Valencia Has Left Orange Opponents With a Sour Disposition

Valencia High School had gone 50 years without a league championship in football before the Tigers finally broke through by winning the Orange League in 1983.

Last season, Valencia rolled to its second straight league title and an undefeated (10-0) regular season.

These days, people are wondering if the Tigers will ever lose another league game.

“There’s the Orange League and then there’s Valencia,” said Bill Brown, coach at rival Brea-Olinda. “They’re awesome. They have too many players. They should be in the Big Five Conference.”

Brown may be overstating the point a bit. Valencia would probably have to win a Central Conference title or two before being considered for a promotion to a more competitive conference.

The Tigers have reached the semifinals in each of the past two seasons, losing to Sunny Hills, 6-0, in 1983 and to Fullerton, 14-12, in 1984.

This year, many believe Valencia will be good enough to win the title. The Tigers have been ranked No. 1 in the preseason Central Conference poll and have a bundle of talented players returning from last season’s 12-1 team.

Valencia has three fairly tough nonleague opponents in Westminster, Sonora and El Dorado, but they probably won’t be challenged again until the playoffs.

“Nobody in our league will even come close to them unless they run quarterback sneaks all night,” Brown said.

With their offensive line, which features Joel Garten, a 6-feet 3-inch, 235-pound guard, Xavier Hicks, a 6-1, 235-pound tackle and transfer Mark Williams, a 6-5, 250-pound tackle, the Tigers could probably defeat most league opponents with such a play.

But why make the quarterback do all the work with running backs Ray Pallares and Tony Goulet in the lineup?

In two seasons, Pallares has amassed 3,312 yards rushing, and he’ll enter his senior season fifth on the all-time Orange County rushing list behind Myron White (Santa Ana Valley), Mickey Flynn (Anaheim), Mike Keefe (Esperanza) and Damon Sweazy (El Toro). The fullback needs 852 yards to surpass White (4,164 yards) as the county’s leading rusher.

Goulet played behind Pallares and running back Billy Buck last season but still rushed for about 400 yards. Tiger Coach Mike Marrujo said Goulet is the fastest player on this year’s team.

With Pallares and a strong offensive line, Valencia has often been a methodical, run-oriented team, but Marrujo may give new quarterback Jeff Martinez a chance to throw.

After Valencia, the rest of the league is fairly even. Brea, which has 14 starters returning, and Western, which has decent size, should both contend for playoff berths.

Magnolia, with new Coach John Hangartner and 14 returning starters, should be a much-improved team. Hangartner was the coach at Kennedy High for 19 years, where he compiled a 122-64-6 record before retiring after the 1983 season.

Anaheim may have problems replacing some talented players who graduated, and Savanna was 0-10 season but should be improved.

A closer look at the Orange League:

ANAHEIM: Key Personnel--Mike Fritz (5-10, 155), RB/CB; Mark Rahlwes (6-2, 180), WR; Ernest Johnston (5-11, 185), QB/LB; Mike Kelly (5-9, 170), DG and Todd Gold (6-1, 215), OG.

Top Newcomers--Robert Ferrington (5-11, 185), FB; Miguel Lopez (5-8, 165), DG; James Gonzales (5-5, 155), OG; Will Barber (6-0, 170), LB and Anthony Martinez (5-11, 195), OT.

Outlook--In quarterback/fullback Phil Garabedian and running back Pat Portis, the Colonists graduated more than 2,300 yards of total offense from last year’s 5-6 team, which made the Central Conference playoffs for the first time in three years. With 10 returning starters, Anaheim may be more experienced entering this season than it was in 1984, but the Colonists won’t be as talented. Johnston is the new quarterback, but he may be a better linebacker. Fritz will play running back, but his strength is at defensive back, where he was an all-league selection in ’84. “We have no depth at all,” said Coach Roger Stahlhut, who admitted that the Colonists have an outside shot at reaching the playoffs.

BREA-OLINDA: Key Personnel--Kelly Porterfield (6-0, 185), LB; Mike Knaus (6-1, 165), TE/DE; Fred Camarena (5-9, 155), QB/DB; Sefie Vargas (6-2, 205), OT/DT; Mark Chase (5-9, 155), RB/DE; Jose Segura (5-11, 190), DT/OG; Eric Brittsen (6-0, 195), FB; Mike Bodnar (5-8, 170), DE; Richard Rangel (5-9, 195), LB/C and Eric Oden (5-8, 165), QB.

Top Newcomers--Mike Ozminski (5-9, 153), RB/DB; Toby Peruti (5-9, 175), RB/DB; Mark Norflis (5-10, 210), RB/LB; Billy Montalvo (5-7, 145), RB/DB; Steve Teran (5-10, 155), WR/CB; Mark Blankenship (5-8, 175), OG; Mike Lee (5-7, 140), RB and Mark Dunlap (5-8, 170), S.

Outlook--The Wildcats were 5-5 last season and failed to make the playoffs after having advanced to post-season play for eight straight years and the semifinals for four straight. Brea has 14 starters back, including nine on offense, but Brown will have only two players who weigh more than 200 pounds--Vargas and Norflis. They’ll have to rely on quickness to compete against the league’s larger teams. “We still don’t have a lot of numbers (there are 42 on the varsity), but most of our kids can play,” Brown said. “We don’t have any All-Americans and we’re not real big, but they can all play varsity football.” Oden, who split time with Camarena at quarterback last season, will be the starter.

