Bay’s Gridders Tackle Old Road Jinx in Their 1st Playoff Games

For South Bay high schools to enjoy a successful opening weekend in the CIF and L.A. City football playoffs, they’ll have to overcome the disadvantages of playing in unfriendly territory.

Eight of 12 area teams have first-round games on the road. That’s not a good sign, considering the difficulty several schools have had winning away from home in postseason play.

Hawthorne, one of the South Bay’s winningest programs, has a playoff road record of 1-3 over the last three seasons. They went out in the second round at El Toro last year.

Why has traveling been the kiss of death for the Cougars?

“Sometimes you get out of sync because your time schedule is all off,” said Hawthorne Coach Goy Casillas, whose team faces Pasadena in a CIF Division II opener Friday night at Pasadena City College. “Plus, you don’t have your home crowd.”

Redondo Coach Les Congelliere knows the disappointment of life on the road. Last season the Sea Hawks lost their opener to Hart of Newhall at College of the Canyons, and in 1986 they were beaten at Santa Maria. Friday they travel to Temple City for a CIF Division VII playoff game.

“I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Congelliere said. “I think you get a little more adrenaline pumping at home. Maybe that plays a part.”

North Torrance discovered last year that playing on the road can be intimidating. Because of slow traffic, North’s rooter buses didn’t arrive at Canyon High in Canyon Country until half time of the Saxons 21-14 loss.

“We walked on the field to warm up and Canyon had 5,000 people in the stands and we had three,” said North Coach Don Bohannon. “Then we came out for the start of the game and they had about 10,000 people in the stands and we still had three. I think our kids were intimidated by the whole thing.”

Bohannon hopes the situation will be better Friday night when the Saxons travel to Chaminade in Canoga Park for a CIF Division VII opener.

Other South Bay teams hitting the road for first-round games are Leuzinger, St. Bernard, South Torrance, Mary Star and Gardena.

Area teams with playoff openers at home are league champions Morningside (Ocean), Serra (Camino Real), El Segundo (Santa Fe) and Westchester (Western). Carson, the Pacific League champion, has a bye.

Following is a rundown of first-round playoff games, all of which start at 7:30 p.m. Friday:

CIF Division II

Leuzinger (8-1-1) at Arcadia (7-3)--Leuzinger limps into the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a tie against Hawthorne and a 41-28 loss to Santa Monica in last week’s showdown for the Bay League title. The Olympians will have to regroup behind their defense, which was shredded by powerful Santa Monica, and a big-play offense that hasn’t produced many big plays lately. Quarterback Zak Odom leads Leuzinger, having passed for 978 yards and 7 touchdowns and rushed for 442 yards and 11 TDs. Junior Quang Banks is a threat at wide receiver and defensive back (six interceptions). Arcadia, which finished in a three-way tie for the Pacific League title with Muir and Pasadena, boasts a strong defense that dominated explosive Muir in a 14-6 win. Defensive back Mike Gerkin (eight interceptions) and running backs Dino Pasquale (562 yards, 8 TDs) and Damon Grove (538 yards, 2 TDs) lead the Apaches.

Hawthorne (7-2-1) vs. Pasadena (7-3) at Pasadena City College--Quarterback Curtis Conway and Co. take on a Pasadena team that was shut out last week by Muir, 14-0. Hawthorne walked all over winless Inglewood, 43-0. Conway has accounted for 1,775 yards in total offense and 19 touchdowns--he leads the Cougars in rushing (702 yards, 9 TDs) and passing (1,073 yards, 10 TDs)--so look for Pasadena to concentrate on stopping the elusive Conway. Defensive-minded Pasadena, which has been involved in several low-scoring games, counts on two-way tackle Terry McDaniels (6-5, 250) and linebacker Gary Jeter, nephew of Rams tackle Gary Jeter. The Bulldogs’ main offensive threats are tailback Robert Webster (828 yards, 10 TDs) and receiver John McCoy. Hawthorne tailback Dean Dunbar, out last week with an injured foot, returns to the lineup.

CIF Division VII

North Torrance (7-3) at Chaminade (7-3)--Chaminade quarterback Greg Baumgartner has passed for 1,966 yards and 22 touchdowns, but North Coach Bohannon isn’t all that impressed with what he’s seen on film. “They don’t throw the ball that well,” he said. That’s encouraging news for the Saxons, who have done well against passing teams. Anyway, Bohannon believes he has a decent passer of his own in sophomore Brian Jurado. The quarterback has led North to six straight wins, throwing for 1,455 yards and 11 TDs. In last week’s 19-13 victory over South Torrance that clinched second place in the Ocean League, Jurado connected on 14 of 20 attempts for 269 yards and 2 TDs, including an 85-yarder to Anthony Cole. Jurado scored the game-winning TD on a 1-yard sneak with 30 seconds left. Chaminade, runner-up in the San Fernando Valley League, has lost its last two games.

