CITY EASTERN LEAGUE : Morse Leads Pack of Hungry Squads

The City Eastern League has the football bug, and if you’re on its 1991 schedule, you’re going to get bit.

Trouble is, the biggest bite is reserved for itself. This league can’t get enough of itself. Mira Mesa is a threat. Point Loma is a bigger threat and Morse is the biggest threat. All three are top-10 candidates and can damper anyone’s Friday night.

Morse, the defending 3-A section champion, 1988 titlist and a runner-up in 1987 and 1989, looks like a winner. But no one’s predicting it can repeat its 14-0 dream season.

“A team like last year’s comes around once in a million years,” Morse Coach John Shacklett said.

THE RACE

Top contenders: Morse (14-0), Point Loma (9-2).

Could surprise: Mira Mesa (9-3).

Hoping for improvement: Patrick Henry (4-6-1), Serra (1-8-1).

Game of the year: Point Loma at Morse, Nov. 15. This regular-season ender should determine who’s No. 1, unless something happens to one or both before then.

THE PLAYERS

The Men: Morse twins Cary and Gary Taylor. Running back Gary’s 2,625-yards last season led the state and was a section best. Gary was named all-state junior player of the year after he scored 31 touchdowns. The tear continues: he rushed 119 yards in his 1991 debut in Hawaii two weeks ago. Cary, understudy to Teddy Lawrence last year, was equally impressive, throwing three touchdown passes. Some say with Cary, Morse’s offense shouldn’t miss a beat in the transition. “He might be the consummate athlete,” Serra Coach Skip Coons said. “I hear a lot about Chad Davis, but I don’t know if he’s the athlete Cary is: he’s a quick young man, he can pass, he can jump.”

Who will fill Teddy Lawrence’s shoes? Mira Mesa’s Chad Davis has the curious task of taking his passing talents to a team that ran like crazy, behind star Wayne Pittman, all last season. Davis, closing in on a national high school passing record, seems adept at change, having done it twice already. Coach Brad Griffith said his veteran offensive linemen are learning to block for the pass, not the rush. “You gotta go with what you have,” he said.

Others to watch on offense: There are so many good ones, it’s dizzying: Mira Mesa returns starters Brian Wilson, Wes McDonald (both all-league) and Eric Byous on the line; Morse may sneak Conan Smith (FB) the ball, to run behind Darius Benford and Dan Williams (OL) and has Dwayne Bostic (WR) as targets; Shaunta Baker (WR) and Alex Gresham (RB) hold the keys to much of Point Loma’s scoring; and Henry’s running back’s Chris Yerke and Nathan Nelson should rack up points.

Others to watch on defense: Again, a ton of prospects. Point Loma has what Coach Bennie Edens described as “some pretty talented kids, to be honest,” a core of eight returning starters including: La’Roi Glover (DE), David Cunningham (LB), Pico Gonzalez (LB) and Michael Driver (DB). Morse has linebackers Glenn Steele and David Mallory; and Jeffrey Bryant is a two-way lineman for Serra.

THE INTANGIBLES

The Man--Part Two: La’Roi Glover (6-3, 276) is Point Loma’s pre-season all-state defensive end. He bulked up 15 pounds over the summer but insists he’s stronger, not slower. This guy loves the game: in his spare time he gets tips from college or pro players by driving to L.A. to catch Pac-10 games, taping televised games with his favorite defensive players and watching Chargers Leslie O’Neal and Burt Grossman.