HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : The Season Comes Down to a Game of Elimination : Southern Section: Old friends are foes when South Torrance and Oak Park play in a Division IX game.

When South Torrance High football Coach Don Morrow played quarterback at Cal State Northridge from 1980-81, it was the job of defensive back coach Dick Billingsley to find a way to stop Morrow in practices.

Billingsley, now the football coach at Oak Park, will try to beat Morrow on Friday night when third-seeded South (7-3) plays Oak Park (7-3) in the first round of the Southern Section Division IX playoffs. Game time 7:30 at South.

“He was an excellent person then and he’s an excellent person now,” Billingsley said of Morrow, Northridge’s career leader in completion percentage (54.4%). “As a quarterback, he was very professional about the way he handled practices.”

Morrow, in his fourth season at South, guided the Spartans to their third straight Pioneer League title. South defeated previously unbeaten North Torrance, 22-21, Friday to finish with a 5-0 league record.

A sore point for Morrow has been South’s lack of success in the playoffs. The Spartans have lost in the first round the last three seasons.

Hoping for a change, South has adopted the motto, “Beyond The First Round.”

“It has been a stigma,” Morrow said. “Last year we thought we should have won. We have to play well and there has to be a certain amount of good fortune.”

In last year’s 20-17 playoff loss to St. Joseph of Santa Maria, South rallied from a 12-point deficit to take the lead but gave up a touchdown with 16 seconds remaining. The key play occurred with 3:22 left when South punter Steve Finley failed to get a kick off during a heavy rush, giving St. Joseph the ball on the South 40-yard line.

Last week in South’s victory over North, Finley faced a similar situation early in the game but managed to get a punt off.

“The strong point of this team is there is no individual that has to be relied upon,” Morrow said. “Each week we’ve had a new hero. There’s no 1,000-yard rusher or 1,000-yard passer.”

Oak Park, the third-place finisher in the Tri-Valley League, will be without four starters Friday, including tailback Tarik Smith, a preseason All-American, and quarterback Damian Delfino. The players were suspended for the rest of the season for attending the school’s homecoming dance two weeks ago under the influence of alcohol.

Smith led Oak Park in rushing with 746 yards. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,500 yards.

“It’s tough when he’s not out there,” said Billingsley, the former coach at Culver City and Beverly Hills highs. “We lack overall speed.”

In Smith’s absence, Oak Park has relied on quarterback Alex Eckert, a converted running back, and three running backs--Tim Ta, Mark Schwanauer and Ryan Garth.

However, Morrow said he will prepare South as if the four suspended players will be on the field.

“We’ll run the same system no matter who’s playing,” Morrow said. “I hope the kids get to play. Everybody wants to play at full strength.”

A key factor for South might be getting an early lead. Oak Park has given up an average of only five points in the second half.

Billingsley said he is concerned with South’s size--the Spartans’ offensive line includes Chad Sauter (6-foot-6, 260 pounds), John Calas (6-5, 250) and Josh Waybright (6-1, 230)--and the speed sophomore running back Chad Morton brings to the team. Morton was one of the heroes against North, rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown and catching two passes for 102 yards and a TD.

The following is a rundown of other Southern Section playoff openers involving South Bay teams. All games start at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

DIVISION III

Ventura (8-2) vs. Peninsula (8-2) at Redondo High--Ventura has been without Coach Harvey Kochel since the fourth week of the season after he was suspended for sexual misconduct with a minor. Kochel pleaded guilty to having sex with a 16-year-old female student and is awaiting sentencing. Ventura has been coached by Phil McCune since Kochel was suspended. The Tigers are led by running backs Devon Passno and Derek Swafford, who have each rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Jake Kochel, son of the former coach, is Ventura’s third back and has rushed for more than 500 yards.

“They’re a scary offensive football team,” Peninsula Coach Gary Kimbrell said. “We’re matching our strength against their strength.” Peninsula’s defense, led by linebackers Jerry Pilato and Taso Papadakis, will try to keep the score low against a Ventura team that averages 36 points a game. Offensively, Peninsula is similar to Ventura, relying on a running game led by tailback James Durroh, who has rushed for 1,109 yards and 19 TDs.

Hawthorne (8-2) vs. Schurr (6-4) at Montebello High--Schurr has rebounded from a 1-3 start to earn a playoff berth. The Spartans, coached by Tim Salter, went 4-1 in the Almont League to finish second. Hawthorne will be without tailback Corey McCoy, who is out for the season because of an ankle injury. Linebacker-fullback Tevita Moala dislocated his shoulder last week against Leuzinger but might play against Schurr, which defeated Peninsula in a playoff opener last season.

Leuzinger (6-4) at San Marcos (8-2)--San Marcos, champion of the Channel League, is led by running back Steve Guzman, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards. The Santa Barbara team’s losses came against Lompoc, 35-30, and Buena, 14-7. Leuzinger finished in a three-way tie for the Bay League title by beating Hawthorne, 28-24, last week. The Olympians rely on a running game led by fullback LaMark Lorick, who rushed for 122 yards last week, and quarterback Jason Simmons. Linebacker John Niko anchors the Leuzinger defense.

DIVISION VII

Kennedy (7-2-1) vs. Morningside (5-4) at Coleman Stadium--Kennedy of La Palma, after a 3-3-1 start, won its last three Garden Grove League games to qualify for the playoffs, and picked up an additional victory by forfeit. As many as five Garden Grove League teams have been ranked in the Division VII top 10 this season. It has been an inconsistent season for Ocean League champion Morningside. Monarch quarterback Stais Boseman had a slow start after spraining his ankle in the opener, but he is healthy now. He had 309 all-purpose yards last week in 20-14 victory over Santa Monica.

DIVISION VIII

Bellflower (7-3) at Serra (6-2-2)--Bellflower runs an option offense led by running backs Mark Hays, Enrico Bozman and Lou Porch. Defensively, the Buccaneers’ strength is against the run, which happens to be Serra’s strength. Bellflower, which won only two games last season, limited Norwalk to one yard rushing and Mayfair to minus-seven yards rushing. Serra enters the playoffs after consecutive ties against Pius X and Verbum Dei, leaving the team tied with St. Monica for its sixth straight Camino Real League title. The Cavaliers rely on halfback Kenny Fredieu, who has rushed for 1,450 yards and 20 TDs.

DIVISION IX

Calabasas (7-3) at North Torrance (9-1)--Calabasas, runner-up in the Frontier League, is led by quarterback Todd Cignarelli, who has passed for more than 1,000 yards, and wide receivers James Lin and David Wymer. Coyote running back Scott Sistrunk has rushed for 670 yards. North needs to regroup emotionally after last week’s loss to South. North, ranked No. 1 in Division IX most of the season, was seeded No. 4 in the playoffs despite finishing second in the Pioneer League. Saxon quarterback Frank Ramirez leads the area in passing with 2,085 yards and 23 TDs.

West Torrance (7-3) at Beaumont (5-5)--Beaumont, the second-place team from the Skyline League, relies on its running game, led by Joey Grimes, Jarvell Lewis and Brandon Grimes. Cougar quarterback Luke Gross has less than 70 passing attempts this season. West quarterback Ryan Marshall passed for 156 yards last week to lead the Warriors past Torrance, 25-20, in a game to decide third place and the final playoff berth from the Pioneer League. Running back Leo Galvan, West’s leading rusher with 763 yards, is expected to play after injuring an ankle against Torrance.