PALMDALE HIGH'S STRENGTH ON THE LINE LINEMAN HICKS IS BIG REASON FALCONS FAVORED.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

PALMDALE -- Virtually all of the high-profile skilled position talent that last season dominated the Golden League football landscape is gone.

The league graduated 11 of its 12 leading rushers and eight of its nine top receivers. Two of the area's best known quarterbacks are gone, too -- one graduated, the other transferred.

And so it is only appropriate that the league's glitziest returning player is a lineman.

Fortunately -- from a fan-interest standpoint -- few linemen are as fun to watch as Palmdale High two-way tackle Hayworth Hicks, a 6-foot-4, 324-pounder who has offers from four Division I colleges: Oregon, Washington State, Utah and Mississippi State.

He's the Antelope Valley's most coveted recruit.

Predictably powerful, surprisingly athletic, always jovial, Hicks is a big reason Palmdale is the prohibitive favorite to win its fifth consecutive league title.

``If you don't play well against Hayworth, he's going to make you look bad,'' Palmdale coach Jeff Williams said. ``That's even true when we're practicing. They have to bring their `A' game when they play against him, because he's such a dominating force out there.''

Williams points to Hicks' exceptional quickness, instincts and intangibles among the qualities that set him apart.

Hicks, who runs a 5.1-second 40-meter dash, will play fullback in goal-line situations.

``Once he gets going, you don't want to hit him in his legs. You'll just bounce right off him,'' Williams said. ``His thighs are like torsos.''

Hicks said he takes as much pride in his willingness to listen to coaches as he does in his ability to drive opposing linemen backwards, a quality Williams believes will serve him well in college.

``He understands the offensive and defensive schemes really well,'' Williams said. ``He makes the people around him play better.''

Hicks' effervescent personality makes teammates feel better, too, Palmdale senior quarterback David Coleman said.

``He's a really a joyful guy,'' Coleman said. ``He picks guys up when they're down.''

The two-time All-Southern Section selection and three-time all-leaguer will team with all-leaguer Gio Sarran to anchor a line that should provide a chance to shine for Palmdale's talented but unheralded skill players who have toiled in the shadows of quarterback Rodney Trimm, running back Dominic Blood and receiver Tyreace House, all graduated three-year starters.

The 6-2 Coleman is an outstanding athlete with a powerful throwing arm whose ability to run an option offense has sparked interest from Oklahoma and Nebraska. And athletic senior defensive back/receiver Davon House (Tyreace's younger brother) is getting looks from UCLA and USC.

Lancaster, which for a fourth consecutive season is expected to challenge Palmdale, finds itself in similar circumstances, with senior quarterback Tim Ennis, who last season led the league with 1,006 yards passing, the lone impact skilled returnee.

Senior Marcus Wyre, a Division I defensive-back prospect, will look to establish himself at running back.

``It's open season for everybody this year,'' Wyre said. ``It's a chance to make a big name for yourself.''

Highland of Palmdale, which last season made the playoffs for the first time in three years, defending co-champion Antelope Valley of Lancaster and Quartz Hill figure to be in the mix, too.

Highland returns senior defensive back/receiver standout Fred Anderson.

Antelope Valley was hit hard by graduation, but is loaded with outstanding athletes. Quartz Hill, seeking its first playoff berth in eightyears, features arguably the league's most physical squad.

Knight of Palmdale, a fourth-year school fielding its first senior class, will run an option offense behind quarterback Terrel Merrit, a converted running back.

First-year Littlerock coach James Vondra hopes the West Coast offense his team is employing can generate excitement for a program that has struggled in recent years.

With a booming population fueling increased enrollment throughout the Antelope Valley, no team should be taken lightly, Highland coach Jim Root warns.

``We have a lot of players to choose from,'' Root said. ``We shouldn't have weak teams in this league.''

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CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Palmdale High lineman Hayworth Hicks is drawing attention from at least three NCAA Division I schools.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) 5 GAMES TO WATCH

(2) TOP 5 PLAYERS

(3) EXTREMES

(4) PREDICTED FINISH

- Gideon Rubin