Football: September 2008 Archives

8-Man football is sometimes forgotten amongst all the big-time 11-man programs but four area schools are in the latest edition of the Southern Section Top-10 poll.

Faith Baptist of Canoga Park is top-ranked, Santa Clarita Christian of Canyon Country is No. 3, Montclair Prep of Van Nuys is No. 6 and Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth is No. 9.

With so much returning talent and momentum, the prospect of losing a football game never occurred to Crespi High of Encino.

But that's what happened Friday, as Crespi surrendered the first 31 points and was defeated 31-14 by St. Bonaventure of Ventura in a showdown between two of California's top programs at Ventura High.

Crespi (3-1), which advanced to the Pac-5 Division final last season, managed just 298 yards - nearly half of which was accumulated in the final five minutes as the Celts scored a couple of inconsequential touchdowns after the result was well in hand.

Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett, who totaled seven touchdown passes over the first three games, completed just 9 of 26 for 76 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Bennett's final pass was intercepted by Kody Kurtz and returned 38 yards for touchdown to make it 31-0.

That was it for Bennett. He was replaced by Dusty Kramer, who orchestrated two touchdown drives over the final five minutes to make things a bit less disparaging.

The loss avenged a 25-9 victory last season by Crespi over the Seraphs, who lead the series 4-1.

USC-bound Patrick Hall rushed for 146 yards on four carries, scoring on runs of 53 and 82 yards. He also had an interception on defense, as defending Northern Divison champion and CIF State Div. III Bowl champion St. Bonaventure forced four turnovers.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Crespi got off to a shaky start, fumbling away a fair catch on its own 13 two minutes into the game that led to a Derek Kirk's 28-yard field goal.

The next time St. Bonaventure touched the ball, Patrick Hall scored on a 53-yard touchdown run, and just like that it was 10-0.

Crespi's next four possessions ended with a punt, an interception, then two more punts, as the Celts remained down by 10 at halftime.

Crespi totaled just 82 yards in the first half, as Bennett was 5 of 14 for 41 yards, including 2 completions and an interception over his final 11 attempts.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

...against Rosemead. It's 35-0 at the break, with Terhon O'Neal running eight times for 177 yards and two touchdowns - of 63 and 69 yards.

Starting tonight with the Hart-Westlake game, The Daily News will broadcast the Game of the Week live on the web.

To watch, just go to Dailynews.com/preps. The game is on your left hand side, about halfway down the page.

Well, here i am about 90 minutes before kickoff, getting ready for the Crespi-St. Bonaventure showdown at Ventura High.

This should be HUGE. We're talking two of California's best teams going head to head in a game that nobody has any idea who will win -- 'cept calpreps, of course, which favors Crespi by one point.

Lots of stars everywhere you look tonight. Crespi (3-0) has lots of returning talent such as quarterback Bryan Bennett, offensive linemen Hroniss Grasu and Ben Loth, receivers Kevin Cummings and Blake Stanton, linebacker Chris Carter, defensive back Mikio Island and kicker Christian Nastos.

St. Bonnie (3-0), which leads the series 3-1, has lots of talent, too, led by USC-bound all-purpose back Patrick Hall and quarterback Logan Meyer.

Should be a good one. I will update when I can. Probably at halftime and after the game, as I will again be furiously taking stats without the aid of my right-hand man, Dave Roghan.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Bad news for Canyon High. High-profile transfer Antonio Bray, an Alemany transfer who is considered one of the area's top running backs, has been ruled ineligible for one year, Canyon athletic director Marlene Holomon said.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it has do with moving (residences)," Holomon said. "The paperwork wasn't signed or wasn't right. ... I'm not sure if he is staying at this school. If he does, he can eligible in one year."

Bray, a junior, scored seven touchdowns (two on kick returns) as an Alemany sophomore last year. In 2006, he averaged more than 200 yards per game for Canyon's JV team before transferring.

According to a source, Bray has made inquiries about transferring to Crespi.

