Eight Is a Magic Number in 1993 : Preps: Their game is often misunderstood and the players may not get the respect they deserve, but four area schools have prospered playing eight-man football.

Sid Grant always dreamed of coaching a high school football program. In 1987, the Torrance High assistant got his opportunity when he was named coach at Chadwick.

Then he was told the Dolphins play eight-man football.

“I was under the assumption that it was 11-man (football). . . . they looked at me kind of strange,” he said.

After seven seasons at the Palos Verdes private school, Grant’s role has been reversed.

“When I go to clinics I still get strange looks, even from my peers,” Grant said. “They always look at me and ask what kind of ball we play.”

Chadwick, South Bay Lutheran of Inglewood, Gateway Christian of Harbor City and Masada of Lawndale have done their best to change the strange looks to admiring ones this season. The eight-man teams have earned berths in the Southern Section playoffs, which start Friday. Chadwick and Lutheran have first-round byes.

Chadwick, which was 4-2 and 2-2 in the Prep League in 1992, improved to 7-1 and 4-0 this season and won its first league title since 1986. The Dolphins were ranked second in the Eight-Man Large Division before losing to Lutheran, 38-33, last week.

After playing in the Small Division the past four years, Lutheran (6-1-1, 3-0-1 in Heritage League play) made a successful transition to the Large Division. Lutheran tied Ribet Academy for the Heritage League title and is seeded fourth in the playoffs.

Gateway Christian (7-1, 4-0 in the Express League) is a member of the Small Division. It won its third Express League title in four years and is seeded fourth in the playoffs. The Hawks play host to Christian Center Academy of Colton in a first-round game Friday.

Masada (4-5), a correctional school, played a free-lance schedule and opens the Small Schools playoffs against Riverside Christian.

Despite their success, players and coaches at the eight-man schools believe their game is misunderstood by a majority of the football-watching public.

“In general we don’t get respect and I don’t know why,” Chadwick senior Neil Thakur said. “We deserve to get more attention. It’s not like we can go out and play the 11-man teams. What are we supposed to do?”

With enrollments ranging from 100 at Gateway Christian to 175 at Chadwick, it is unrealistic to think these schools could compete with schools that are 15 to 20 times larger. Most eight-man rosters have 15 to 25 players, as opposed to most 11-man teams that have 35 to 50 players.

“Eight-man is good for these kinds of students,” Grant said. “Because they are highly motivated academically, their parents want to send them to a private school where they can compete in a highly competitive sport that is tough.”

It also creates opportunities for players who might not have the athleticism to compete at larger schools.

Lutheran center Omar Galindo was talked into playing as a sophomore, but as a senior he has become a key to the Waves’ running attack, which is averaging 320 yards a game.

“He’s lifted weights and worked out the past couple years and has become a good football player,” Lutheran Coach Greg Rathke said. “He wouldn’t be playing football unless he came here.”

The Waves, who will play the winner of the Capistrano Valley Christian-Pasadena Poly game in the second round of the playoffs next week, are led by quarterback Ukeje Agu and running back Marshean Cox. Agu has rushed for 882 yards and 17 touchdowns and Cox leads the team with 1,020 yards rushing. Agu has attempted only 42 passes in eight games.

“If you have a fullback who’s a good blocker, you can run the ball,” Cox said. “All the fullback has to do is block the linebackers, and then all you have to do is pop off those blocks and beat the safety, if they have one.”

Chadwick, which plays St. Margaret’s of San Juan Capistrano next week in a second-round playoff game, has a more balanced offense. Quarterback Ricco Washington, who took over for Steve Thorp midway through the season, has completed 63% of his passes for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games.

Thakur, an All-Southern Section wide receiver, has caught 39 passes and 169 in his three-year varsity career. Dolphin tailback Scooter Atkins leads area eight-man rushers with 1,295 yards.

According to coaches and players, an eight-man team can be successful passing the ball because defenses generally have only two or three players in the secondary.

“There’s so much pressure on you as a defensive back with one-on-one coverage,” Thakur said. “In 11-man, everybody has their own zone and you don’t have to worry as much about getting beat one-on-one.”

Gateway Christian features a balanced offense led by quarterback Marcel Dominguez and tailback Eugene Davis, who has rushed for 826 yards and 14 touchdowns in only 62 carries.

Versatile junior Benjamin Holt provides Gateway with another weapon. The wide receiver-defensive back has nine interceptions, 364 yards rushing, 591 yards receiving and 24 touchdowns, five on kick returns.

“Benjamin has a lot of good moves and a lot of speed,” Coach Harold Larsen said. “We’ve tried to keep it balanced, but we’ve probably run the ball a little more.”

Holt, Atkins and Agu are talented players, yet coaches find it difficult to draw the attention of college recruiters.

Southern Methodist linebacker Mac McKinnie, a former Chadwick standout, is believed to be the only eight-man player in the South Bay to get a scholarship to a Division I college. Several others have played at smaller schools.

“I do have to work a little harder to get colleges to look at my guys, but if you have the talent, they’ll find you,” Grant said. “Look at Nebraska. Their offensive line is made up of a few eight-man players. Whether it’s eight-man, six-man, four-man or two-man, it’s all the same.”