches and two touchdowns against Taft.

“He’s probably the best I’ve seen in five years,” said Coach Bill Culpepper of Chaminade, a former defensive coordinator at Westlake. “He’s the best since Billy Miller [former Westlake receiver who plays for the Denver Broncos.]”

Westlake will need Foltz to play well next season. The Warriors, with one starter back on offense, open with games against Buena, Clovis West and Hart.

“We have players, but we have to learn how to play now,” said Coach Jim Benkert, who had seven players from last season sign college letters of intent. “We’ve got some work to do. Nobody has a schedule like we do.”