Bray and Canyon coach Chris Varner could not be reached.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Chris Reed, an All-Daily News preaseason defensive lineman from Canyon, has endured a tough week. On Friday, he was hospitalized in Riverside after injuring his neck in a 16-6 victory at Norco.

"I thought I was done (for the season)," Reed said.

Though Reed spent two nights in the hospital, he said the neck injury was not deemed serious. Then, on Monday he was hit a by car in front of Canyon, sending him back to the hospital overnight because of a knee injury.

"The driver was a mother of one of the students, I'm not sure who," Reed said. "It looks like I'm going to have an MRI because my knee is killing me. I'm hoping to be back (in three weeks) for the start of league."

Reed, a junior, is a Crespi transfer.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Sergio Sylvestre, a 6-foot-8, 385-pound offensive lineman who transferred from St. Bernard to Crespi this past summer, has been ruled ineligible because of undue influence, Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons confirmed today.

Sylvestre, a senior, would have been the biggest player in Crespi history.

Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross does not think the ruling is fair.

"It's unfortunate because the kid didn't even play football last year, so how is that recruiting?" Ross said. "It is what it is. Nobody on my staff has been recruiting kids. It was ruled an outside influence. ... St. Bernard didn't do anything for the kid. They didn't even get equipment to fit him."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

With its starting quarterback and running back serving one-game suspensions, it looked if the College of the Canyons offense would struggle.

It turns out the Cougars did just fine without them.

Joey Frias threw five touchdowns and ran for another to lead COC to the 66-7 victory over L.A. Valley College at Cougar Stadium in Santa Clarita Saturday night.

Quarterback Brandon McClellan and Running back Fred Winborn were suspended for violating team rules. Their replacements filled in rather nicley.

Frias completed 23 of 33 passes for 282 yards with two interceptions. The sophomore also rushed for 103 yards on 13 carries including a one-yard scoring run late in the first quarter.

He threw scoring passes of 13 and seven yards to Hayo Carpenter, who finsihed with 15 receptions for 150 yards. Carpenter's 13-yarder gave COC 35-7 halftime.

B.J. Iverson carried 11 times for 104 yards for COC (3-0). Eric Brown added scoring runs of four and eight yards in the fourth quarter.

Nick Ramos had 183 total yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills to the 36-0 victory over visiting Dunn of Los Olivos.

Ramos carried 10 times for 115 yards including a 51-yard scoring run. The junior also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Greg Alonso and finished with six receptions for 68 yards.

Alonso completed 12 of 27 passes for 172 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception. The junior three scoring passes of 26 yards to Joshua Clark and 36 yards to Noah Watkins.

Hillcrest Christian, which improved to 1-1, built a 28-0 halftime lead.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - What a wild shootout Friday, as Saugus High defeated Westlake 42-40 in a nonleague football showdown at Westlake High.

Rarely do top-caliber teams combine for so many yards and long touchdowns, as Saugus (2-0) totaled 559 yards, including three touchdowns of 55 yards or longer, and Westlake totaled 561 yards, including 474 passing.

The brightest star was Saugus quarterback Desi Rodriguez. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 162 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown to Kollin DePew, and he rushed for 211 yards on 16 carries, including touchdowns of 78 and 55 yards.

Westlake's Ben Conlin completed 28 of 46 passes for 356 yards, and he ran for a touchdown, and Nick Isham completed 6 of 7 for 118 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown to Steve Hagy with just over two minutes remaining to pull the Warriors within two points.

Down 42-40, Westlake (1-1) had a chance to get the ball back one last time, but with Saugus in punt formation with just under a minute to go, the Warriors were called for an illegal substitution penalty (too many men on the field) that proved to be the clincher.

"I think both of us gave up too many yards. We both need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to play defense," Saugus coach Jason Bornn said.

Hagy had 14 receptions for 191 yards, and teammate James De La Cerna had 10 receptions for 153.

