Grant Pearsall

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame's explosive offense didn't need any help, but Villa Park gave the Knights some assistance anyway. Villa Park turned over the ball four times, and Notre Dame turned three of them into scores en route to a 33-6 rout of the Spartans Friday night in the second round of the Southern Section Division IV playoffs at El Modena High School.

* Time: 7:30 p.m. * Site: Coliseum * Television: Fox Sports West 2 * Radio: AM 690, 1540, 1170 The Offenses * Youth is the story, with both teams expected to play two quarterbacks and none of the four more experienced than a sophomore. USC sputtered early against Purdue, but freshman quarterback Carson Palmer sparked a comeback with a 42-yard completion. Starter Mike Van Raaphorst looked especially sharp in practice Thursday, and both may have easier jobs today, with star receiver R.

1993 RECORDS OVERALL: 8-4 LEAGUE: 4-1 COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Pat Mahoney: 61-49-1 RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 7 7 TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Sean Adams, 6-3, 175 WR -- Sr. Chris Bell, 5-9, 170 RB DB Jr. Jerome Barnes, 6-0, 170 WR DB Sr. Lenard Barnes, 6-2, 260 -- DT Jr. Bret Chavez, 6-0, 175 WR DB Sr. Brian Choate, 5-11, 205 OL LB Sr. Tony D'Amato, 6-0, 192 RB LB Sr. Dan DeClark, 6-2, 255 OT -- Jr. Kris Fisher, 6-2, 205 TE LB Sr. Greg Granito, 5-11, 165 QB DB Jr. Rob Hartzell, 5-9, 165 WR -- Sr.

Chris Draft of Valencia High, The Times Orange County back of the year, is among 36 players on the North team roster for the 35th Orange County North-South All-Star Football Game. Draft, who signed a letter of intent to play football at Stanford, gained 1,338 yards rushing and scored 24 touchdowns to lead Valencia to the Orange League title and the semifinals of the Southern Section Division VI playoffs.

After a game marred by injuries to both teams, Villa Park football Coach Pat Mahoney was just glad to see it end Thursday night. Junior running back Grant Pearsall rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns as Villa Park scored on three long drives in a 21-6 nonleague victory at Mission Viejo. The Diablos (2-3) lost not only the game, but some key players. Defensive back Sanjay Merchant (broken right ankle) and backup quarterback Jake Londe (sprained ankle) were injured Thursday.

USC set the tone early in Saturday's game at the Astrodome, when 285-pound defensive tackle Matt Keneley chased the Houston mascot--a guy in a Cougar suit--from the Trojan bench. After an early USC defensive series, the Trojan defensive linemen sat on their bench, and the Cougar guy began beating on their heads with a rubber baseball bat. Keneley leaped to his feet and shoved the mascot away. "He was heckling us, hitting us with that bat," Keneley said. "I told him to leave and not come back."

Three Orange County girls and four boys are among 20 finalists for the 1994 CIF scholar-athlete of the year award. The top two winners--one boy and one girl--will receive a $2,500 scholarship courtesy of Channel 9-KCAL TV. Winners will be announced Monday and will receive recognition at the State track and field championships June 4 at Cerritos College. The county's girl representatives: Romy Christensen, Laguna Hills; Melissa Kuser, Mission Viejo, and Jennifer Stroffe, Corona del Mar.

The high school senior boy and girl athletes of the year will be honored by the Orange County Athletic Directors Assn. at a dinner May 25 at the Anaheim Stadium Club. Each league in the county nominated a boy and girl athlete. Winners were selected by members of OCADA and the media. The leagues, their nominees and schools: Academy: Lupe Rodriguez (St.

One is going to Disney World, and the other settled for Woodland Hills. But eventually, The Times Orange County football players of the year, Chris Draft of Valencia and Tony Gonzalez of Huntington Beach, will end up in Northern California next season. Wednesday, the first day recruits could sign college letters of intent for football, Draft, the back of the year, signed with Stanford, and Gonzalez, the lineman of the year, signed with California and will play football and basketball.

Grant Pearsall doesn't have great speed. He can't jump very high. And by most college football standards, at 6 feet 1 and 190 pounds, he isn't very big. So, exactly why is Pearsall, a first-team Times Orange County selection from Villa Park High, one of the most heavily recruited defensive backs in Southern California? And why were head coaches Terry Donahue (UCLA), John Robinson (USC) and Rich Brooks (Oregon) in his living room at various times last week? First, let him try to explain.