2000 PREVIEW: DIVISION I, VII, X, XI, XII, XIII TEAM CAPSULES

ACADEMY

OUTLOOK

With 12 returning starters and a quarterback the caliber of junior Matt Kaplan, Campbell Hall is capable of battling for the league championship. Downey Calvary Chapel, Capistrano Valley Christian, Fairmont and St. Margaret’s are the other teams in the league.

SCOUTING REPORT

CAMPBELL HALL

Anthony Harris, 4 years

* Coming back: Kaplan, the junior QB, passed for 1,380 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has an outstanding WR in Derrick Williams and a solid TE in Sean Jody. Checking in: Two freshmen could be immediate contributors, WR Calvin Taylor and LB Matt Wyner.

DATES TO MARK

Oct. 28 Campbell Hall vs. Calvary Chapel

FAST FACT

Coach Anthony Harris will be hosting a Friday night high school football sports show on KMPC-AM (1540) from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

ALPHA LEAGUE

OUTLOOK

Paraclete, which has won three consecutive Southern Section titles at the Division XI or XII level, is expected to battle Kilpatrick for the league championship for the third consecutive year. L.A. Baptist is tabbed to finish third for the third consecutive year, followed by Village Christian and Marshall.

SCOUTING REPORT

PARACLETE

Jeff Cortez, 1st

* Coming back: RB Curtis Brown is regarded as one of the top juniors in the state and Michael Washington will start at WR and DB. Craig Herrera, a wide receiver last year, will start at QB and Joe Martin was an All-Southern Section selection at DB last season. Checking in: Erick Jackson, a transfer from Vasquez, is the team’s fastest player and will start at HB and DB. John Taylor is a WR and DB up from the junior varsity.

KILPATRICK

Co-Coaches Sid Ware 5th, Scott Faer, 1st

* Coming back: Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility in Malibu, has a new group of players every year, but the Mustangs are expected to have good running backs again. Checking in: Jermaine Marshall, and his 3,586 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns, is gone, but Jeremy Hartsfield, Joseph Harris, Kenneth Jones and Ryan Jones will give Kilpatrick superb depth at running back. Steve Romero will start at QB and LB.

L.A. BAPTIST

Gregg Frazer, 1st year

* Coming back: Lord Cole will start at RB and DB with linemen Brian Rice, Cody Driver and Brett Emma also playing both ways. Steven Graham, a WR last year, will replace graduated Scott Swenson at QB. Checking in: Senior Andrew Petersen is playing football for the first time, but Frazer says he has the potential to match Jim Romero and Tim Feirfeil, former standouts for the Knights, at WR. Nick Perrin, a transfer from Granada Hills, could start at TE and DL.

VILLAGE CHRISTIAN

Coach Jim Yencarelli, 1st year

* Coming back: QB Neil Gunn and WR Derek Wilde return for their second seasons as starters. Aaron Owen is the Crusaders’ leading returning running back, but several others will push him for playing time. Senior Ples Aguilar will anchor a junior-dominated offensive line. Checking in: Josh Knuckles, up from the junior varsity, and transfer Jerimiah Schultz are two players expected to battle Owen at RB.

DATES TO MARK

Oct. 27 Village Christian vs. L.A. Baptist at Alemany

Nov. 3 L.A. Baptist at Paraclete

Nov. 10 Kilpatrick at Paraclete

FAST FACT

Paraclete is one of two programs in the region to win three Southern Section titles in a row. Canyon won three consecutive Northwestern Conference championships from 1983-85.

ANGELUS

OUTLOOK

Teams with only nine seniors on the roster and a first-year coach don’t usually contend for league championships. But Harvard-Westlake could be the exception. Former defensive coordinator Chris Johnson knows his personnel well and has some of the region’s best sophomores to work with. Serra, as always, isn’t lacking in talent and might finally rise to the top. Bishop Montgomery and St. Bernard also have experienced clubs in a wide-open league.

