PREP NOTES / Rob Fernas : Layoff Doesn’t Pay Off for Hawthorne Eleven

Hawthorne High football Coach Goy Casillas was gracious in defeat Friday after Leuzinger handed his team its first loss of the season, 23-14.

He gave credit to the Olympians for playing a better game and he singled out the Leuzinger coaches for a job well done.

But in his heart, Casillas knew the Cougars were not at their best after sitting out the previous week because of a forfeit by Beverly Hills.

“It puts you out of sync,� he said of the two-week layoff. “We are used to doing things a certain way at a certain time. Kids get in certain routines. If you get out of them, it’s hard to get back in.�

With that in mind, will Palos Verdes experience the same problem today when it faces Rolling Hills? The Sea Kings did not play their homecoming game with Beverly Hills last week because the Beverly Hills teachers strike was not settled in time to avoid a forfeit.

Although he admits he would have rather played the game, Palos Verdes Coach Bill Judy downplayed the effect a layoff will have on his team.

“I don’t think it’s going to make any difference,� he said. “At this time last week, I was not enthused about (taking a forfeit). We had a hard time focusing. But that’s all changed. Being that this is our rival game, we’re focused and everything seems to be normal.�

Casillas said Hawthorne had trouble getting started after the layoff.

“I noticed it on all our levels,� he said. “The freshman and sophomore teams were very tentative in the first half, and then they came back and won their games in the second half. The varsity game was the same way.�

Except the Cougars couldn’t rally from a 16-7 halftime deficit.

Casillas also pointed out that Hawthorne running backs, who had lost just one fumble in seven games, lost two fumbles against Leuzinger.

Santa Monica, the first team to gain a forfeit against Beverly Hills, lost after its layoff to Rolling Hills, 22-20.

Judy, whose coaching record is 4-2 against Rolling Hills, explained what it means to be crowned “King of the Hill.�

“It represents bragging rights for the whole year,� he said. “It carries over to all sports and social activities. It’s not like playing North Torrance, which is out of the area. You run into (Rolling Hills) people all year. If you lose, you see them too much.�

Rolling Hills beat Palos Verdes last year, 21-10.

Hawthorne’s loss to Leuzinger was the first blemish for the Cougar football program this season.

The freshman team will finish 10-0 for the second straight year because its final opponent this week, Inglewood, does not have a freshman team. The sophomore team is 9-0 and the varsity is 8-1.

If both beat Inglewood, it means Hawthorne’s program will complete the regular season with a 29-1 record on all three levels.

“We have a real good group of kids coming up,� Coach Casillas said. “I’m looking forward to coaching them.�

The sophomores (19-0 over two seasons) have several players who figure to contribute in the next two years. Most notable are running back Morrell Ollis and lineman Jesse Herrera, a 6-foot-7, 265-pounder.

“We’re working on his footwork,� Casillas said of Herrera. “Once he gets that, we expect big things from him.�

If Herrera progresses to the varsity, look for Hawthorne to have one of the biggest offensive lines in Southern California next season. The Cougars return junior tackles Jared Tuione (6-6, 260) and David Chapman (6-3, 245).

Carson linebacker Nkosi Littleton says the Colts have not talked much about playing before a national television audience on cable’s SportsChannel America tonight when they face Banning at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

“We don’t want to let it get to our heads,� he said.

South Bay’s Football Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters

Rank, School, League Record 1 Carson (Pacific) 6-1 2 Serra (Camino Real) 9-0 3 Banning (Pacific) 6-1-1 4 Westchester (Western) 7-1 5 West Torrance (Ocean) 8-1 6 Palos Verdes (Bay) 8-1 7 Leuzinger (Bay) 7-1-1 8 Hawthorne (Bay) 8-1 9 Rolling Hills (Bay) 6-2-1 10 Mary Star (Santa Fe) 6-3