Antelope ValleyCOACH: Brent Carder, 27th year.LAST SEASON:... - Los Angeles Times
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Antelope ValleyCOACH: Brent Carder, 27th year.LAST SEASON:...

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Antelope Valley

COACH: Brent Carder, 27th year.

LAST SEASON: 4-6; tied for seventh in Foothill Conference at 3-5.

COMING BACK: QB Shawn Sharp passed for 959 yards but led the Foothill Conference with 14 interceptions. RB Jamel White had 731 all-purpose yards last season. OLB Roderick Boose recorded 62 tackles. RB Muhammed McDonald scored seven touchdowns . . . in 1993, the last time he played football.

CHECKING IN: RB Lafayette Bailey rushed for 1,397 yards at Littlerock High last year. Freshman TE Andy Rethi had 33 receptions for 483 yards at Quartz Hill High. ILB Eric Glover was an all-league selection last season at Clark High in Las Vegas.

OUTLOOK: The Marauders are young and inexperienced at several key positions. They will learn quickly where they stand, kicking off the season Saturday night on the road with a nonconference game against traditionally strong Palomar, near San Diego.

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Glendale

COACH: John Cicuto, eighth year.

LAST SEASON: 3-7; fourth in WSC Northern Division at 2-3.

COMING BACK: CB Jay Register was an all-state selection last year. S Kenny Knoop was named to the All-WSC team. ILB Brian Collins had 41 tackles in 1995, third-best for the Vaqueros. RB Rahsaan Harrison had 716 all-purpose yards, including 323 rushing.

CHECKING IN: FB Emre Ozgur, a freshman from Hoover High, is a powerful ballcarrier at 5 feet 10 and 210 pounds. Freshman tailback Travis Jackson, from Cathedral High, could push for playing time in the backfield.

OUTLOOK: Cicuto is eager to make 1995 a distant memory. “We have thought about last season for the last nine months,†he said. “I’ve set pretty high goals for the team.†The Vaqueros have 10 starters returning on offense, including most of the linemen, and should have a well-balanced attack.

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Moorpark

COACH: Jim Bittner, 18th year.

LAST SEASON: 8-3; third in WSC Southern Division at 4-2.

COMING BACK: TB Bryan Wilkins saw limited action last season behind Gary Clemons, who finished his career at Moorpark. TB Ivan McCrae, a transfer from Ventura, figures to get his share of carries. OT John Raymond (6-7, 315) and OT Donovan Roy (6-5, 330) are two of three offensive linemen who weigh more than 300 pounds.

CHECKING IN: QB George Jones passed for 519 yards at run-oriented Hueneme High in 1995. WR Randy Hurt caught 29 passes for 554 yards at Rio Mesa High last season and WR Jacques Lee had 21 receptions for 269 yards at Oxnard High.

OUTLOOK: The Raiders are ranked 17th in the state’s preseason poll and, apparently, are bursting with confidence. Their schedule already lists a bowl game, to be announced, of course. And when bowl season rolls around, expect the Raiders to receive another bowl bid.

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Pierce

COACH: Bill Norton, sixth year.

LAST SEASON: 1-9; last in WSC Northern Division at 0-5.

COMING BACK: CB Robert Camacho, OT Jeff Martin and C Eddie Rodriguez were All-WSC honorable mention last year. Punter Jacob Guy averaged 38.7 yards a kick. DT Danny Rappa will lend experience to the defensive line if he can recover from knee surgery.

CHECKING IN: Freshmen Dan McMullen and Jim Landress are battling at for the starting job at QB. McMullen passed for 1,254 yards in 1994, his last season at Kennedy High, and Landress passed for 1,201 yards in 1993, his junior season at Granada Hills High. Landress chose to concentrate on baseball in his senior season.

OUTLOOK: Norton says the Brahmas are paper-thin on both lines and inexperienced all over, which, translated, means another rough season ahead.

Valley

COACH: Jim Fenwick, sixth year.

LAST SEASON: 10-1; first in WSC Southern Division at 6-0.

COMING BACK: WR Eric Ruhle caught 38 passes for 657 yards last season and WR Eric Carpenter had 15 receptions for 214 yards. OT Thomas Vollath (6-5, 320), from Germany, is an immovable object. DE Jerry Melikyan and CB Ron Allen anchor an unproven defense.

CHECKING IN: RB Antwane Smith, who had 1,719 yards rushing at Kennedy High last year, should fit in nicely in Valley’s run-and-shoot scheme. DT Edgar Nava (6-2, 290), from Notre Dame High, will help the revamped defense. LB Damion Thompson, a freshman from Kennedy, has been impressive in practice.

OUTLOOK: The Monarchs seem to reshuffle their personnel every season (four quarterbacks in the past four years) but don’t lose a step. Or many games. They are 29-4 over the past three seasons.

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Ventura

COACH: George Rosales, fourth year.

LAST SEASON: 2-8; fifth in WSC Northern Division at 1-4.

COMING BACK: C Dave Colker was an All-WSC selection last year. LB Jeremy Lawson, S Eric Stewart and CB Eric Blair bring experience to a defense that features an entirely new line. TE Wade Hall is one of the few mainstays on offense.

CHECKING IN: Kyle Schommer, who passed for 1,955 yards at Ventura High last season, takes over at QB. Chris Miller, from Simi Valley High, and Jeff Howard, from Oak Park High, are among several of new wide receivers. OT Jose Murillo (6-4, 290), a freshman from Channel Islands High, has secured a starting position.

OUTLOOK: Rosales is optimistic the porous defense that allowed 385.1 yards per game last season will improve under new defensive coordinator Terry Morris. If it doesn’t, look for another excruciating season.

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