IS VIKING FOOTBALL FOR REAL?; VALENCIA OUT TO PROVE IT'S AS GOOD AS RECORD.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

They say if you build it, they will come. But when will you know if they have arrived?

It's a question much of the high school football community asks itself as one of its newest members, Valencia, continues its strong start. The Vikings, in just their third varsity season and second with seniors, are 3-1 heading into tonight's game with Quartz Hill.

Is Valencia legitimate? Some say yes, some disagree.

As for the Vikings, they're waiting for the start of the Foothill League to see.

``We're only for real in the sense that we breathe and eat,'' coach Brian Stiman said. ``My thought is: Last year, we won some ballgames, got into league and were unsuccessful.''

True. The Vikings won their first four before losing their final nonleague game to Littlerock. Then they went 1-4 in league, although they led Hart 7-0 and almost beat Saugus.

Still, their fast start for the second consecutive season has people wondering if this will become a habit. They lost most of their top skill players, including tailback Donavan Calhoun, yet are almost where they were at this time last year.

In fact, if not for a school-record 48-yard field goal by Highland's Derek Brown, the Vikings could be 4-0.

``As of right now, they're one of the top teams in the league,'' said Hart coach Mike Herrington, who has led his teams to 28-straight league victories. ``They have played better opponents.''

Those who say the Division II Vikings are for real point to their nonleague schedule. Last year, they beat up on Division X, XI and XII teams like Cantwell Sacred Heart, Bishop and Yucca Valley.

This year, they narrowly lost to Division II Highland and beat Serra and Chaminade, both Division III schools. Serra, in fact, led Loyola into the fourth quarter before falling. Only Silverado, a free-lance school of 900, provided an easy game. Quartz Hill is in Division II.

``They're not playing Yucca Valley and Cantwell,'' Herrington said. ``Chaminade has a good defense. Highland was ranked (third) at the beginning of the season. Their opponents are very respectable, whereas last year, except for Littlerock, they weren't.''

Other reasons to believe: Valencia replaced Calhoun and quarterback Kenny Taylor with 6-2 sophomore Manuel White and transfer Brian Hamilton, and the impacts have been immediate. White has rushed 83 times for 693 yards (second to Notre Dame's Justin Fargas in both categories) and seven touchdowns. Hamilton, from Clovis, has passed for 498 yards and eight touchdowns with a rating of 164.59, sixth best. He also ran a 60-yard sneak to beat Chaminade.

The team is fourth in the area, averaging 411 yards of offense per game.

Defensively, the team is holding its own. Against Serra, it gave up one touchdown. Against Highland, it gave up no second-half touchdowns. It's allowing an average of 278 yards a game.

``They're well coached and they're sound in their scheme,'' Chaminade coach Tim Johnson said. ``They're not fancy on defense, but what they do, they do well.''

Some suggest Stiman has much to do with the success. Spending 12 seasons as Harry Welch's assistant at Canyon, Stiman learned a thing or two about organization and planning progress one step at a time.

``You've got to have some sort of a plan,'' he said. ``The plan was to make some sort of impact as a varsity football team. (In 1995), we lost to the Yucca Valleys (and finished 2-8). Our goal was to beat those teams. Now, our goal is to beat the teams we couldn't have beaten last year. From there, we want to get to the playoffs and do some damage. Each year, we raise the expectations.''

Naysayers claim the excitement about a winning nonleague record means nothing when compared to a 1-4 league record last year.

Canyon coach Larry Mohr said his team, 3-2 after beating Palmdale Thursday night, believes the nonleague schedules of the other Santa Clarita teams were tougher than Valencia's. Palmdale, the preseason favorite to win the always-tough Golden League, played Hart, Canyon and Saugus and went 1-2. Loyola, a Division I power, beat Saugus and Hart. Canyon beat Highland. Quartz Hill beat Saugus.

The record of Valencia's five nonleague opponents: 6-14. Through Thursday, Chaminade and Silverado were winless and Serra had one win.

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Photo

Photo: Valencia football coach Brian Stiman (shown pointing) and his Vikings will meet Quartz Hill tonight.

Myung J. Chun / Daily News