CANOGA'S DECISION SKEWS 4-A PLAYOFFS : EAGLE ROCK (6-4) AT NORTH HOLLYWOOD (5-5) STRENGTHS.

Byline: Gary Washburn

Poor Bob Ganssle, the football coach at El Camino Real. Or is it poor Mike Walsh, the football coach at San Pedro?

Well, feel bad for both of them because they should not be playing each other in the City Section 4-A playoffs.

Instead of the excitement of the first round being the main topic of discussion among City football coaches this week, it is the continuous disparity of the brackets which overshadows the competition itself.

On Saturday, El Camino Real, at 7-3 and 5-2 in the Northwest Valley Conference, received the 16th and final seed in the4-A bracket and was matched up against No. 1 San Pedro (10-0).

It worked out that way because two of the City's six conferences sent just one team to the 4-A bracket. In the City Section, the 16 best teams are chosen for the 4-A and next best 16 for the 3-A. Theoretically.

It should end at that, with no options for any particular school.

However, at a conference-seeding meeting held three days before the brackets are constructed, each team is allowed to designate what level they'd rather play in. All 14 teams in the Valley Pac-8 and Northern conferences, except Sylmar and Franklin, chose to go 3-A.

That included Canoga Park, which took Sylmar to overtime on Friday. If you have the talent to finish in second place in a conference and take the champion to overtime, it's safe to say you are good enough to play 4-A. Some coaches believe it's best to receive a high seed in the 3-A rather than a low seed in the 4-A.

``We're No. 17!'' Is that what you say when you win the 3-A championship? Canoga Park coach Rudy Lugo's decision to stay in the 3-A had a domino effect on the entire playoff bracket.

Since Canoga Park was seeded No. 1 in the 3-A, two sub .500 teams, Dorsey and Carson, both took 4-A spots. The second-place team from the Northern Conference, Verdugo Hills, wanted no part of the 4-A either, creating a spot for both teams.

Since Dorsey and Carson couldn't play conference-rival San Pedro because of a City rule preventing conference matchups in the first round, somebody had to be 16th. It was between Garfield and El Camino Real.

Garfield was 6-4 and lost its season finale yet was seeded 13th. In addition, San Fernando beat Southeastern Conference champion Jefferson, which beat Garfield. El Camino Real beat San Fernando 38-12. That left the Conquistadores at 16 and with the task of playing San Pedro.

The City Section had some stake in Garfield being seeded 13th because it meant a first-round game with Franklin - a matchup of East Los Angeles schools that would bring increased revenue to the City Section. Coincidentally, that game is scheduled for 10,000-seat East Los Angeles College on Friday.

It's unfair for teams that work hard during the season to get such a low seed because other teams are afraid of the 4-A and because the City Section wants to make a little more money.

That excuse about a building a program and taking baby steps only goes so far, especially when the same coaches perennially choose the 3-Aregardless if their offensive lines average 300 pounds.

Let's get this straight - Canoga Park is a 4-A team. Period. But a road game, along with the fact Canoga Park has the lowest enrollment in the City Section at 1,700, discouraged Lugo from playing 4-A. He should have an opinion but no choice.

In the Southern Section, coaches are handed the playoff brackets without any input. Impartiality means something.

In the City Section, six conference representatives get together to choose the teams. If your conference representative doesn't stick up for your team, you might get stuck with the 16th seed.

Walsh thinks if the best 16 teams are not going to be in the 4-A, conference teams should be allowed to play in the first round.

``If that's the case, then I'd rather play the team we beat 43-6 (San Pedro's score against Carson),'' Walsh said.

No system in choosing teams is going to be perfect. But the City Section's new process is far from it, thanks to some coaches who don't believe in competing with the best.

When the 3-A champion is crowned, is there a hand-sign for No. 17?

Eagle Rock:The Eagles like to pass, finishing second among area City teams, and North Hollywood is not very good against passing teams. Tailback John Fontamillas is a hard runner with 1,121 yards, which gives the offense a good mix. Eagle Rock has playoff experience, reaching the 3-A finals last season.

North Hollywood: Simply, Dante Clay. One of the area's best rushers leads the Huskies' offense, which is deadly against teams new to defending the Wing-T. The Huskies' offensive line, nicknamed the ``Belly Boys,'' averages over 300 pounds and will push around many defensive lines trying to get to Clay. The offense rolls up 304 yards per game.

WEAKNESSES

Eagle Rock: On defense, the Eagles allow 179 yards rushing per game. That doesn't bode well against a rushing offense.

North Hollywood: The defense. Against the pass, the Huskies struggled against Canoga Park and Harvard-Westlake, so the Huskies' size didn't matter much since it couldn't cover receivers.

KEY PLAYERS

Eagle Rock: QB Oliver Palomino, RB John Fontamillas, WR Antulio Aroche, LB Marco Valverde, LB Art Frescas.

North Hollywood: RB Dante Clay, OL Oscar Gonzalez, QB Cameron Heflin, FB Devon Rose, RB David Harlow.

OUTLOOK

Eagle Rock: The Eagles can score points in bunches, making them hard to blow out.

North Hollywood: The Huskies don't want to fall in the first round against a Northern Conference team. They still remember last season's loss to Belmont Clay is a machine who could run for 300 yards if the Eagles don't defend the Wing-T properly.

CAPTION(S):

Chart, Box

Chart: CITY 3-A playoff matchups

Box: EAGLE ROCK (6-4) AT NORTH HOLLYWOOD (5-5) (see text)