SCOUTING REPORT

HARVARD-WESTLAKE

Chris Johnson, 1st year

* Coming back: QB Richard Irvin took over the starting position late last season as a freshman and surprised observers with his poise and accuracy. He should be stronger, faster and better. RB-LB Aaron Alexander-Bloch would run through a brick wall if it would lead to victory. DE-TE Robert Lowenthal and OL Chris Bozeman are key seniors. Checking in: There are eight sophomores on the roster. WR Brian Shields and TE Michael Carley could be important targets for Irvin. RB Derrick Jennings, a junior, must take pressure off Irvin.

SERRA

Scott Altenberg, 2nd year

* Coming back: LB Austin Jackson, 6-4, 230 pounds, is being heavily recruited by Division I colleges. He was the league player of the year as a junior. QB Eric McNeal is a 6-4 junior with lots of potential. OL Jesus Lepe weighs 300 pounds and was an all-league selection last season.

BISHOP MONTGOMERY

Jimmy Sims, 3rd year

* Coming back: Eight starters return on offense and defense, giving the Knights hope of finally having a winning season. They love to run the ball and have a big offensive line, led by 305-pound tackle Terrance Pennington.

ST. BERNARD

Greg Dixon, 4th year

* Coming back: The defending league champions return all-league selections LB Anthony Flores and TE Brandon Nunnally. RB Sylvon Marshall is a three-year varsity player.

DATES TO MARK

Oct. 5 St. Bonaventure vs. Harvard-Westlake

Nov. 3 Serra vs. Harvard-Westlake

Nov. 10 St. Bernard vs. Harvard-Westlake

FAST FACT

QB Richard Irvin of Harvard-Westlake traveled to Wimbledon this summer to watch his sister, Marissa, play in women’s singles.

DEL REY

OUTLOOK

It’s Steve Grady’s 25th season as coach at Loyola, and there’s no reason the Cubs can’t win the league title behind the versatile Matt Ware, a UCLA-bound senior with 4.38 40-yard speed. Ware plays quarterback and safety. But the Cubs have many talented players other than Ware. St. Paul figures to be Loyola’s prime challenger with seven returning offensive starters. Coach Marijon Ancich has 304 career victories, one of only two coaches in California history to pass 300. Alemany can’t be taken lightly because of tailback De’Andre Scott. Bishop Amat failed to make the playoffs last season but has 43 lettermen.

SCOUTING REPORT

ALEMANY

Coach Craig Schuler, 1st year

* Coming back: Scott rushed for 1,747 yards and 25 touchdowns last season with a balanced attack. The Indians don’t have a quarterback with the talent of Casey Clausen, which will put pressure on Scott. A.J. Anthony, a converted LB, will likely play QB. Kicker Garret Marxen is one of the region’s best. Art David should be a two-way starter on the line. Checking in: Scott will receive help from RB Albert Griffin, a transfer from Northern California. Two Crespi transfers, TE Jason Lance and LB Kenny Baker, could be impact players. Schuler coached last year at an NAIA school in Kansas, so his transition to high school will be interesting.

LOYOLA

Steve Grady, 25 years

* Coming back: Ware could be the best high school athlete in California. OL Keith Ornelas has committed to California. DE Joshua Quaye and LB Jordan Trott were All-Del Rey selections last season, along with WR Greg Kavulich. Checking in: The Cubs had league champion sophomore and freshman teams last season. Sophomore WR Quintin Daniels is a speedster.

ST. PAUL

Coach Marijon Ancich, 8 years

* Coming back: RB Randy Rivas, WR Aurio O’Neill and OT Fausto Gonzales lead the Swordsmen. They’ll also have players off a 9-0-1 sophomore team.

BISHOP AMAT

Mike DiFiori, 2 years

* Coming back: RB Donnie McCleskey burned Alemany for 340 yards rushing last season. OL Anthony Soto and QB Shane Russell are potential standouts.

