2-A CHAMPIONSHIP / KEARNEY-EL CAMINO : Scott Finds El Camino’s Coverage Talk Offensive

SAN DIEGO —  Kearny’s Darnay Scott hears the talk about being single-covered by El Camino defensive backs. He can’t really believe it, but he likes what he hears.

“If they play me one-on-one, it might be kind of easy,” Scott said. “Even Morse double-covered me.”

But El Camino Coach Herb Meyer says he refuses to conform to everyone else’s idea of how defense should be played--even if the stakes are the the 2-A section title and he’s playing against one of San Diego County’s better wide receivers.

“We play defense a lot different than most people,” Meyer said. “We play bump-and-run, man-to-man. We’re just going to continue what we’ve done all year.”

And that’s just fine with Scott, although he’d advise otherwise.

“I think they play a little too close,” said Scott, who caught four passes for 144 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, against Ramona last week.

The man assigned to shadow Scott, sophomore Bryant Westbrook, says he’s ready for the assignment.

“It’s going to be hard,” he said. “He’s a great athlete. Everybody’s been talking about him. I’m pretty anxious to see what Darnay Scott is like. But I feel like I can handle it.”

If Meyer’s game plan works, Westbrook, a first team All-Avocado League selection, will get some help from his defensive line and blitzing linebackers, Abdu McCullough, Dennis Duren and Dan Esposito.

“The way we relieve pressure from the defensive secondary is to put pressure on their quarterback,” Meyer said.

Their quarterback is junior Sam Page, who has thrown for 1,459 yards and 15 touchdowns. In last week’s 35-22 semifinal victory over Ramona, Page had his best game of the year, completing nine of 13 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s making the right choices now,” Kearny Coach Willie Matson said. “He’s getting the ball into the athletes’ hands.”

And Meyer says the athletes are spread out all over the field.

“I think you’re asking for trouble if you’re concerned only about stopping Darnay Scott,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of other people who can hurt you.”

Sophomore James Curtis is Kearny’s most dangerous running back. He has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and is averaging 11 yards a carry. Against Ramona, Curtis took a simple pass in the flat, and 52 yards and few seconds later, he was in the end zone. In addition to Curtis, there are junior Ted Mack and seniors Chris Richmond and Donnell Davis.

In a typical year, Meyer would be able to boast the same kind of athletes that Kearny has. In fact the last time Kearny and El Camino met, 14 years ago in the section finals, Meyer came to the Stadium equipped with running Toussaint Tyler and wide receiver Dokie Williams. Tyler went on to play at the University of Washington. Williams played at UCLA and later in the NFL. El Camino won, 39-28.

But this year, Meyer’s only returning offensive starter was halfback Von Robinson. And Robinson is likely to miss tonight’s game with two cracked bones in his hand.

Robinson, who injured his hand two weeks ago against Escondido in the quarterfinals, has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns. Although he practiced this week with a soft cast on his hand, Meyer said it was doubtful he would play.

“If he were able to play even a little bit, it would help us,” Meyer said.

Without Robinson, El Camino has relied more on junior quarterback Noel Prefontaine. And Prefontaine has been coming through. He has thrown five of his eight touchdown passes during the Wildcats’ three playoff games. Last week against La Jolla, he tossed three touchdown passes.

And Prefontaine began the season as a third-stringer.

“He’s developed a great deal of confidence in what he’s doing, “ Meyer said. “He’s been making some big plays.”

If can continue to make big plays for one more night, Meyer just might walk away with his fifth section title in 15 years at El Camino.