Prep Football Games to Watch : Riverside Poly, Fontana Play Again

Third-ranked and undefeated Riverside Poly will play No. 6 Fontana Friday night in a Citrus Belt League game at Fontana in what may be the biggest of the big games in the final week of the regular season.

It’s a rematch of last December’s Big Five Conference title game, won by Poly, and Fontana Coach Dick Bruich said the Bears (9-0) should be favored again. But Poly Coach Mike Churchill said the only advantage he can find was the size of his line.

But the Poly defense, led by linebacker Byron Lewis and linemen Randy Hord, Tony Beld and three-year letterman Josh Paxton, has allowed only 57 points all season. The offense has been improving, especially quarterback Bruce Campbell. Running back Chris Brantley is averaging eight yards a carry.

Fontana is 7-2, one of its losses a forfeit for using an ineligible player.

Cerritos (7-2) at Lynwood (8-1), Friday night--This is the dream match-up of the San Gabriel Valley League, a season ender for the title that league coaches say should be as good as the records indicate. Lynwood has won 29 consecutive league games and five of the last six league titles, having finished second in 1981. Cerritos has yet to be beaten this season, although two nonleague victories were forfeited because of an ineligible player. The seven victories are the most in school history.

Granada Hills (7-0) at San Fernando (6-2), Friday night--The Valley 4-A League championship is on the line for two teams enjoying fine seasons. After getting off to a slow start, San Fernando has won five of its last six games, including four straight. Coach Tom Hernandez says this team now is as good as the school has had since it won the City championship 10 years ago. Coach Darryl Stroh has guided Granada Hills to a perfect record, including a 3-0 mark in league play, in his first year at the varsity level. The Highlanders are averaging 317.9 yards a game in total offense.

Dorsey (7-1) vs. Carson (7-1), Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium--A Carson victory would give the Colts (4-0 in the Pacific League) an undefeated league record and the title. But a victory by Dorsey (3-1) would create a three-way tie for first if Banning (3-1) beats Gardena (2-2). Carson’s passing game has been productive recently and the ground game is the City’s best. Alvin Goree has 10 touchdowns and Calvin Holmes has six, and the two combined for five touchdowns last week in a 35-16 whipping of Gardena. Dorsey has to prove it can play on Carson’s level.

Newhall Hart (5-3-1) vs. Montebello Schurr (9-0), Friday night at Montebello High--Before the start of the season, this game wasn’t expected to be anything other than finishing touches on an undefeated Foothill League season for Hart. Instead, it will determine the championship. The Indians lost three nonleague games and tied another, but bounced back to go undefeated in league play behind junior quarterback Jim Bonds. Schurr, the top-ranked team in the Coastal Conference, has been hot from the start. The Spartans are averaging 36.1 points and 400 yards a game. Senior quarterback Eric Rubalcava has passed for 2,155 yards and 21 touchdowns. His favorite target is flanker Hubert Turner, who has 42 catches for 1,080 yards and 11 touchdowns. Turner, who also plays defensive back, has intercepted four passes and returned three for touchdowns.

La Puente Bishop Amat (9-0) at Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (7-2), Friday night--Bishop Amat does not have any time to savor its big victory over Anaheim Servite last week, not with St. Paul coming up. St. Paul is in fourth place in the powerful Angelus League with a 2-2 record, but the losses were by three points to Santa Ana Mater Dei and two to Servite. St. Paul, No. 9 in the Southern Section, is led on offense by quarterback John Scott and wide receiver Frank Mazzotta. The Swordsmen also have an outstanding defense, which will be tested by Bishop Amat’s power-I offense. League-leading Bishop Amat is headed by junior tailback Eric Bieniemy, who has rushed for 1,398 yards and 23 touchdowns in 223 carries.

Verbum Dei (9-0) at Playa del Rey St. Bernard (7-2), Friday night--The Camino Real League title rides on this one with the records of both teams at 6-0. Verbum Dei, the second-ranked team in the Northwestern Conference, has rolled all year. The Eagles have been averaging 42.2 points in league play and the defense has allowed only 5.2 points a game. The leader on defense is linebacker Pepper Jenkins. St. Bernard started slowly, losing two of its three nonleague games, but has blossomed as first-year Coach Duke Dulgarian and a new backfield gained experience. The Vikings have scored more than 40 points in three league games. Running backs Michael Parks and Kevin Bayonne have scored 10 and 6 touchdowns, respectively, and quarterback Lonnell Tyars has also been effective.

Cerritos Valley Christian (9-0) at Ontario Christian (9-0) Friday night--Considered by many as a preview of the Inland Conference final, this game matches the conference’s No. 1 and 2 teams. Top-ranked Valley Christian has shut out its last three opponents. The Crusaders have allowed just seven points all year, while averaging 44 points a game.

Pasadena Muir (8-1) vs. Pasadena (6-3), Saturday night at the Rose Bowl--There is always a lot of emotion when these cross-town rivals meet in their annual game at the Rose Bowl, which is expected to draw 10,000 to 15,000 fans. Muir has already wrapped up the Pacific League title, but that doesn’t figure to make much of a difference in a rivalry that frequently produces upsets. Muir is 4-0 in league play, Pasadena is 3-1. The game is crucial for Pasadena, which is battling Glendale Hoover (2-2) and Arcadia (2-2) for second place. For Pasadena to win, it must contain Muir running back Ricky Ervins, who has rushed for 1,206 yards and 14 touchdowns. Pasadena is led by quarterback Ray Murphy.

Long Beach Millikan (4-4) vs. Long Beach Poly (8-0), Friday night at Veterans Stadium--A week ago, this figured to be for the Moore League title. But Millikan was beaten last week by an opportunistic Lakewood team, and now all the Rams can do is hope to upset top-ranked Poly and gain a share of the title. A Millikan win, coupled with a Lakewood victory over Long Beach Wilson, would make first place a three-way tie. The game matches the highest scoring team and the best defensive team in the league. Millikan is averaging 35 points a game in league play. Poly has not allowed a league team to score. The Jackrabbits have blanked their last five opponents and six of the eight they’ve faced this year. The team has allowed 13 points this season, all the result of offensive turnovers.

Anaheim Servite (8-1) vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei (6-3), tonight at Santa Ana Stadium--Servite’s high-powered offense, led by quarterback Tim Rosenkranz and receiver Jeff Fieldhouse, has averaged 30 points a game, and the defense has allowed an average of 13. Rosenkranz, who has passed for 2,021 yards and 20 touchdowns, is 224 yards away from breaking Steve Beuerlein’s single-season school passing record of 2,244 yards, set in 1982. Mater Dei has played erratically this season, but has clinched a Big Five Conference playoff berth. Even if the Mater Dei loses to Servite, and St. Paul (2-2) upsets Bishop Amat, creating a tie for third place, Mater Dei will be the league’s third playoff team by virtue of a 17-14 victory over the St. Paul four weeks ago.