MAGNOLIA: Key Personnel--Bryan Rosa (5-8, 160), WR; Patrick Henry (5-10, 160), LB; John Hangartner (5-10, 160), QB/CB; Chris Koppela (6-1, 190), DT; Mike Harris (6-0, 180), OT/LB; Kyung Hyun (5-10, 180), OG; Tim Schmidt (6-2, 180), RB; Corey Wolick (6-0, 185), RB and Vince Crisostomo (5-7, 160), NG.

Top Newcomers--Bob Parham (5-10, 160), LB/FB; Duke Low (5-10, 165), LB; Dave Martin (6-2, 170), WR; Lee Sebor (6-0, 185), OT/DT; Mason Lee (5-10, 180), OG; Ron Bryant (6-0, 190), TE and Mike Tietge (5-10, 170), LB.

Outlook--Hangartner, who brought four coaches from Kennedy High, staff assistants Dave Gunn and Bob Switzer and walk ons Ted Canfield and Paul Cain, has revamped both the offense and defense, so it should take the Sentinels a few games to become accustomed to his system. Magnolia will be a veteran team and should be able to improve upon last year’s 3-7 record. Hangartner’s son, John, will be the quarterback. Eight players are competing for the two running back positions. The Sentinels’ strength appears to be on defense, where they have three returning all-league, second-team players in Henry, Hangartner and Koppela. Magnolia may not have the physical strength to match against Valencia, but it has a good shot at a playoff berth.

SAVANNA: Key Personnel--Phil Thompson (6-1, 195), TE; Matt Stephenson (5-10, 185), RB; Tom Osendorf (6-1, 225), OG/DT; Howard Rall (6-0, 180), DE and Jeff Manning (5-7, 185), C.

Top Newcomers--Tony Osendorf (6-1, 185), QB; Chris Richards (6-3, 275), OT; Shane Painter (5-11, 140), S; Jarrett Frederick (5-10, 146), CB; Mark Kanitz (5-9, 175), NG; Chuck Hayes (5-9, 165), LB, Ricky Ramos (5-7, 135), WR; Derek Svejda (6-1, 165), WR/CB Julian Camarillo (5-11, 250); Ken Lee (5-9, 216) and Chris Tallini (6-0, 230), OG/NG.

Outlook--Despite a winless season in ‘84, the Rebels’ varsity roster has increased from 28 to 41 players, and the junior varsity has increased from 15 to 30. Savanna received a boost from transfers Richards (from Coast Christian High), Svejda (from Chicago) and Tallini (from Boston). The Rebels will be strong on the offensive line, which averages 225 pounds per player and includes Camarillo, Lee, Manning, Tom Osendorf, Richards and Thompson. Tony Osendorf, a sophomore who has good size and is a 3.6 student, will be the quarterback. Savanna Coach Ron Milner thinks he has a potential all-league running back in Stephenson. The Rebels will be inexperienced in the defensive secondary, where no starters return. “Until we prove ourselves, I’ll remain quietly optimistic,” Milner said. “But I think we have a good chance at making the playoffs.”

VALENCIA: Key Personnel--Shawn Racobs (6-1, 190), DT; Oscar Torres (5-10, 188), NG; Robert Rangel (6-0, 205), LB; Andy Ruscitto (6-3, 220), LB; Brett Gregory (5-10, 175), S; Joel Garten (6-3, 235), OG; Xavier Hicks (6-1, 235), OT; Jay Van Gorden (6-0, 190), TE; Ray Pallares (5-11, 188), FB and Tony Goulet (6-2, 205), RB.

Top Newcomers--Mark Williams (6-5, 250), OT; Jeff Martinez (5-11, 175), QB; Matt Pinckney (6-1, 170), WR; Dwayne DeNolf (5-8, 140), WR; Kevin Barton (6-1, 185), DE; Norman Nakawaki (6-2, 170), CB; Mike Edwards (6-1, 180), S and Eric Petersen (6-2, 205), DT.

Outlook--A very good offensive line became even better with the addition of Williams, who left Esperanza after his sophomore season but had to sit out his junior year at Valencia because his family didn’t move. About the only weaknesses the Tigers will have is inexperience in the defensive secondary, which returns only one starter (Gregory), and at defensive end. “Physically, we definitely have the potential to be a pretty good team,” Marrujo said. “If we can find the right chemistry, work very hard and keep the right attitude, we could be a very good team.”

WESTERN: Key Personnel--Richard Haskell (6-1, 205), C; Rich Lodding (6-1, 165), QB; Steve Hefferan (6-2, 170), WR; Gilbert Bill (6-0, 215), OT; Keith Roady (6-4, 212), DE; Brian O’Neil (5-10, 175), LB and Mike Huy (5-8, 140), CB.

Top Newcomers--Art Giovannini (6-0, 200), LB; Dan Price (5-11, 190), OT; Mike Cobleigh (5-10, 160), WR; Bob Posadas (5-9, 155), FB and Don Thompson (5-7, 140), LB.

Outlook--The Pioneers graduated a fine all-around athlete in quarterback/defensive back Chris Chase, who was Orange County’s second-rated passer in ’84 after completing 70 of 108 attempts for 921 yards and 13 touchdowns. But Coach Jim Howell has a solid replacement in Lodding, who has been a starting pitcher on the varsity baseball team for the past two years. Western will become more of a passing team this fall, with Lodding throwing to Hefferan and Cobleigh. The Pioneers also are strong at the tackle position with Bill and Price. Howell said that Price, a junior, may be in the class of graduated all-county tackle Randy Sheets. “I don’t know if we have many other strengths,” Howell said. “Our linebackers and guards are inexperienced, but if we come along in those areas, we’ll be a pretty decent team.”