Saugus' Ryan Zirbel, one of the Southland's top running backs, was held to 64 yards on 16 carries, including two touchdowns. But he had several long runs called back because of penalties - including a 78-yard touchdown.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

it's quite a game here at Westlake High, as Saugus leads 14-12 after coming from 9 back in what has proved to be a very exciting first half.

Saugus' star running back Ryan Zirbel has not been effective -- he has just 10 yards in 10 carries, including a 3-yard TD -- but quarterback Desi Rodriguez has made it up for it by rushing for 94 yards, including a weaving 55-yard TD, and he also has completed 4 of 6 passes for 77 yards.

Westlake is passing the football like crazy, though the Warriors are finding difficulty in the red zone. Ben Conlin is 18 of 32 for 193 yards -- 32 attempts in the first half, that's a lot.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Here is a list of Halftime scores of area teams......

Eastside 7, Paraclete 7
Alemany 14, Roosevelt/C 14

Grace Brethren 24, Franklin 15
Taft 42, Westchester 6
Valencia 7, Birmingham 0
St. Francis 13, Crescenta Valley 7
Oaks Christian 15, Diamond Ranch 0
Hart 0, Righetti 0

Canoga Park 13, El Camino Real 0
Dorsey 2, Chatsworth 0
La Canada 7, Glendale 3
Moorpark 13, Ventura 0
Agoura 27, Camarillo 0
Newbury Park 26, Rio Mesa 14
Reseda 12, Cleveland 7
Eagle Rock 28, Bernstein 0
Royal 20, Oak Park 7
Palmdale 27, Kennedy 7
Calabasas 16, Hueneme 13

Collin Keoshian, a 6-2, 200-pound running back at Santa Clarita Christian, is too big and strong for most eight-man football opponents. After rushing for more than 2,200 yards and accounting for 39 touchdowns as a sophomore ast year, he started with a bang Friday - rushing for 253 yards and five touchdowns in a 59-20 victory over Trona. ...

After going just 1-6 in its first season last year, Sierra Canyon opened with a 37-8 victory over Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills, usually one of the area's top eight-man programs.

"We have some good things going," Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse said.

Among Sierra Canyon's key players are LB Andrew Clark and WR Shane Harrison, a Chaminade transfer.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Oaks Christian QB Nick Montana, a transfer from Concord De La Salle, plans to visit his old friends Saturday night when De La Salle plays Loyola of L.A. at Glendale High.

"I'll be there ... and I'm picking De La Salle," Montana said. "They've got a really good team this year."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

It could be a high-scoring game when Alemany plays host to Roosevelt of Corona on Friday.

Alemany scored 53 points in its first game and Roosevelt scored 63, including more than 600 yards total offense. In some ways, Roosevelt looks a lot like Alemany, running a four-wide offense and featuring a quick running back.

"Roosevelt is a solid team. They're scary because they can score on anyone," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Golden Valley set a school single-game school record for points Friday in a 48-6 victory over Hoover.

The Grizzlies scored 34 in the third quarter. Golden Valley is getting a strong performance from WR/DB Jon Schlegel. Through two games, he has nine receptions, one TD, 34 tackles and one fumble recovery.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

After winning just one game in each of the past two seasons, Cleveland opened with a 66-13 victory over respectable Verdugo Hills, but Cleveland's first-year coach Vinnie Johnson said it's not about him.

"Me? I've been at Birmingham so I know what it's like to win - it's about the kids," Johnson said. "A lot of these players, they had won maybe one varsity game in their lives,"

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Emotions figure to run high Friday when Crespi plays host to Servite in a rematch of last year's Pac-5 semifinal won by Crespi in overtime.

Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross is a disciple of Servite coach Troy Thomas, who coached at Crespi from 2001 to 2004, with Ross serving as an assistant.

"I think it's going to be one of our tougher games," Crespi WR Blake Stanton said. "There's a lot of emotions with the ex-coach on our field for the first time back. I think that gives Servite a boost."

Added Crespi QB Bryan Bennett: "When we played Servite last year, all of our seniors had been coached in their first year by Thomas. So it's a natural rivalry. They run some of the same stuff we do."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

St. Francis quarterback Justin Sciarra is the son of former UCLA quarterback John Sciarra and the brother of former St. Francis quarterback John Sciarra, Jr.

