COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS ONE GAME AT A TIME COC CAN'T OVERLOOK WEST L.A.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The consequences of looking past West Los Angeles College could be devastating, but it would be understandable if the College of the Canyons football team couldn't resist the temptation to do it.

The unbeaten Cougars, 3-0 in Western State Conference play and 5-0 overall, play host to an 0-3 West L.A. team tonight.

But looming is a showdown against Moorpark College - the only remaining unbeaten team in the WSC - next week.

With a victory over West L.A., the Cougars would have an opportunity to bolster their stature when they play Moorpark (4-1, 3-0).

COC and Moorpark are both among the leading teams in the state, ranked fifth and 16th in the California Community College poll. Both also are mentioned in the national J.C. Grid Wire rankings.

The Cougars have not succumbed to the temptation of looking ahead, according to COC coach Chuck Lyon.

``I don't think we have that problem right now,'' he said. ``I don't hear anybody talking about Moorpark.''

Not looking past tonight's opponent is probably a good idea for the Cougars.

COC, which like all teams in its conference is coming off a bye week, will be up against the most prolific passing offense in the conference tonight.

Led by quarterbacks Richard Spears and Carlos Flores, West L.A. averages 275.8 passing yards per game.

David Banks (24 receptions, 16.2 yards per catch average) is the most feared member of West L.A.'s receiving corps.

``He's just a great athlete,'' Lyon said of Banks. ``He really jumps for the ball, and fights for the ball. He's their go-to guy.''

The Cougars will count on cornerbacks Darryl Murphy and Omar Stewart, and safeties Maurice Hart, Joshua Brandon, and Gerald Jones, to keep West LA's receivers in check, in what Lyon said was the biggest challenge of the year for his team's secondary.

COC is fifth in conference in pass defense, averaging 136.0 yards allowed per game.

COC, which defeated Pierce College, 66-14, a week ago, figures to be in a position to create problems for the West L.A. defense.

The Cougars, who boast the second most effective offense in the WSC (400.4 yards per game), are up against a West L.A. defense which is ranked 15th in the conference (357.6 yards allowed per game).

Steve Smith, COC's leading rusher (430 yards, six touchdowns, 6.4 per carry), will have a chance to put up big numbers against a West L.A. rush defense ranked 15th in the conference (195.2 yards allowed per game).

Lyon expressed some concern with regards to the bye week, noting that missing a week of live game action can sometimes affect a team's timing on offense adversely.

More important, the way his team was playing though the first five weeks of the season, taking a week off was the last thing he wanted to do.

``We had a lot of momentum going in and you hate to give that up when you're winning, but you don't have a choice,'' he said.

COC wide receiver Terrell Stanley will not play because of personal reasons.