CIF PREVIEW : CENTURY LEAGUE : Expect the Same Old Race for New-Look League

What’s the old saying about the more things change, the more they stay the same?

So it is in the Century League for the 1986 season. The league’s content and personality have changed dramatically, yet the coaches’ picks still find the regulars--Foothill, Santa Ana, and El Modena high schools--battling it out for the title.

First, the changes. Orange and Tustin have moved on to other leagues, dropping the Century League from eight teams to six. And the league’s most dominant personality, Bob Lester, has hung up his El Modena coach’s whistle in favor of a fishing pole.

And, as if all that weren’t enough, Foothill Coach Ted Mullen even said that he’s going to pass the ball this year.

Balancing all of this is the knowledge that the league regulars, led by Foothill and Santa Ana, will battle it out for the title along with El Modena, which has an outside shot.

Foothill (8-2, 7-0) returns to defend its title behind the running of John Fischbeck and the passing of Chris Fergus. Long known for his pride in the rushing attack, Mullen has let it be known that he won’t be afraid to let Fergus put the ball in the air this season.

“Fergus has a great arm,” Mullen said. “He’ll give us an added dimension. He throws with confidence from anywhere on the field.”

With Lester gone, the Bob & Ted Show, featuring the needling of those two longtime rival coaches, has gone with it, leaving Mullen alone to handle the one-liners--and offensive lines, so to speak.

Said Mullen: “I’m not going to miss him. I’m glad he’s gone. Oh, something might be missing for me when we play El Mo, but it’s still the big rival for the kids and that’ll never change, regardless of who’s coaching either team.”

Taking over the Vanguards is longtime Lester assistant Bill Backstrom, who doesn’t see much problem in the transition.

“Bob was a coach’s coach,” he said. “He always gave his assistants a lot of freedom to run things independently. Hopefully, we can just continue to run the program he established.”

The challenge to the established Foothill-El Modena power base clearly comes from Santa Ana, which finished third in league play last season yet wound up as the Southern Conference champion behind the rushing of Robert Lee.

Lee and Fischbeck figure to be the premier rushers in the league, if not the entire county.

By losing two schools, the six-team league now has five nonconference games to get ready for league play.

One more item of note: El Modena’s Backstrom says that those new lights should be in place at Fred Kelly Stadium before the first game of the season, meaning that Century League fans will actually get to see their teams playing on that field this year.

Here’s a closer look at the Century League:

CANYON: Key Personnel--Ray Schull (5-11, 185), SB; Matt Waddell (5-10, 175), WR; Jason Wilborn (6-4, 240), LB; Glenn Van Dyke (5-8, 165), LB; Mike Boto (6-4, 195), DE; Ken Gominsky (6-0, 205), DT, and Earl Whetstone (6-0, 185), FB.

Top Newcomers--John Bardon (6-6, 265), DT; Chris Laasch (6-3, 260), OT/DT; Dale LaRue (6-2, 180), SB, and Darren Beltran (6-0, 175), QB/OLB.

Outlook--Canyon Coach Rod Hust must replace the graduated Todd French, his prolific passer from last season, but having two excellent receivers in Ray Schull and Matt Waddell will surely help the transition. Schull caught 43 passes while playing running back and flanker. Waddell has been working out at both receiver and quarterback this season. Darren Beltran is the other quarterback candidate. In 240-pound Jason Wilborn, 265-pound John Bardon, and 260-pound Chris Laasch, the Comanches have the linemen they need to help establish a running attack to complement their respected passing game.

EL MODENA: Key Personnel--Ross Bauer (5-10, 170), RB/LB; John Thompson (6-1, 190), FL/LB; Matt Alcauter (6-1, 250), OT; David Johnson (6-0, 200), RB, and Todd Hively (5-10, 170), RB/FS.

Top Newcomers--Gabe Torres (5-10, 170), QB/CB; Frank Gentry (5-11, 185), LB; Jeremy Deckert (5-11, 190), FB/LB, and John Sharp (5-9, 170), RB/CB.

Outlook--The Vanguards figure to be built around Ross Bauer, a running back who might also see some action at quarterback. A hard-nosed type who can give a hit as well as take it, Bauer will also start at linebacker. “He made me write that into his contract,” El Modena Coach Bill Backstrom joked. “He said that he’d play anywhere we want him to on offense as long as he could still play defense.” Bauer has a good arm and occasionally threw halfback passes last season. Blocking will be led by 250-pound tackle Matt Alcauter, another in a seemingly endless stream of giant Vanguard linemen. El Modena offers one of the toughest nonleague schedules around: Edison, Esperanza, Pacifica, El Toro, and San Diego Patrick Henry, meaning that this season’s young team will have to mature in a hurry.