In a 54-7 win over Arcadia on Friday, Justin completed 7 of 9 for 129 yards and two TDs, and he also scored a TD.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Valencia quarterback Dominick Solley, hoping to recover from a high ankle sprain, remains questionable for Friday's game against Birmingham, though he has been dressing for practice and taking some reps, coach Larry Muir said.

"He is hanging in there. We'll make a decision tomorrow (Friday) morning," Muir said.

Meantime, top receiver Zach Tartabull (concussion) is definite after returning to practice this past Wednesday.

Receivers Richard Nyberg (shoulder) and Daniel Johnson (toe) remain out.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Thousand Oaks opened with a 23-14 football upset at Valencia, but coach Mike Leibin is wary of making too big a deal of it.

"We have a lot of room for improvement. It was the cleanest game on either side of the ball," Leibin said. "We're going to need to get a lot better. The (local newspaper) thinks we're the second coming, but we're not there yet."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Taft's D.J. Morgan committed to USC at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday after receiving an official offer in writing. He's only a junior, so there is limited communication allowed between Morgan and USC officials.

"I'm excited and happy. I'm been a USC fan all my life," Morgan said. "It's always been my dream to go to USC. They're my favorite. It's a dream come true."

Morgan is among California's fastest football players. Besides rushing for nearly 1,300 yards as a sophomore last season, he also was a top track sprinter and hurdler.

Taft coach Matt Kerstetter said: "D.J. had a big smile on his face. I guess he went down with his parents to USC, and it actually surprised me how fast he committed after getting the letter. USC is where he wanted to go."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com\

D.J. Morgan, a blazing fast junior running back at Taft of Woodland Hills, has verbally committed to USC, according to Taft coach Matt Kerstetter.

"D.J. gave his verbal to USC yesterday (Tuesday)," Kerstetter said. "I am excited obviously. I'm excited any time a kid gets to go to such a prestigious program. He's an exceptional talent. Good for him."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Chris Reed, a top Canyon football lineman, is the nephew of Toa, a TV star on American Gladiators.

"Toa's my mother's brother, and I see him a lot because the family is real close -- lots of family barbeques, and he comes to my football games almost every week," Reed said. "Is he tougher than me? Yeah, I guess so. He's way bigger."

Reed also is a second cousin of pro wrestler/move star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell is coaching in the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January in San Antonio.

"It's fabulous. I was an assistant in the U.S. Army game a few years ago, and it's a first-class all-star game," Redell said. "It's like a college bowl game."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Remember the Jackson twins from Birmingham, defensive ends Malik (now at USC) and Marquis (College of the Canyons)?

There is a similar situation at Alemany of Mission Hills, where twin defensive linemen K.C. and Chucky Obi continue to cause havoc. They're 6-2, 230 pounds and love to hit.

"They're both Division I prospects," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

The City Section championship game is still at L.A. Coliseum but has been switched to Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13 instead of Friday night, for budget reasons, according to a Blog by Eric Sondheimer of the L.A. Times.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Flintridge Prep quarterback/linebacker Gus Herrera suffered a dislocagted shoulder Saturday in a 45-20 loss to St. Genevieve, according to Grant Gordon of the Glendale News-Press.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Former Grant of Van Nuys star Fred Winborn ran for two touchdowns, caught one and threw for another to lead College of the Canyons to the 56-6 victory over Santa Barbara at Cougar Stadium.

Winborn rushed for a game-high 223 yards on 15 carries, scoring on runs of 28 and eight in the third quarter. The sophomore also caught two passes for 40 yards including a 33-yard scoring pass from Brad McClellan to give COC a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.The sophomore also threw a 35-yard scoring pass to Hayo Carpenter late in the second quarter as the Cougars built a 35-0 halftime lead.

