VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE: POLY'S SMITH LOOKS TO MAKE GRADE : ELIGIBILITY IS KEY TO SUCCESS.

Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer

He had no trouble on the field. But Poly High RB Steven Smith eventually was brought down by class work last season.

Smith, a 6-0, 185-pound senior, is eligible to start the season. That means trouble for the rest of the Valley Pac-8 Conference.

``(Smith) is doing fine,'' Poly coach Lee Jackson said. ``He's working very hard in the classroom. He's realized he needs to get it done to go on to the next level.''

Smith gained 633 yards on 63 carries (9.2 average) and scored eight touchdowns in just three games last year for the Parrots. He was academically ineligible for the rest of the season.

Poly, which improved to 3-7 last year after a one-win season in '96, pins its hopes on further improvement and a playoff appearance on Smith.

Sylmar will still be the class of the conference. The Spartans, who were eliminated in the 4-A semifinals last year by Taft, will take an unconventional offensive approach this season - a running back committee.

The Spartans lost their top three rushers, Errol Bowen, Angel Guerrero and Donald Carpenter, to graduation.

``In a sense, though, we're kind of lucky because I think we have three candidates as good as most other teams' top guys,'' Sylmar coach Jeff Engilman said.

Reseda will know pretty early if it will be a playoff contender. The Regents open with Chatsworth then play Cleveland and Birmingham. A 3-0 start is realistic.

Reseda coach Joel Schaeffer said senior FB Joe Looney (6-3, 220) is ``the hardest runner in the league. Very punishing.''

What happened after all-conference RB Donte Clay graduated in '97? North Hollywood slumped from seven wins in '96 to three last year. The Huskies will contend for a playoff spot, though, with a nucleus of athletes.

``We don't have one `go-to' guy,'' North Hollywood coach Jason Garrison said. ``We can spread it around to several different people.''

Monroe beat the teams it should have beat last year but was shut out 28-0 by Sylmar and crushed 45-6 by El Camino Real in the 3-A playoffs. Senior Andy Newchurch takes over for all-conference RB Vinny Walker, but waiting in the wings is junior RB/DB DeAndre Phillips, whom Monroe coach Sloan Bunting said ``might be the best athlete in the San Fernando Valley.''

A team on the playoff bubble will be Van Nuys. The Wolves slumped to 3-7 last year but return 17 starters. Their best player is senior OL Jason Jones, a three-year starter and Division I player.

Canoga Park has won 14 games in the past two seasons, and the Hunters have been dealing with dwindling enrollment. Still, coach Rudy Lugo is enthusiastic about WR Victor Torres, a senior who caught just three passes for 67 yards last year.

--- Staff writers Jim Inghram and Gerry Gittelson contributed to this story.

TOP FIVE RETURNING PLAYERS

Michael Lee DL Grant

6-3, 280-pound All-City

Joe Looney FB/LB Reseda

Averaged 6.2 per carry, six TDs

Tony Sanchez OL Sylmar

Blue-chip prospect

Omar Stewart TE/CB Monroe

18 rec, 329 yards, 3 TDs

George Wrighster TE/LB Sylmar

13 catches, 152 rec, 2 TDs

BIG GAMES

Sept. 11 Sylmar at Notre Dame

Classic matchup between powers

Sept. 18 Antelope Valley at Sylmar

Budding intersectional rivalry

Sept. 24 Sylmar vs. Hart at COC

Godfather trio wasn't this good

Oct. 2 Sylmar at Poly

Spartans' defense vs. Parrots' Smith

Nov. 13 North Hollywood at Monroe

Playoff spot up for grabs?

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

96.3: Monroe kicker Liz Nemeth's extra-point percentage (26 of 27).

THE COACHES

Name, School Yrs.

Rudy Lugo, Canoga Park 13

Bill Foster, Grant 13

Sloan Bunting, Monroe 2

Jason Garrison, North Hollywood 10

Lee Jackson, Poly 3

Joel Schaeffer, Reseda 29

Jeff Engilman, Sylmar 12

Mark Pomerantz, Van Nuys 7

HOW BIZARRE

Weirdest things of '97:

1. Taft beat Sylmar 7-6 in a rain storm in the City Section 4-A semifinal game.

2. When Arroyo Grande fumbled while trying to run out the clock with one minute to play against Notre Dame in the Division III championship game. Notre Dame's Matt Boyd plucked the ball out of the air and ran it back for a touchdown to give the Knights a 17-16 lead. Unfortunately, Arroyo Grande kicked a field goal in the closing seconds to win, 19-17.

3. Kenny Pritchett having to change jerseys four times for various reasons during a game against Burroughs.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sylmar's defensive line is massive this season. The combined weight for the five starters is 1,355 pounds - an average of 271 per player. Hector Sanchez (330) is the heaviest and Juan Rodriguez (235) is the lightest.

EXTREMES

Biggest: Hector Sanchez, OL, Sylmar

Fastest: Brandon Tyler, WR, North Hollywood

Strongest: Omar Stewart, TE, Monroe

Best Arm: Noah Albiston, QB, Sylmar

Smartest: Andrew Shin, RB, Van Nuys

Most Exciting: Steve Smith, RB, Poly

D-I bound: Michael Lee, DL, Grant

Wackiest: Corey Neal, RB, Sylmar. ``Hyper as hell,'' according to coach Jeff Engleman. Neal is everywhere in the locker room before games, high-fiving every player.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box, Chart

PHOTO (1) While Sylmar's running backs are unproven, they will get lots of help from lineman Tony Sanchez.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News

(2) SANCHEZ

(3) STEWART: He bench presses 360 pounds

BOX: EXTREMES (see text)

CHART: GRADING OUT