Harvard (7-3) at Serra (6-3)--Serra brings a five-game winning streak into the playoffs, along with a team that seems to get better each week. The defense, led by outside linebackers Erik Simien and Andre Howard, is among the best in the South Bay, and the offense has progressively become more productive with the improvement of quarterback Glenn Baham and junior running backs Dennis Gerard and Fred Safford. Harvard, which finished third in the San Fernando Valley League, likes to run the ball. Tailback Marty Holly has rushed for 872 yards, 306 coming last week in a win over Bell-Jeff.

St. Bernard (5-5) vs. Morningside (7-2) at Sentinel Field--The way Morningside has played in recent weeks, the Monarchs should be considered one of the favorites for the Division VII title. The Ocean League champs have an arsenal of weapons headed by quarterback Ernesto Carmicle, wide receiver Shannon Thompson, fullback/linebacker Deshon Mosley and tight end/linebacker Terrell Edwards. After losing to Hawthorne and Leuzinger in its first two games, Morningside has won seven straight. St. Bernard has been inconsistent, as its .500 record indicates. The exception is Viking wide receiver Jason Lucky, who is among the CIF leaders with 73 catches for 1,418 yards and 13 TDs.

South Torrance (5-5) at San Marino (8-0-1)--South Torrance’s offense, led by wide receiver John Morton (53 catches, 869 yards, 8 TDs), might find the going rough against No. 2-seeded San Marino. The Rio Hondo League co-champions have outscored opponents 237-37 and have the top-rated defense in the San Gabriel Valley. Standouts for San Marino include running back/defensive back Robbie Santos (628 yards, 9 TDs), 6-3, 225-pound quarterback/linebacker Mark Ukropina (1,238 yards, 12 TDs passing) and wide receiver Myron Scott.

Redondo (5-5) at Temple City (8-1-1)--Redondo enters the playoffs having won three of its last four games and boasting one of the South Bay’s top passers. Quarterback Robbie Zeller has completed 108 of 193 attempts for 1,381 yards and 12 TDs, most going to wide receiver Ronnie Brooks, who has 46 receptions for 727 yards and 10 TDs. When the Sea Hawks run the ball, they usually give it to hard-nosed fullback Dave Reasoner (859 yards, 5 TDs). Temple City, traditionally a running team, has become more diversified on offense. Quarterback Ken Mushinskie has passed for 1,509 yards and 19 TDs, and he’s rushed for 433 yards and 6 scores. His primary target is tight end Tom Vandergrift (30 catches, 596 yards, 10 TDs).

CIF Division VIII

Agoura (6-3-1) at El Segundo (10-0)--El Segundo tailback Erik Evans figures to be a marked man in the playoffs. He leads the South Bay with 23 touchdowns and 171 points, but, as usual, the Eagles are a team that likes to count on its defense to win. In capturing the Santa Fe League title, the school’s first title since 1974, El Segundo held opponents to 34 points in seven games, including five shutouts. Agoura, third-place finisher in the Frontier League, traditionally fields sound teams under veteran Coach Frank Greminger. Running back Dave Caramanis leads Agoura in rushing with 692 yards and 6 TDs.

Mary Star (6-4) at Santa Clara (10-0)--The Stars travel to Oxnard to face Frontier League champion Santa Clara and quarterback Tim Gutierrez, one of the leading passers in Ventura County. When Gutierrez isn’t throwing to his favorite target, wide receiver Matt Young, he usually hands off to running back Kwinn Knight. Mary Star also likes to go to the air. Quarterback Shawn McEachern has passed for 1,508 yards and 6 TDs, and Mike Strosnider and Steve Barker are the primary receivers for the third-place team from the Santa Fe League.

L.A. City 4-A Division

Manual Arts (1-7-1) vs. Banning (8-2) at Gardena High--Only in the poorly structured L.A. City Section could a team with a 1-7-1 record qualify for the playoffs. Manual Arts, third-place finisher in the weak Metro League, isn’t expected to give Banning much of a test. Look for tailback Keith Mims, who has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season, and sophomore fullback Derek Sparks, who is approaching the 1,000 mark, to run roughshod over the Toilers.

L.A. City 3-A Division

Gardena (3-7) at Marshall (6-4)--For years an also-ran to Carson and Banning in the 4-A Division, Gardena now has the chance to prove it can win a City title on a lower level. Running back Khybdeed Hairston (930 yards, 7 TDs) figures to play a key role for the Mohicans against Marshall, champion of the Northwest League.

Locke (6-4) at Westchester (7-3)--Westchester, having won the City title in the defunct 2-A Division last year, will try to make it two in row after capturing the Western League championship. Running back Tim Holliday is the Comets’ main threat, having rushed for 770 yards and 6 TDs. Locke took second in the Central League.