Carpenter caught six passes for 164 yards including a 67-yard touchdown strike from Brad McClellan (nine of 15 for 180) on COC's first play from scrimmage. Joey Frias added an 11-yard scoring run early in the second quarter.

The COC defense held Santa Barbara to 52 yards on 40 carries and recorded eight sacks.

When did this rule come into effect?
Simi Valley and Buena played overtime Friday night. The score was tied 7-7, each team swapping touchdowns in the second quarter. Buena won 13-10 on a touchdown in overtime after Simi Valley kicked a field goal to take a short-lived lead.
Apparently the teams decided they would play overtime in the event of a tie. This is the discretion of the coaches.
Deciding a game on the field is always the best way to end a game, much better than a tie. But overtime in high school football can have dangerous consequences. Not for the players and coaches, but for newspapers.
Luckily, Simi Valley and Buena decided their game after one overtime period. But there might come a time when a game goes on and on and on and end way past deadline.
It makes for exciting football, but makes reporting a final score nearly impossible.
As for the game, it was a series of missed opportunities that led to the overtime period.
Simi Valley came out on the short end of this game for a number of reasons. Simi had a chance to win the game in regulation with a 26-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.
But the snap was high and Buena recovered on Simi's 35-yard line. Buena drove down to the Simi 12, but fumbled and gave the ball back to Simi with under a minute to play.
Simi Valley coach Todd Borowski said his team made too many mental mistakes during key parts of the game.
"We had the opportunity to make plays at the end and didn't do it," he said.
Buena scored the winning touchdown with the help of a questionable pass interference call in overtime. On second and 10 from the 25, quarterback Rex Wilson, who completed only five passes in the game, tried to lob one to Shane Bridge down the sideline. Bridge tangled with a Simi cornerback and both fell out of bounds. The sideline referee threw a late flag and gave Buena first and 10 on the 12 after calling pass interference.
Borowski diplomatically said after the game he is not supposed to criticize the officiating and would only say that that particular referee has called great games in the past.
Buena running back Mike Davis scored three plays later on a 4-yard run to win the game.
The loss puts Simi Valley at 0-2. Borowski said eight of his starters did not play. Three of those players were quarterback Jared Zahorik, running back Tommy Dowling and All-Marmonte League wide receiver Keith Williams. Williams was injured.
Simi Valley lost to Burbank 26-18 to open the season two weeks ago.
"You've got to learn how to win," Borowski said. "We haven't learned how to do that."

Crespi looks sharp, opening a 15-0 halftime lead over visiting Birmingham.

Birmingham started nervously, as its first three drives ended with a lost fumble on its own 20, a fumbled punt snap on its own 20, then a lost fumble in the end zone.

Following Birmingham's second turnover, Crespi cashed in two plays later with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Bennett to Blake Stanton, who faked out several defenders near the goal line.

Birmingham had a prime opportunity to tie the score, but Tajuan Briggs coughed up the football just as he was about to score on a 4-yard run, and Kevin Cummings recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

On the ensuing series, Crespi's Brad Lattanzio rushed for 24 yards, then 21 yards, followed three plays later with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Cummings.
Kahlil Bass' two-point conversion run on a quick snap made it 15-0.

Birmingham did not record a first down over the next two possessions, but had a good chance to score in the closing minutes of the first half after recovering a fumble on the Crespi 35. The Patriots drove to the 6, but Morey Croson was tackled at the 2 while trying to scramble as the halftime clock ran out.

Croson had difficulty handling Crespi's blitzing defense. He was sacked just once but was constantly chased out of the pocket, finishing the first half 6 for 12 for 89 yards.

