THE BIG GAME

The last time Long Beach City College and Cerritos College were undefeated going into their annual football showdown, Cerritos knocked off the Vikings and went on to claim the Metropolitan Conference title with a perfect 10-0 record.

That was in 1965. The Metro Conference has long since dissolved, but this intense rivalry has not. The 34th meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Both teams are hot. Long Beach (8-0) is having its best season since 1964, when it went undefeated, won the Junior Rose Bowl and was crowned the mythical national champion. The Vikings are 2-0 in the Mission Conference North Division. Cerritos is 6-0-1 overall and 1-0 in the Mission Conference North Division. Both are under consideration for postseason bowl bids, which will be announced later this month.

“The winner of this game also gets the inside track when it comes to recruiting next year, so there is a lot at stake,” Cerritos Coach Frank Mazzotta said. “A lot of our guys know their guys. They played high school ball together and live nearby. It should be a great game for everyone to see.”

The series began in 1959, when 4-year-old Cerritos, whose campus was growing in the dairy fields of Norwalk, upset the tradition-rich Vikings, 6-0. The rivalry was on. Even when the Falcons jumped from the Metro to the defunct South Coast Conference in the late 1960s, the two played. The Falcons lead the series, 19-13-1, and have won 12 of the last 13 meetings.

BACK TO LIFE

After it opened with six straight losses, the Wilson High football team was written off for dead.

But the Bruins have rebounded with two victories in their last three games. With a win Friday night at 7 at Jordan, Wilson would put itself in a position to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

Both teams have struggled this season, yet have 2-1 Moore League records. Injuries hurt the Bruins (2-6 overall) early in the season, while Jordan (3-6) played a killer preseason schedule, then opened league play with a 31-19 loss to front-running Poly.

Wilson lost defensive lineman Andy McCoy with a broken foot on the first day of fall practice. Then four players were injured in a 20-0 loss in the season opener against Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo.

Getting back to full strength has been a prime concern for Coach J.C. Clarke, and now he is seeing positive signs. Team captain Terry Moseby broke his collarbone in the season opener. He returned to play part time two weeks ago. Last week, in a 21-17 victory over Millikan, he caught a pass that set up a touchdown and returned an interception for a score. Two-way lineman Jason Powell, a three-year starter, is also back after hurting his knee in the first game.

What all that will mean against Jordan is anyone’s guess. “It’s going to be a tough game,” Clarke said. “They remind me of a team they had several years ago that beat Poly when no one figured they would. They have exceptional athletes and look real tough right now.”

The Panthers have won two consecutive games, including a 27-16 victory over Lakewood last week. Lakewood, which plays first-place Poly (3-0) Friday, is also 2-1. If Wilson and Lakewood end up tied for the league’s third playoff spot, Lakewood would have the edge, since it defeated the Bruins, 41-13, two weeks ago.

Clarke hopes recent tradition is on the Bruins’ side against Jordan.

“I told the kids that if we win Friday it means we’ll go (to the playoffs) for the fifth straight year,” he said. “The kids are starting to believe in themselves.”

To win, Wilson can’t make the mistakes that have plagued it this season. The Bruins have committed 11 turnovers in the last two games.

BIG CHIEFS

With a decisive 35-15 victory over El Rancho, Santa Fe (6-2, 3-0) put itself in the driver’s seat in the Del Rio League football race. The Chiefs play host to Pioneer on Friday, then finish the season at Whittier. Santa Fe is a game ahead of all three teams.

Despite the graduation of all-Southern Section CIF quarterback Mark Kotsay, who is playing baseball at Cal State Fullerton, the Chiefs have been explosive. They are averaging nearly four touchdowns a game over the last four contests. It is the defense, however, that has been a pleasant surprise. In its last three games, Santa Fe has allowed 9, 12 and 13 points.

“We knew we had a good offensive line and a good running back,” Coach Jack Mahlstede said. “But we had to replace every defensive back and our wide receivers.”

A tough preseason, in which the Chiefs went 3-2, afforded Mahlstede an opportunity to try several players in those positions. As a result, “our interior seven have become a better group than the one we had last year.”

Center Jim Hope, a Times All-Southeast choice a year ago, anchors the offensive line. Guard Brent Richardson and tackle Joel Villas hold down the right side of the line, while guard Enrique Medina and tackle Jim Harlow are on the left.

The receiving problem was solved by going to a double tight-end formation that features Juan Carderon and Andy Argott as blockers and pass catchers. Carderon has four touchdown receptions.

