FARGAS GOES FARTHEST : AREA'S LEADING RUSHER FULFILLED EARLY POTENTIAL.

Byline: Bill Schlotter Daily News Staff Writer

When Notre Dame High School football coach Kevin Rooney first saw 1996 Daily News Player of the Year Justin Fargas, Fargas was a skinny freshman running back recently transplanted on the Sherman Oaks campus after a move from Rhode Island.

``He was a good running back as a freshman,'' Rooney said. ``But he wasn't great.''

Fargas was neither big, strong, fast nor savvy that first season. He had never played tackle football before.

But Rooney saw qualities in Fargas, who this season set an area single-season record for yards gained, that made him think the kid had potential.

And when the coach put together his 1995 Knights varsity, he included the tall, bony 10th-grader.

Fargas made the most of the promotion.

``He came up to the varsity as a sophomore,'' Rooney said. ``And he surprised us by becoming a starter by the first game.''

Fargas played fullback last season and gained 569 yards and scored nine touchdowns as the 160-pound No. 2 back in the Knights' backfield.

And after a few games, Rooney and the rest of the Knights coaches began to realize they were onto something special.

``By halfway through the season, we knew he was really good,'' Rooney said. ``Not only was he a strong runner, but he was tough. He was a skinny little sophomore but he wasn't afraid of anybody.''

That toughness was a major factor in Fargas' breakthrough junior season this year. One of the hardest runners around, Fargas crashed and dashed for an area-best 2,970 yards, the third-best single-season total in Southern Section and state history.

The 6-footer had greater size - 175 pounds - on his side this season, too, as well as better speed cultivated during his sophomore season of track.

But the signature of Fargas' running style this season was tenacity and balance. While other running backs are content to fall to earth after the first hit, Fargas fights on in the belief a touchdown is never more than a little extra effort away.

``I don't like to get tackled,'' he said. ``I try to score on every play.''

Fargas scored touchdowns this season.

``I like to be the aggressor,'' he said.

And his combination of aggression, power and balance led to some remarkable runs this season.

Perhaps the most telling was a short-yardage dive in a playoff game against Righetti in which Fargas leaped head-long over the line, got flipped 360 degrees, landed on his feet and sprinted 37 yards for a touchdown.

That feat even amazed Fargas' coaches.

``We all kind of went `Wow,' '' Rooney said.

Rooney is restrained in his praise of Fargas. He knows that his star will face a lot of pressure next year - his senior season - to top what he has done as a junior. And the coach doesn't want to contribute to that.

``I think he'll be all right,'' Rooney said. ``He just has to remember to set team goals, not individual goals - and he does that anyway.''

Rooney also wants to keep Fargas focused on improvement.

No worries there either.

``I want to keep getting bigger, stronger, faster,'' Fargas said.

Fargas' dream is to play college football - and then go pro, if he is able.

And he is considering a career in the music business, perhaps as a producer.

But his most immediate goal is to try to improve on the Knights' runner-up finish in the Southern Section playoffs this season.

And he's already working on that.

``Starting (this) week, I going to start lifting and running to get ready for next season,'' he said last week.

Notre Dame opponents are thus forewarned.

ALL-TIME STATE RUSHING LEADERS

MOST YARDS IN A SEASON

Player School Yards Year

1. David Dotson Valley View (Moreno Valley) 3,523 1991

2. Oscar Arzu Sierra Vista 3,219 1996

3. Justin Fargas Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 2,970 1996

4. Steve Wofford Bakersfield 2,761 1994

5. Glyn Milburn Santa Monica 2,713 1987

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Chart

Photo: (color) Notre Dame's Justin Fargas gained 2,970 yards for the third-best single-season total in state history.

Daily News File Photo

Chart: ALL-TIME STATE RUSHING LEADERS (see text)