Here is a list of hafltime scores from area teams:

El Camino Real 21, Calabasas 7
Glendale 20, Alhambra 7
Harvard-Westlake 14, Lynwood 14
San Fernando 14, Littlerock 12
Chaminade 17, Royal 7
Oak Park 21, Grace Brethren 20
Crespi 15, Birmingham 0
Canyon 48, Granada Hills 0
Cleveland 44, Verdugo Hills 7
Hart 6, Palmdale 6
Van Nuys 14, Panorama 7
Newbury Park 7, Camarillo 0
Chatsworth 7, Dorsey 7
West Ranch 14, Lancaster 6
Poly 33, Monroe 0
Valencia 7, Thousand Oaks 6
Burroughs 7, Schurr 7
Agoura 14, Ventura 14

Final scores from this afternoon games:

Arleta 24, Sylmar 7
Viewpoint 36, Ribet Academy 0
Eagle Rock 18, Canoga Park 10
Pasadena Poly 28, Campbell Hall 21

We'll call this my expasion upon Peerless Pronog:

Hart 27, Palmdale 21 -- Palmdale has shortened the gap between a top Golden League team and a top Foothill League team, but not quite enough to win this one -- even on Palmdale's home field. Hart's all-purpose standout Demitri Diamond is the difference.

Valencia 23, Thousand Oaks 21 -- This one comes down the very end. The Thousand Oaks duo of QB Ian Shultis and RB John Lister gives the Lancers the lead, but Valencia's new QB Dominick Solley has the last word in front of a big home crowd.

Crespi 42, Birmingham 23 -- OK, it's not 31 points like calpreps.com says, but Birmingham just doesn't have enough experienced defenders to keep pace with host Crespi's high-octane offense. And if Birmingham thought Garfield of L.A. could lay the wood, just wait until get a load of the gang-tackling Celts.

Notre Dame 17, Moorpark 7 -- Notre Dame has a lot to prove after falling in the first round of the playoffs last year, but visiting Moorpark, led by DL Corey Sandoval, won't make it easy. The Knights workmanlike approach will success, and we might even see a 50-yard field goal.

El Camino Real 24, Calabasas 7 -- This one is easy for the Conquistadores, as Rashon Harper runs wild. But it will get tougher down the road.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com.

Well, that didn't take long. Alemany scored on its first play just a moment ago on a 62 yard pass from David Metcalf to blazing Chris Gant to forge an early lead against visiting Kennedy. Check Jacob Pollon's story in the DN tomorrow (or online tonight at midnight for you diehards).

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Defending Mid-Valley Division semifinalist Paraclete killed itself with mistakes last week in a 35-28 loss at Serrano.

The Spirits totaled 447 yards of total offense but committed five turnovers (three within their own 20) and muffed a punt on its own 11. One lost fumble occurred on the 1 as a Paraclete player was running into the end zone.

"It was just one of those games. Very frustrating," coach Norm Dahlia said.

Paraclete looks to rebound against visiting Burroughs of Ridgecrest on Saturday night. The Spirits are playing home games this season at Knight of Palmdale - 15 miles from Paraclete's campus - because the Spirits' usual home field at Antelope Valley College is being refurbished.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Grant plays under its new lights Friday against Bell, and kickoff has been pushed to 7:30 p.m. because Grant plans a special ceremony and a halftime fireworks show.

"We're encouraging everyone who ever has been associated with Grant - students, teachers, coaches - to come out," said Jeff Halpern, interim assistant principal. "I was from Grant's first graduating class in 1959, so I know all about how it took only 49 years to get some lights, and now I'm back. We're also going to have a fireworks display at halftime."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

The competition for the starting quarterback job at Hart of Newhall remains tight, but Spenser Souza will start Friday over Darren Sholes in the season opener at Palmdale on Friday night. Kickoff is 7:30.

"Spenser had a little bit of a better day, statistics-wise, in our scimmage," coach Mike Herrington said.

Herrington said he was not sure if both would play Friday.

Souza is a converted receiver/defensive back, and Sholes was a backup quarterback last season.

The past eight Hart quarterbacks -- David Neill, Kyle Boller, Kyle Matter, Matt Moore, Sean Norton, Tyler Lyon, Alex Pettee and B.R. Holbrook -- all eventually played major-college football, and Boller and Moore are in the NFL.

Defending Northern Division finalist Hart has defeated reigning Western Division runner-up Palmdale 12 times in a row by an average of nearly 28 points. The last meeting was in 2001.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com