Another Catch for Ducks

Keenan Howry has been following one tough act, first at Los Alamitos High and now at Oregon.

But that doesn’t seem to bother the sophomore receiver, who appears to have the potential for an outstanding college career.

Howry plays in the footsteps of Tony Hartley, who is the Ducks’ all-time leader in receiving yardage with 2,744 and ranks third in the Southern Section’s high school record book with 3,181 yards receiving.

“I didn’t play on the same team with him in high school because we were three years apart,” Howry said. “But I remember how the coaches there would talk about how good he was.”

In two seasons at Oregon, though, Howry has proven he might become Hartley’s equal.

Last season as a freshman, Howry caught 29 passes for 452 yards. In Hartley’s freshman year, he caught 25 passes for 387 yards.

Howry also could surpass Hartley’s sophomore mark of 31 catches for 461 yards. Heading into Saturday’s game against USC at the Coliseum, Howry is the leading receiver for the ninth-ranked Ducks with 20 receptions for 314 yards.

Howry credits Hartley for helping him get off to a good start last season, when he and the senior were not only teammates but road roommates.

“He was like a big brother to me,” Howry said. “It was great to be on the same team with him. He helped me a lot. From the start, when we went to fall camp, he would tell me things he felt would help me--on the field and away from it. He had a lot to pass on.”

Howry’s freshman season turned out better than he expected.

“I thought I might be able to work myself into a backup role,” he said. Instead, he started eight of the last 10 games for the Ducks, who finished 9-3.

He caught 10 passes for 197 yards in games against Washington and UCLA, including one for 59 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies. He also had three receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown in Oregon’s Sun Bowl victory over Minnesota.

“Kevin is one of those rare kids who was ready to play at the Pac-10 level as a freshman,” said Chris Petersen, Oregon’s receiver coach. “Keenan and Tony both had the advantage of coming out of a great high school program.”

Howry’s immediate success at Oregon came as no surprise to his high school coach, John Barnes.

“Keenan and Tony have a lot of the same strengths,” Barnes said. “They’re both tough . . . and they both have really strong hands.”

Those hands, along with his quickness, make up for Howry’s lack of stature. He is listed at 5-feet-10 and 165 pounds.

“Keenan’s not imposing,” Petersen said. “But he was as consistent as any receiver we had last year from the start. And he’s a clutch player, just the way Tony was for us.”

Howry caught 73 passes for 1,320 yards and 17 touchdowns as a high school senior. Hartley, in his final season at Los Alamitos in 1995--when he was named The Times’ Orange County back of the year--caught 86 passes for 1,690 yards and 13 touchdowns.

When USC traveled to Eugene for a game last season, Howry caught two passes for 20 yards in a 33-30 triple-overtime victory. Hartley caught seven passes for 116 yards.

“It was only the fourth game of the season for us last year,” Howry said. “I was still trying to get the feel of things.”

Howry will face two former Los Alamitos players Saturday. Senior Ifeanyi Ohalete is one of USC’s top defensive backs, and sophomore Bernard Riley is a backup at defensive tackle. Ohalete sprained an ankle last Saturday against Arizona, but the Trojans are hopeful he will be able to play against Oregon.

“Bernard and I played together in high school, and we’re good friends,” Howry said. “I was on the scout team when Ohalete was a senior, but I remember him. He was real physical.”

Howry said it is still too early in his career to compare his numbers with those of Hartley, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals but was cut during training camp.

But it’s not too early to be impressed by his potential.