FOOTHILL: Key Personnel--Randy Laycock (6-1, 195), MG; Brian Healy (5-11, 225), FB; Omar Martinez (6-0, 185), DL; Matt Bain (6-1, 185), LB/DE; Chris Fergus (6-2, 200), QB; John Fischbeck (6-0, 190), RB; Mike Gazziniga (6-3, 245), T, and Steve Koehl (6-1, 185), SB.

Top Newcomers--Frank Busalacchi (6-5, 235), T; Mike Daugherty (5-9, 185), T; Mark Dunn (6-1, 200), DE; Greg Johnson (5-11, 165), S; Adam Hairston (6-1, 200), LB, and Chris Hull (6-2, 200), LB.

Outlook--Big, mean, and nasty. Same old Foothill, with a strong defense, solid running game, and perhaps a strong air attack if quarterback Chris Fergus gets the time to throw. The Knights started slowly last season, losing their first two games before winning nine in a row. Foothill will get a workout in its nonleague schedule with Capistrano Valley, Riverside Poly, Marina, Tustin, and Westminster all scheduled. A 3-2 nonleague record would be great. The Knights then meet Canyon and Santa Ana Valley before their showdown with conference champion Santa Ana on Halloween night.

SANTA ANA: Key Personnel--Sergio Rocho (5-11, 245), C; Jose Avalos, (6-0, 210), G; Basillo Sanchez (6-1, 235), T; Albert Ruiz (6-3, 220), TE; Royal Wilbon (6-0, 175), SE, and Robert Lee (6-0, 212), TB.

Top Newcomers--Bobby Joyce (6-6, 190), S; Darrel Bailey (6-1, 175), DB; Efren Islas (5-7, 170), DB; Lance Tayco (6-0, 185), G-DT, and Ed Matmate (6-0, 180), DE/FB.

Outlook--According to Coach Dick Hill, you won’t stop the Santa Ana offense simply by stopping Robert Lee. “Defenses will zero in on him,” Hill noted, “but we’ve got other tools to complement him that will make those defenses wish they hadn’t.” With defenses watching Lee, that should give quarterbacks Richard Fanti and George Tuioti good opportunities to find their receivers open downfield. Targets include tight end Albert Ruiz, split end Royal Wilbon and fullback Ed Matmate. Good passing game or not, having an experienced offensive line returning to block for an athlete such as Lee, as well as the momentum of coming off the conference championship, put the Saints on the same level of respect that Foothill and El Modena have enjoyed for so long.

SANTA ANA VALLEY: Key Personnel--Paul Peters (6-1, 175), TB; Danny Alo (6-2, 260), T; Tim Robinson (6-0, 175), WR; James Barkley (5-8, 165), CB; Eric Ramos (5-9, 205), OG/LB, and Joe Durantes (5-11, 210), OT/DT.

Top Newcomers--Roshawn Lacey (6-0, 165), HB/DB; Oscar Alvarez (5-9, 175), QB, and Justin Rumps (5-10, 175), LB.

Outlook--This is not a rebuilding season for the Falcons, who went 1-9, 1-6 last year. It is a building season. New Coach Dan Castanon, an assistant to Marijon Ancich at Tustin for the last two years and head coach at Pius X before that, is building the program pretty much from the ground up, yet he remains optimistic. “We’ve got some real good athletes at the skill positions, but we need consistency in our technique, consistency in all phases of the game,” Castanon said. “I’m like the fourth head coach in the last four years here, so hopefully this season we can establish some continuity for the future.” The Falcons will be led by senior quarterback Oscar Alvarez, who missed most of last season with an injury. Tackle Danny Alo (260 pounds) gives the Falcons badly needed size up front. Valley’s nonleague schedule includes Santa Ana city rivals Saddleback and Mater Dei.

VILLA PARK: Key Personnel--Tom Kelly (6-1, 170), QB; Scott Creagan (6-3, 205), TE/LB; Dave Marsh (6-1, 200), LB; Ryan Hayes (5-8, 160), K; Dave Lawhon (6-1, 188), G; John Genova (5-10, 192), TB; Tony Inga (5-10, 190), FB, and Scott Stovall (5-9, 180), FB.

Top Newcomers--Chris Bell (5-11, 170), DB/WR; Alex Fassora (5-10, 175), G/LB; Mark Fishburn (5-11, 175), C/LB, and Joe Shrank (6-4, 290), DT.

Outlook--The Spartans finished one game away from a playoff berth last season (5-5 overall, 4-3 in league) and hope to improve upon that this time around. Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney will be pegging the Spartans’ hopes on the arm of Tom Kelly, a left-handed quarterback with several good targets to throw to. “We have to have more balance than last year,” Mahoney said. “Santa Ana and Foothill are real big this year, so we have to be able to throw the ball because I don’t know if we can move them up the middle (rushing).” Scott Creagan could emerge as the premier tight end in the league and Ryan Hayes gives the Spartans a field goal threat from 40 yards out. Mahoney brought in Joe Melendez from Servite to be his new defensive coordinator, replacing Mark McMahon, now the head coach at Orange.

Wednesday: The Empire League.