DATES TO MARK

Oct. 20 Alemany vs. Santa Margarita

Oct. 27 Alemany vs. Loyola

Nov. 10 Loyola vs. St. Paul

FAST FACT

WR Greg Kavulich of Loyola is the brother of former Chaminade offensive lineman Doug Kavulich, who played at Rutgers.

FRONTIER LEAGUE

OUTLOOK

Despite losing the league’s leading rusher and passer, Nordhoff will again be tough to beat. Tradition alone tells us that much. Santa Paula and Calabasas, which finished second and third last season, each return 10 starters and appear poised to challenge again for a playoff berth. Malibu is much improved, but has not won a league game in its three years in the Frontier. Santa Clara is forever rebuilding.

SCOUTING REPORT

NORDHOFF

Coach Cliff Farrar, 14th year

* Coming back: Seven starters return from a team that lost to St. Bonaventure by a touchdown in the section final. CB Benny Borchardhad six interceptions last season and Jordan Hawkins, Ryan Fiore and Jacob Morrison are solid LBs. C Cory Sandefur, LT Justin Haney and WR Jon Hall also return. Checking in: Waging a battle for running back are juniors Jordan Hawkins, Nick Kaiser and Ian Campbell.

SANTA PAULA

Coach Ed Gomez, 1st year

* Coming back: Seniors Xavier Ramirez and Jacob Macias, the Cardinals’ leading rushers last year who combined for 800 yards, will run behind an experienced, bulky line which averages 240 pounds. CB Ramirez and FS Mark Rabago were all-league defensive backs last season. Checking in: Junior Sean Blackshear, at 6-3 and 245 pounds, will provide Santa Paula with muscle at tackle and defensive end.

CALABASAS

Coach Larry Edwards, 21st year

* Coming back: Junior QB Justin Fenchel has familiar targets, senior WRs David Wolfe and Kyle Rudow, who combined to catch six of Fenchel’s eight touchdown passes last season. Senior LB Ben Strull was the team’s leading tackler. Checking in: Wolfe and Rudow will be pushed by senior Andre Woodard, who has great speed and reliable hands. The new offensive line is inexperienced, but strong. All five bench press 300 pounds or more.

SANTA CLARA

Coach Dave Gutierrez, 1st year

* Coming back: Expectations are high at Santa Clara, where 15 senior lettermen return. Gutierrez, the defensive coordinator last year, guided the league’s best defense, which allowed less than 200 yards a game. Checking in: Offense was minimal for the Saints a year ago, especially its passing game, which accounted for only two touchdowns. Gutierrez hopes to open up the offense behind sophomore QB Jimmie Griffin.

DATES TO MARK

Sept. 8 Moorpark at Nordhoff

Oct. 6 Calabasas at El Camino Real

Oct. 27 Nordhoff at Santa Paula

Nov. 9 Nordhoff at Calabasas

FAST FACT

Nordhoff has won six league titles in the last decade.

SANTA FE LEAGUE

OUTLOOK

Cantwell Sacred Heart is favored to win the league, with Murphy probably finishing second. St. Genevieve has nearly doubled its roster to 33 players from a year ago but needs to improve a slow-moving offense. Bell-Jeff has 12 returning starters, as opposed to two at the begining of last year.

SCOUTING REPORT

ST. GENEVIEVE

Coach Nelson Wong, first year

* Coming back: DB Jamey Iaccino is a hard hitter and a good cover man. LB Javier Cisneros is a speedy player on the outside. QB Guillermo Hernandez guides an offense that averaged only 7.6 points last year. Checking in: Coach Nelson Wong was defensive coordinator last year and is also the Valiants’ baseball coach. LBs David Reyes and David Gonzalez try to improve a defense that allowed 35.3 points per game.

BELL-JEFF

Coach Rolando Aguierre, two years

* Coming back: RB Steve Slaughter, an all-league selection last year, is the focal point of an offense that was shut out five times last season. DBs Eric Merida and Hector Torres are also back, trying to help a defense that allowed more than 33 points in eight games. DB-WR Chris Espinoza has good hands. Checking in: OL-DT Haik Vardanyan is a 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior who has not played. Jack Rook, a 6-3, 295-pounder, moves from kicker to OL.

