ANOTHER SURGERY FOR FORMER HART QB.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

Hart High's former standout quarterback Sean Norton will miss the remainder of his freshman football season at Fresno State after undergoing knee surgery last week.

Norton is scheduled to be on crutches for six weeks, and he's hoping to return sometime during spring drills.

The only Hart quarterback ever to surpass 4,000 yards passing in consecutive seasons, Norton is the reigning Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year. A redshirt, Norton did not appear in a Fresno State game this season, and he will have four years of eligibility beginning next season.

The surgery is Norton's second to his right knee. He initially injured the knee midway through his junior season, in 2002, but waited until after the playoffs to have surgery.

It isn't clear how Norton reinjured his knee, and his mother, Chris, said the surgery was necessary because of lingering effects from the original injury.

``At first, you never imagine another knee surgery after you've already had one, and initially Sean was disappointed,'' she said. ``But he's being very practical, and he knows there's plenty of time.''

Norton wasn't available for comment.

--Valencia High's football team is the area's last one standing after Hart and Canyon were eliminated Friday. The Vikings (11-1) play host to San Clemente (10-2) in the Southern Section Div. II semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The winner probably will play high-powered Mission Viejo (12-0) in the televised championship game at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Angel Stadium. But the last thing Valencia wants to do is look forward, considering San Clemente has eliminated Valencia the past two seasons.

``It's kind of cool to be the only team still playing, but there's also a little revenge factor,'' Valencia linebacker Torrey O'Brien said. ``San Clemente has beaten us the last two years, so they have the edge. Last year, they did a good job of disguising their defense, so we're going to have look back at the film from last year because they've got all the same coaches.''

--Valencia's Michael Herrick, who passed for 317 yards Friday in a quarterfinal victory over Chino Hills, has thrown for a school-record 3,444 yards and 28 touchdowns. At his current pace of 287 yards per game, Herrick can surpass 4,000 yards if Valencia reaches the final.

Teammate Shane Vereen, a running back, is enjoying one of the most productive sophomore seasons of any large-school player in California history. He rushed for 192 yards, caught four passes and scored four touchdowns Friday, pushing his season totals to 1,219 yards, 48 receptions and 30 touchdowns. He's scored four touchdowns or more in six of the past seven games.

--After a series of comeback victories, Canyon's football team learned what it's like on the other side after falling to Upland 29-28 in the waning moments Friday.

Justin Williams rushed for 209 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52- yarder, one of his finest performances in a terrific season. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder finished the season with 1,438 yards, 19 receptions and 25 touchdowns.

--Promising boys' basketball player Ryan Russell could be primed for a breakout season at Hart. The 6-2 senior scored 23 points in a 54-44 victory over the alumni Wednesday.

Teammate Corey Chefalo added 10 points in what was otherwise a rocky game for Hart, which is coming off one its most successful seasons in many years after reaching the Div. I-A quarterfinals last winter.

``It was the ugliest alumni game I've ever seen,'' coach Tom Kelly said. ``With three minutes to go in the first half, the score was 13-5.''

--Keep an eye on local female boxing prospect Jazmin Vasquez. The 14- year-old finished first in the 138-pound division at the Silver Gloves tournament in Long Beach earlier this month.

--The second annual Toast of the Coast Pee Wee Invitational hockey tournament concludes today at 4 p.m. at Valencia Ice Station. Information: [phone] or sportability.com/spx/Leagues/League.asp?LgID=7040.