Quarterback Anthony Perez has completed 50% of his passes this season. Running back Willie Kaholokula has rushed for 1,115 yards and 9 touchdowns out of the option and I-back attacks.

SCHURR ENOUGH

Schurr’s fast rise to the top of the Almont League football race may have surprised a few people--particularly school district rivals Bell Gardens and Montebello-but it is not a shock to Spartan Coach Tim Salter. Schurr is 6-2 overall, but 3-0 in league play and has defeated Bell Gardens, 41-27. It plays Friday at Keppel High of Alhambra.

“I don’t think we have surprised ourselves too much,” Salter said. “We finished second in the league last year and got beat in the first round of the playoffs, 15-7, to Hawthorne, which was a very good team.”

He points out that eight offensive players and six defensive players from that team returned.

“We were hoping to put it together this year,” he said. “We’re not real big like some of the teams we play, but we have a lot of veteran players that are doing a pretty good job right now.”

Schurr’s losses were to Temple City, 27-26, and Damien, 12-10.

“We played a tough preseason schedule,” Salter said. “We had Temple City beat and they kicked a field goal in the last three seconds to beat us.”

Salter has used a four-player rotation at running back with good results. Thomas Hernandez rushed for 105 yards in last Friday’s 24-0 victory over Alhambra. Fullback Oscar Burgueno added 70 more. Also sharing playing time are Cesar Pasillas and Danny Moriel. All four have also seen action defensively.

Quarterback Kevin Seto, a backup last year, has guided the offense, which has averaged 34 points the last five games. Seto replaced last year’s starter, Nick Losoya, who is back from a broken collarbone and is playing in the secondary.

Senior Jose Murillo will start his 33rd consecutive game on both sides of the ball at tackle Friday night. End Chuck Hildago, who blocked an extra-point attempt in the victory over Bell Gardens, is another two-way veteran, as is the team’s defensive leader, linebacker John Gonzalez, who had 15 solo tackles against Bell Gardens.

NEW FACE IN THE LINEUP

Jason Reynolds, a two-way starter for the Tustin High School football team, transferred to St. Paul High on Oct. 19, just days before his new school lost, 24-0, to Bishop Amat, the No. 1-ranked team in the Southern Section Division I. He is reunited with Marijon Ancich, who coached Reynolds for three years at Tustin before taking the job at St. Paul in May. Reynolds did not play in the loss to Bishop Amat, but suited up for Friday’s 19-14 loss to Crespi at Encino.

Reynolds’ father, Art Reynolds, is an assistant coach at St. Paul. He is employed by the Tustin Unified School District as a noon supervisor on the Tustin campus.

“We felt it was rather bizarre, but maybe the fact he coached at St. Paul had something to do with it,” Tustin Athletic Director Al Rosmino said. “(Art Reynolds) told us the lease ran out on his home in Tustin and that he was relocating and wanted Jason to be with him. He felt it would be in his best interest at this time, and that’s all the reason they gave us.”

Bill Clark, Southern Section administrator in charge of football, said: “If there’s a bona fide change of address, (Reynolds) would be eligible (to play) immediately.”

Reynolds, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound fullback and linebacker, was Tustin’s leading rusher, gaining 472 yards and averaging 5.9 per carry. He also started for the Tillers’ basketball team last season.

Reynolds left the school four days after Tustin (3-4, 1-3 in league play) was upset by Saddleback, which was 1-4 at the time. The Tillers have since dropped three consecutive games and fallen from playoff contention in the eight-team Sea View League. St. Paul is 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the Del Rey League. The Swordsmen play host to St. John Bosco in a game Friday that could have bearing on a playoff spot for both teams. St. John Bosco is 5-3 and 1-2.

HOW GOOD ARE THEY?

Poly has been on a roll. Since losing their football opener, 12-6, to highly rated Eisenhower of Rialto, the Jackrabbits have won seven consecutive games and show no signs of letting down, particularly in the weak Moore League.

The last time the Jackrabbits were tested was a month ago in a 10-3 win over Esperanza High of Anaheim. The victory was so complete, Esperanza Coach Gary Meek could only admire it.

“That was the best defensive team we’ve played in my 18 years at this school,” Meek said. “We could not block them.”

That was evident from the start. It was just surprising.

After all, Esperanza is famous for building superior linemen. The Aztecs have a well-deserved reputation for bumping and grinding opponents into submission.

But Poly, now 7-1, became only the second non-Empire League team to beat Esperanza since 1989. The Aztecs gained only 137 yards.