DATES TO MARK

Oct. 28 St. Genevieve vs. Bell-Jeff

Nov. 4 St. Genevieve vs. Cantwell Sacred Heart

Nov. 10 Bell-Jeff vs. Cantwell Sacred Heart

FAST FACT

St. Genevieve has not won more than three games since going 9-3 in 1993.

TRI-VALLEY

OUTLOOK

St. Bonaventure lost its quarterback, leading receiver and best lineman to graduation, but the Southern Section Division XI defending champions are still the team to beat. In truth, there will be no challengers. The Seraphs outscored league opponents, 187-14, and posted three shutouts last season. Who finishes second and third? Oak Park and Carpinteria, just like last year.

SCOUTING REPORT

ST. BONAVENTURE

Coach Jon Mack, 11th year

* Coming back: Running behind an experienced, sizeable line, junior TB Lorenzo Booker should improve on his 2,400-yard, 35-touchdown sophomore season. Senior LB David Garza returns to anchor a defense that collected 17 interceptions and allowed only 158 yards a game. Checking in: Sophomore WR Whitney Lewis and senior DB Jashaun McCowan, a transfer from Oxnard, looked impressive at summer combines.

OAK PARK

Coach Dick Billingsley, 11th year

* Coming back: Senior TB Eric Testan was the Eagles’ leading rusher and receiver in 1999,scoring 18 touchdowns. Oak Park has a load of experience. DB Evan Williams, DE Nick Skultety and DT Andrew Le are among seven returning defensive starters. Checking in: The Eagles’ field general is senior QB Josh Walker, who threw six touchdown passes as a backup last season. Senior Chad Kessler and junior Monte McNair are his main targets.

FILLMORE

Curtis Garner, 1st year

* Coming back: Garner is back at Fillmore after a six-year hiatus to Rio Mesa, but has little experience to work with. Senior tackles Rudy Murillo (6-4, 285) and Robby Aguilar, and WR-DB Kenny Spiker are the only returning starters. Checking in: Junior QB Jordan Arroyo is up from the junior varsity. Sophomore RB-DB Tommy McCary will be a main cog in Fillmore’s wing-T offense.

DATES TO MARK

Sept. 7 Paraclete vs. St. Bonaventure

Oct. 13 Oak Park at Carpinteria

Oct. 20 St. Bonaventure at Oak Park

Nov. 10 St. Bonaventure at Carpinteria

FAST FACT

St. Bonaventure’s defense held league opponents scoreless for 13 consecutive quarters to open league play. The Seraphs are four-time defending league champions.

OTHER TEAMS

SCOUTING REPORT

FLINTRIDGE PREP

Coach Glen Beattie, 14th year

* Coming back: Devin Brown, Omar Dittu and Chase Atkinson rushed for a combined 1,826 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. OT-DE Chris Cole and G-DE Brian Shim are two of seven two-way starters for the Rebels, who advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Section Division XIII playoffs last year. Checking in: Amir Alamdar and Mike Valdes will start on the OL and DL after moving up from the junior varsity.

LA CANADA

Coach Rich Wheeler, 4th year

* Coming back: QB Eric Young threw sparingly in the Spartans’ double wing-T offense last season, but Wheeler says they’ll open things up. Chase McKibben is the top returner at RB and Dan Gross will anchor the OL. Checking in: Transfer Matt Bird will start at WR and DB, and OL Mike Winters is up from the freshman level. Lineman Nick Sinclitico played only basketball as a freshman but could be a two-way starter this year.

MONTCLAIR PREP

Coach George Giannini, 22nd year

* Coming back: RB-DB Gary Sonkur, QB-DB Jason Goss and FB-LB Justin Goss will give the Mounties an explosive offense. WR-DB Deron Smith will be another two-way starter, as will OL-DL Delroy Parke. Checking in: Derek Daniels is a 6-7, 325-pound TE who played only basketball last year.