FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK : Lawson’s Translation: A Good ‘I’ Means More ‘Ws’

Rich Lawson is learning to appreciate little things as his first season at the helm of Chaminade High approaches--little things like his players understanding what he says.

Lawson, 32, coached a professional team in Finland last season. When he’d bark out a motivational halftime speech, the players couldn’t tell the start from the Finnish.

“I had some guy translate what I was saying from English to Finnish,” Lawson said. “It sort of took the edge off my message.”

The players at Chaminade understand Lawson’s language, which begins with the letter I, as in the I-formation.

“Last year Chaminade used lots of different sets, but we’ll go almost strictly from the I,” he said. “I like that pitch to the tailback with everybody leading him through the hole. Nothing real fancy.”

And Lawson means everybody. The backside guard and tackle will pull and lead the charge, and quarterback Dave Morrison is assigned to block the opposing safety.

“We’ll have six blockers at the point of attack,” Lawson said.

Sean Burwell, who rushed for 1,211 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore last season, will follow the thundering herd with the ball. Expect at least as many yards from Burwell: The Eagles’ entire offensive line is back, including two-way tackle Doug Kavulich, who gained 45 pounds of muscle and is up to 252 pounds.

Chaminade, in fact, has experience at every turn. Eighteen starters have returned and Tim Lavin, another key player, is back after a year’s absence. Lavin, a 6-1, 200-pound linebacker and running back, started at Chaminade as a sophomore but played at Miraleste last season.

“Tim’s a power back and Sean’s a breakaway threat,” Kavulich said.

Chris Noonan, a kicker and wide receiver, tight end Andy Connolly and middle linebacker Jim Meredith are other top Chaminade players. Lawson hopes all his players are in form for the first game for a very personal reason--the opener is at Notre Dame, the coach’s alma mater.

“My first game as a high school head coach and it’s against my old school,” said Lawson, who was an assistant coach at Notre Dame for three years before assisting at Glendale and Pierce colleges.

The players, however, may put more importance on a clash at Canyon the second week of the season.

“Playing Canyon is all we think about,” Kavulich said.

Canyon has been the most successful Valley team the past five years under Coach Harry Welch, compiling a 60-7 record, including a stretch of 46 straight wins.

Beating the Cowboys would give Chaminade, which was 4-6 last season under Coach Rich Montanio, immeasurable confidence before Santa Fe League play begins.

Can Canyon be had? Canyon is ripe to be beaten by an up-and-coming team like cheeky Chaminade, if Welch is to be believed.

“We’ve been horrible this summer,” he said. “This is the worst summer at the skill positions ever. I’m not sure how bad we are because when things get bad enough, you stop keeping stats.”

Lawson, however, believes Welch’s words are a lot of static.

“Welch always says he has no talent, then Canyon goes out and spanks a few people,” he said. “I’ve seen them this summer and they have enough talent to fill two teams.”

Filling the shoes of Ken Sollom, the All-Coastal Conference quarterback who is headed for Michigan, is Welch’s primary concern. Rod Baltau has a slight edge over Rick Gambos at this point. Both candidates are juniors.

“Baltau has had some good seven-on-seven games,” Welch said. “Our biggest problem is that we’re not getting the leadership we need from seniors.”

Canyon was hurt in the leadership department when senior linebacker Kevin Doss suffered a severely separated shoulder during a passing league game last month. Doss, a captain, may be Canyon’s best player.

“We’re hoping he’ll be back for the opener,” Welch said.

Harry’s handicap: Welch may not be pleased with his team’s progress, but while combing the seven-on-seven circuit this summer he’s been impressed by several Valley teams and individuals.

“Granada Hills has six outstanding athletes and is the most-gifted team, by far,” he said. “Jeremy Leach is a wonderful drop-back passer, Sean Brown is tremendous, and I also like that short, stocky running back, Jamal Farmer.

“The secret weapon on that team, though, is the tall wide receiver, Kyle Jan. He’s underrated because he’s not flashy, but he’ll go places.”

After rating Antelope Valley and Muir as having talent close to the level of Granada Hills, Welch--not surprisingly--mentioned Hart, Canyon’s cross-town rival and opening-night opponent Sept. 11.

“With Hart, it depends on what their attitude is,” Welch said. “When Hart turns it on, they can be very good. Their real strength is the offensive and defensive lines, which you don’t see in passing leagues.”

Among individual players, Welch gave high marks to quarterback Darren Renfro and receiver Craig Whitten of Hart, junior linebacker Quinn Fauria of Crespi, halfback LaMark Allen of Saugus and quarterback Wayne Cook of Newbury Park.

Welch had only one prediction for the fall, however.

“I predict Saugus will be 4-1 going into league play,” he said. “This year they’ll find out what a difference coaching and talent make.”

That was a nice plug for first-year Saugus Coach Dick Flaherty, who was an assistant coach under Welch the past five years. Saugus was 0-10 last season.

Cookin’ quarterback: Cook, the quarterback at Newbury Park, is the son of Panther Coach Ken Cook. Wayne is a 6-3 strong-armed junior who started at forward on the basketball team last season and also has great potential as a baseball player.

“I’m looking forward to football season,” Wayne Cook said. “When I was growing up I always wanted to play for Newbury Park.”

Cook will follow another son of a Panther coach, Jayson Merrill, whose father, Jay, has coached baseball and softball at the school for 20 years.

“It’s a little strange playing for my dad,” Cook said. “When he says certain things, I think some people believe I’m being favored. But actually I think he’s harder on me.”

Cook and his Newbury Park teammates may be hard on opponents. Last year’s sophomore team, with Cook at quarterback, had a 9-1 record and was champion of the Marmonte League.

Newbury Park won four of five seven-on-seven games at the recent Cal Lutheran tournament, including a win over Crespi. Welch, who watched the game, was impressed with Cook’s arm.

“I didn’t know who he was but every time I turned around the ball was in somebody’s hands 50 yards downfield,” he said. “I was very impressed.”

Said Cook, whose father has been known to favor a ball-control running style: “I love to throw long.”

Diminishing returns: The number of Valley players participating in Saturday night’s all-star game between City Section and San Diego Section players is dwindling. Eight local players originally were selected for the game, which will be played at San Diego State.

Among those not playing is Sean Hampton, who rushed for 1,306 yards in 1985 before struggling through an injury-plagued 1986 campaign. Hampton injured tendons in his left ankle during last month’s Daily News All-Star game and is recuperating before he reports to the University of Hawaii on Monday.

“If my ankle heals, I’ll try to play this season,” Hampton said. “If it’s too sore, I’ll have to redshirt.”

Former Kennedy linemen Ron Simmons and Akili Calhoun also have bowed out of the game, leaving only Jeff Zentner of Canoga Park, Mike Flores of Birmingham and Stacy Ramsey, Edwin Jones and Andre Murray of Kennedy to represent the Valley.

The last to know: Crespi Coach Bill Redell was inducted into the Shrine hall of fame at the all-star game last Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. Redell, who was a quarterback on the 1959 South team, was co-coach of the South team this year, but did not know about the induction until the day of the game.

“You don’t have a program with you, do you?” Redell asked a reporter at the game. “I’m trying to find out what they wrote about me.”

The program properly noted that Redell, after becoming an All-American quarterback at Occidental College, was drafted by the Rams of the NFL and the Broncos of the AFL. He played instead in Canada, where he set Canadian Football League pass completion and percentage records.

At the Shrine game, won by Redell’s South team, 12-6, he was less impressed with his induction than he was with former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was grand marshall. Moments before the kickoff, Redell collared Aldrin to be photographed with him and his sons, Randy, Bill and Ron.