Top20 continued
Coach Robert Davis confers on sidelines with co-captain David Kemp during Warner Robins' march through Georgia.
170) attempted 100 passes, completed 65, tossed for 14 scoring strikes and 1402 yards and seldom misfired, tossing only four interceptions. Split receiver Phil Williams (6-0, 175) caught 48 passes for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns ...:..t never dropping a pass in a varsity game. The secondary stole 26 passes which didn't belong to them, and both ace pass stealers are juniors: Sammy Brown (6-3, 180) and Rusty Smith (6-2, 180). Each intercepted eight. Like a mythical clash between Ohio state champion Cincinnati Moeller, and Texas AAAA kingpen San Antonio Churchill, the South couldn't find a better classic than a Warner Robins- Birmingham Mountain Brook showdown. The results would be interesting.
16
led the ·Conquerors to a convincing win over Fontana for the Southern California CIF-AAAA championship at Anaheim Stadium. "Randy can be compared to both Robbie and Dennis Sproul ( 1973 Los Altos CIF Player of the Year who now starts for Arizona State)," DeSpain told ·the Los Angeles Times in December. "He's a lot like Robbie. He's very intelligent and throws well. I think he's one of the top major college prospects in Southern California." Hertel completed 176 of 275 passes (64%) for 2440 yards and 32 touchdowns, placing him second with Hawthorne's Joe Contestabile on the Southern CIF's all. time list for touchdown passes in a season. Only Pat Haden (42) of Bishop Amat had more. According to DeSpain, Hertel has the best corps of receivers the school has ever had in Randy Risser, Bobby Lauder and Mark Williams .. Risser caught 49 passes for 717 yards (14.6 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns; Lauder caught 44 passes for 597 yards (13.6 yards per catch) and five scores; Williams caught 20 passes for 353 yards ( 17.6 yards per catch) and four scores. The surprise of the season for the AAAA champs was the play of minihalfback Matt Aney, listed at 5-6, 140 pounds in the program. He gained 1471 yards on 206 carries for a 7.02 yard aver··· age. "He's a lot like Binky Benton (former Los Altos All-CIF back), who everyone said was too small and is now starting at San Diego State," DeSpain said. "He's not as strong, but he's shifty and has excellent balance." Fontana's appearance in the AAAA playoffs was surprising, as the Steelers were shut out three times during the regu-. Jar season: 13-0 by a good West Covina club, 30-0 by Muir and 13-0 by Eisenbower. But in the playoffs they beat two of the top CIF clubs, second-seeded South
Hills, 20-6, and Fountain Valley, 14-10. · This marked the fifth season in the past six that a Sierra League team reached the Southern CIF finals. In 1974, South Hills won the title; in 1973, Los Altos won the crown; in 1972, Los Altos won the championship and, in 1971, West Covina lost to · Kennedy for all the glory. As a team in 1976, Los Altos outscored their opponents 434 points to 124 (31.0 to 8.5), rushed for 2801 yards, passed for 2533 and kept their opponents pinned deep in their own territory all season with Andy Ayala's 43.4 punting average on 35 boots. Only three touchdowns were scored on their defense all season in both the second and third quarters. . California, the largest state in the Union, was loaded as usual with top-notch clubs and quality players. Banning High of Wilmington finished 12-1 on the season and produced running back Freeman McNeil. All McNeil did in 13 games was score 27 touchdowns and 162 points. Many California prep fans felt Banning could have given Los Altos all they could handle. Nobody will eve"i· know. Ron Cuccia of L.A. Wilson passed for 3246 yards in 13 games, 2406 in nine regular season battles. He was responsible for 54 touchdowns and 4360 total yards, while at Lake Arrowhead, wide receiver Greg Ward from Rin of the World High School latched onto 1207 passing yardage in 13 games. Three pass catchers, Jeff Roux of Moraga Campolindo, Luke Palmo of Fresno San Joaquin Memorial and Steve Hund of Grass Valley Nevada Union all caught over 50 passes. Hund led with 59, while both Roux and Palmo grabbed 53. Roux caught 14 TO passes. . All pretty big performances from Los Altos' QB Randy Hertel hands off to A/1CIF running back Matt Aney (32), as A/1-CIF tackle Larry Ravera (79) leads the way. Hertel passed for 2440 yards during 12-1-1 season in Southern California's toughest league.
Los Altos High football coach Dwayne DeSpain was asked during the season what he would do when there are no more Hertels playing for the Conquerors. ''I'll retire," he joked. His response was an indication of how important the Hertel family has been to L9s Altos. football in Hacienda Heights, California. First there was Rob, who helped lead USC into the Rose Bowl on New Year's, 1977. In 1972, he led Los Altos to the prestigious CIF-AAA championship and was Player of the Year. In 1974, Rich Hertel quarterbacked the Conquerors to a share of the Sierra League championship and into the CIF-AAAA quarterfinals. In 1975 Ron Hertel, a starting wide receiver, was instrumentat in the Conquerors making the playoffs. Now the final Hertel, Randy, has quarterbacked Los Altos to an impressive 12-1-1 record and the No.5 ranking in the U.S.A. The Hertel era ended when Randy PREP I APRIL-MAY 1977