Ed Hodgkiss has Bishop Montgomery stepping up

Ed Hodgkiss has taken his playbook outdoors, and it appears the sky is the limit for his new team.

The former coach of the Avengers of the Arena Football League has guided Torrance Bishop Montgomery High to a 5-2 start, including a 33-30 victory Friday over previously unbeaten Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

“It’s a special win for the program,” Hodgkiss said Saturday, noting that the long-suffering Knights are not believed to have logged more than four victories in a season since 1984.

Hodgkiss unveiled some trickery late in the game, using a hook-and-lateral play in which receiver Pierre Wise pitched the ball to Cameron Johnese for a 26-yard gain. Johnathan Kim’s 32-yard field goal as time expired gave Bishop Montgomery sole possession of first place in the Del Rey League.

Fancy plays aren’t a staple of Hodgkiss’ high school playbook, however.

“It’s a different style of coaching,” said Hodgkiss, who went 58-58 (including the playoffs) in seven years with the Avengers before being dismissed after the 2008 season. “At that level, it’s more about execution and scheming. At this level, it’s about eliminating mistakes. I don’t ask kids at this level to do as complicated things.”

Hodgkiss, who turns 40 next Saturday, said he has been “energized” by coaching teenagers who are eager to learn.

“It keeps you a little bit younger, hanging out with the high school kids,” he said. “I’ve loved every minute of it.”

He has also relished spending more time with his 2-year-old twin sons, whom he hopes to coach eventually. The Knights, who have won their first three league games, play at Rosemead Bosco Tech (5-2, 2-1) on Friday.

Showdown looming

Crenshaw has won its last four games against Coliseum League rival Dorsey, beating the Dons by a combined score of 79-13 in two meetings last season.

But Dorsey might be closing the gap, if a 56-26 victory over Locke is any indication. Quarterback Joseph Gray passed for 385 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns before sustaining an ankle injury.

Coach Paul Knox said Gray would be reevaluated Monday but expected him to be able to practice by the middle of the week.

Knox wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s triumph, noting that the defense gave up large chunks of yardage. But the Dons (6-0, 1-0), ranked No. 15 in the Southland by The Times, have three more games to clear up blemishes before playing host to No. 9 Crenshaw (4-2, 1-0) in their regular-season finale Nov. 12.

“Hopefully by the time we play Crenshaw,” Knox said, “we’ll be on their level and give them a good game.”

Quick hits

Reseda and Hollywood, among the five remaining undefeated City Section teams, will play Friday at Reseda in a nonleague game. Dorsey, Lincoln and Jefferson are the other unbeatens. … Santa Ana Mater Dei tailback Corbin Anderson, who has sat out his team’s first six games because of a knee injury, will make his season debut against Orange Lutheran on Thursday at Santa Ana Stadium. Monarchs running back-linebacker Todd Hunt, who has been nursing an injured knee, is also expected to play.

ben.bolch@latimes.com