Once Again, Pac-9 Race Should Come Down to Fullerton, Taft

No matter what Hal Sherbeck, Fullerton College football coach, and Taft’s Al Baldock are saying, the Pacific-9 Conference championship will most likely be decided on Oct. 26.

That’s when the Hornets and Cougars, who were both 10-1 last year and shared the conference title, meet in an afternoon game at Taft in a matchup of two of the nation’s top community college football programs.

Sherbeck and Baldock are both doing their best to convince people that their teams are not the Pac-9 favorites. Sherbeck says Taft and Cerritos will be the class of the so-called “super conference,” while Baldock has gone as far to pick the defending national champion Cougars, who in recent years have had more talent than some four-year schools, to finish sixth .

The other seven Pac-9 coaches, however, aren’t buying any of this implied modesty and in a preseason poll gave in to reason. They picked Taft to finish first with Fullerton a close second.

The evidence to do so is overwhelming. Taft, which can legally recruit from out-of-state because it has only one high school in its district, has won the national title two of the last three years and appears to have awesome, if inexperienced, talent once again. Sixty-two of Taft’s 87 players are freshmen, but it has a number of fleet running backs, huge offensive lineman and a strong defense.

Fullerton, which lost only to Taft in 1984, graduated several outstanding players, too, such as tailback Damon Sweazy and quarterback Rocky Mouw. But even Sherbeck, beginning his 25th year, admits the Hornets may have their best defense ever, and you can bet the offense will still be able to generate lots of points even if it is not as explosive as last year.

John Green is the leading candidate to replace Sweazy, and he has looked good a recent practices. He’ll have the benefit of running behind a strong line, anchored by two former Times’ All-County players, John Katnik and Mike Knutson.

The quarterback position is still not settled, but Sherbeck says that sophomores Mike Zorn and Tom Duarte and redshirt freshman Richard Williams all have the skills to continue to tradition of fine Hornet quarterbacks.

Defensively, there are no questions marks. Fullerton looks so good right now, Sherbeck says it’s scary.

“I’ve never had a team that runs to the ball so well and with as much intensity as this one,” said Sherbeck, the nation’s winningest active community college football coach.

Linebacker Pete Carter, end Nate Woods, tackle Frank Cozza and safety John Vanderstaay lead Fullerton’s defense.

Taft and Fullerton certainly aren’t the only formidable teams in the state’s toughest conference, however. Cerritos, Bakersfield and Long Beach City should be much improved, and so should Orange County’s other Pac-9 team, Golden West.

Coach Ray Shackleford, beginning his 20th year, used mostly freshmen last year when the Rustlers went 4-6, and has 15 starters returning in 1985.

“The league is so darned competitive, everyone of them has a legitimate chance to go to a bowl game,” Shackleford said. “But I’m encouraged about our speed and depth. We were a pretty good team last year, and we’re going to be better this year.”

One of Golden West’s strengths will be its big and experienced offensive line, which will average more than 265 pounds from tackle to tackle. Sonny Pau, a 295-pounder, Bob Simms and Rob Goff are returning starters.

Todd Parker, who enjoyed three 100-yard rushing games before being sidelined with an injury, will be the Rustlers’ top ground threat. Who will hand the ball off to him, though, remains a mystery.

Tim Hanson (Westminster), Bill Marler (Marina) and Eric Lawton (Huntington Beach), former Sunset League rivals, are competing for the right to replace the Rustlers’ record-setting quarterback, John Heinle, who graduated.

Golden West looks solid on defense as well. Linebacker Richard Zumwalt, who is also a track star, may be the best athlete on the team. Cornerback Brian Burnside and tackle Ken Sandbloom will also be among the best at their positions in the Pac-9.

This will be the second and final season of the Pac-9. In May, the California Assn. of Community Colleges, reacting to widespread complaints from coaches that the conference was too competitive, decided to move Taft to the Central Valley Conference and Bakersfield to the Western State Conference starting next season, while adding Compton to the remaining Pac-9 teams to form the new South Coast Conference.

Here’s a closer look at Orange County’s two Pacific-9 Conference teams:

FULLERTON: Key Personnel--John Green (6-0, 185), RB; Mike Zorn (6-1, 195), QB; Reggie Newkirk (5-10, 187), RB; John Katnik (6-1, 238), C; Mike Knutson (6-4, 255) OT; Aaron Grimm (6-1, 193), WR; Pete Carter (6-1, 220), LB; Nate Woods (6-3, 225), DE; Frank Cozza (6-3, 235), DT; John Healy (5-10, 218), DL; Nick Unger (6-5, 270), DT; John Vanderstaay (6-1, 190), S and Tom Inglima (5-9, 175), CB.

Top Newcomers--Richard Williams (6-1, 175), QB; Ed Atkinson (6-3, 240), OL; Tim McKion (6-0, 215), LB; Dave Zuniga (6-1, 230), LB; Sam Tuitasia (6-4, 220), TE and Bill Lewis (6-1, 180), WR.

Outlook--Fullerton’s roster is loaded with sophomores, but most of them watched from the sidelines last year and are untested. Sherbeck knows his players are talented, but the lack of experience has caused him concern. “We have good athletes, and a lot of speed, but it will be interesting to see how these players who have played a secondary role while waiting for the opportunity to start will do,” he said. “Now it’s their turn to be on stage, react to the pressure and have to perform.” Sherbeck, whose career includes three national titles and 191 victories, should hit the 200-win mark this year.

GOLDEN WEST: Key Personnel--Tim Hanson (6-0, 180), QB; Todd Parker (5-10, 160), RB; Bryan Burnside (6-0, 195), CB; Ken Sandbloom (6-5, 255), DT; Gavin Greely (6-3, 220), LB; Sonny Pau (6-3, 295), OT; Bob Sims (6-4, 285), OT; Rob Goff (6-3, 250), C; Eric Lawton (6-2, 190), QB; Adam Spies (5-11, 175); S; Richard Zumwalt (6-4, 215), LB; Tom Stockard (6-0, 215), LB and Richard Mendoza (6-0, 181), P.

Top Newcomers--Rex Brown (5-10, 165), CB; Jeff MacGuire (6-4, 265), DT; Mike Ray (6-5, 225), TE; Mike Matson (6-4, 245), DT; Bill Marler (6-1, 175), QB; Dave Swigart (5-10, 185), RB; Shawn Massey (6-0, 175), RB; Tony Garrett (5-10, 190), RB; George Padock (6-4, 230), LB and Carl Satterfield (5-10, 155), RB-KR.

Outlook--Golden West, following the trend in community college football, was much more successful passing the ball than running it last year. But without John Heinle back, another big, physical line up front and more depth at running back, the Rustlers will try to wear some opponents down on the ground. Todd Parker is a solid returning player, and the Rustlers also have three good freshmen prospects in Swigart (Fountain Valley High School), Massey (Marina) and Garrett (Los Amigos). The Rustlers, because of a scheduling conflict over the Saturday use of LeBard Stadium with Coast Community College District rival Orange Coast, will play two Friday night games this season, including one against Fullerton Nov. 8.

Coaches’ Pacific-9 Conference Preseason Poll Predicted Order of Finish: 1. Taft

2. Fullerton

3. Cerritos

4. Pasadena City

5. Golden West

6. Bakersfield

7. El Camino

8. Long Beach City

9. Mt. San Antonio