The debates could get noisy this year
The good news to report about the 2010 high school football season is that vuvuzelas and other artificial noisemakers are not permitted at games. The bad news is that human noisemakers are still welcome, as long as their language and antics don’t get too out of control.
This is going to be a season for intense debates.
Among the issues: Will the public schools in the Marmonte League ever truly welcome Westlake Village Oaks Christian and Ventura St. Bonaventure? Who’s the best receiver in Southern California? Is $100,000 an appropriate salary for a football coach? Is there a better way to select teams for the state bowl games?
End of the cold war
If the Soviet Union and the United States could make peace, why not private and public schools? A brief thawing of the relationship will occur Oct. 1. That’s when Westlake Village Westlake and Oaks Christian, less than a mile apart, meet for the first time in 10 years.
And on the same night, Santa Maria Righetti and Santa Maria St. Joseph, right across the street from each other, play for the first time in 18 years.
Sacks are soaring
As passing the ball continues to gain in popularity, sacks are increasing, making defensive linemen very happy.
Double-digit numbers in sacks have become common. Among the returning sack leaders are Davon Moreland from L.A. Salesian with 21 sacks, Jeremiah Allison from Los Angeles Dorsey with 20, Jason Gibson from Gardena Serra with 15, Todd Barr from Lakewood with 15, Charles Burks from Huntington Beach Edison with 14, Dillon van der Wal from Oaks Christian with 14, Jeff Worthy from Whittier Christian with 13 and Moses Saucedo from Los Angeles Garfield with 12.
Hot tickets
Get ready for EBay to do brisk business when Oaks Christian hosts Westlake. A sideline pass was auctioned off for $6,000 at a roast for Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell in June. The winning bid went to Janet Gretzky, mother of Oaks Christian quarterback Trevor Gretzky.
“I bid $100,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said. “I thought my wife could stand on the sideline.”
The good news is that that game will be televised.
Deserving of respect
The Trinity League is always considered among the strongest in Southern California. So how amazing is the accomplishment of Anaheim Servite Coach Troy Thomas, whose team has won or shared the Trinity League championship in each of his five seasons as coach?
Oh, brother
Costa Mesa Estancia has eight sets of brothers on its varsity and junior varsity teams. La Habra Sonora has twins Lukas and Jakob McCarthy playing linebacker. Freshman quarterback Coltin Gerhart, brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart, arrives at Norco with straight A’s on his middle school report card and the genes to follow a family legacy of athletic and academic success.
Three cheers for the geezers
There are coaches who will never retire because they love the game. Myron Gibford, 75, a former Chatsworth head coach, is an assistant at Agoura. Dave Levy, 77, who spent 15 years as an assistant to John McKay at USC, is an assistant at North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake. John Robinson, 75, the former USC coach, is an assistant at San Marcos in the San Diego Section.
The next Pat Haden
La Puente Bishop Amat has had its share of outstanding two-sport athletes through the years, but junior quarterback-shortstop Rio Ruiz might be the Lancers’ best since Pat Haden.
Rivalry game of the year
As if more hype were needed for the rivalry game between Encino Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Nov. 12, the Celts hired Notre Dame grad Jon Mack as their coach. Lock the doors, hide the kids and buy lots of earplugs. The fans on the winning side are going to be crowing for a year.
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