Palomar League : Fallbrook’s New Project Is Winning the Title

By helping build a house to pay its way for a trip to Hawaii, Fallbrook High School’s football team proved just how determined it is.

But now Fallbrook is planning another major project--winning the Palomar League.

Building the house sounds easier than winning this league, which often fields some of the best teams in San Diego County. But that isn’t discouraging Coach Tom Pack and his players, who believe they have a shot at the title. Fallbrook opens its season tonight at Maui.

And other coaches, while not discounting defending San Diego Section 3-A and league champion Vista, seem to agree that Fallbrook may be the team to beat.

“This is easily the best team they’ve ever had,” said Mount Carmel Coach Frank Andruski. Fallbrook returns several of the offensive players who led the team to an 8-3 record last year, including quarterback Scott Barrick, who threw for 1,800 yards.

Standing in Fallbrook’s way is Vista, which has dominated the league for as long as anyone can remember and is coming off a 13-0 season. Vista’s junior varsity and freshmen teams also were undefeated, so Coach Dick Haines is confident he will be able to replace the 29 players he lost to graduation.

But he is not so confident about duplicating a perfect season.

“We just got lucky last year,” Haines said. “We had more good kids on one team than I’ve ever seen in all my years of coaching.”

Fans won’t have to wait long for a Fallbrook-Vista showdown. The favorites oppose each other as league play opens Oct. 3.

Here is a closer look at the Palomar League:

FALLBROOK

Last season’s record: 4-2, 8-3

Finish: Second

Coach: Tom Pack

Key Personnel: Bill Dunckel (5-11, 175), WR/DB; Scott Barrick (6-3, 190), QB; Ty Barksdale (5-8, 155), RB/DB; Steve Stephen (6-2, 225), OT/LB; Ken Mintz (6-1, 195), DL/OT, and Will Polard (5-9, 215), C.

Top Newcomers: Darrow Nelson (6-0, 180), WR and Greg Frinnell (5-10, 150), DB/WR.

Outlook: Scott Barrick, who threw for 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, will direct one of the best offenses in the county. He is one of nine returning offensive starters. Barrick’s primary target will be Bill Dunckel, who had 35 receptions for 576 yards and 6 touchdowns last season. The offensive line, anchored by first team all-league center Will Polard, should be strong. An inexperienced defense could be a problem for Fallbrook, so Dunckel and Ty Barksdale will go both ways early in the season.

MOUNT CARMEL

Last season’s record: 2-4, 3-6

Finish: Fifth

Coach: Frank Andruski

Key Personnel: Soliman Labrador (6-3, 240), OT; Chris Gatewood (6-3, 235), OT/DT; Sean Davis (5-3, 125), RB; Joe Chabon (6-3, 175), WR, and Chuck Williams (5-7, 145), DB.

Top Newcomers: Chris Beeman (6-0, 190), QB; Mark King (5-11, 180), RB; Ken Bell (6-1, 180), DL, and David Erikson (6-1, 200), DL.

Outlook: Coach Frank Andruski said he is impressed with junior quarterback Chris Beeman, who completed 65% of his passes with the second-place junior varsity team last season. Speedy junior running back Mark King should give Mount Carmel a potent ground attack. The Sundevil offensive line, anchored by Soliman Labrador and Chris Gatewood, is experienced. Mount Carmel should have success slowing opponents’ passing attacks with Chuck Williams and Davis in the defensive backfield.

ORANGE GLEN

Last season’s record: 4-2, 8-2

Finish: Third

Coach: Jeff Carlovsky

Key Personnel: Scott Carlovsky (6-1, 180), WR; Matt Fiorello (5-8, 170), WR; Duffy Daugherty (6-3 1/2, 215), QB; Steve Klinger (6-5, 200), S; Rick Martinez (5-11, 190), RB, and Ray LeBrun (6-2, 190), RB.

Top Newcomers: David Monach (6-0, 190), FB, and Dan Early (6-4, 185), S/TE.

Outlook: Orange Glen’s has two good receivers in Scott Carlovsky, a three-year starter who had 55 receptions last year, and Matt Fiorello, who had 43. But how effective they will be depend on Duffy Daugherty, a tight end converted to a quarterback, and on how an inexperienced offensive line protects Daugherty. Rick Martinez, Ray LeBrun and David Monach should give Orange Glen a strong running game.

POWAY

Last season’s record: 3-3, 5-5

Finish: Fourth

Coach: Brad Elrod

Key Personnel: Harlan Carroll (5-9, 170), DB; Tom Sharpe (6-0, 160), DB; Brian Woods (6-0, 180), DE/OLB; Dan Millard (6-3, 190), TE, and Brian Vickers (5-10, 180), NG.

Top Newcomers: Ty Nichols (6-0, 170), QB; and Greg Warden (5-10, 185), LB.

Outlook: Coach Brad Elrod, who came to Poway in mid-August, coached Downey into the CIF Southern Section playoffs six of his seven years there. Elrod’s main concern is building a defense that can counter the strong offenses around the league. Five starters return on defense, including three in the secondary. All-league selection Harlan Carroll had a school-record six interceptions last season.

SAN DIEGUITO

Last season’s record: 2-6-1, 0-6

Finish: Seventh

Coach: Ed Burke

Key Personnel: David Geddes (5-10, 185), C; Tim Bray (5-11, 150), WR; Chris Loarie (5-11, 170), TE; Mark Horowitz (5-9, 155), RB, and Chad Embrey (5-8, 145), DB.

Top Newcomer: Mike Plank (5-7, 145), RB.

Outlook: San Dieguito fields one of the smallest teams in the league, which should keep it low in the standings again. The Mustangs’ passing game could be their strength with Tim Bray and Chris Loarie returning.

TORREY PINES

Last season’s record: 2-4, 3-7

Finish: Sixth

Coach: Rick Haines

Key Personnel: Todd Kelly (6-2, 165), WR; Scott Carson (6-2, 170), OLB; Pete Cassiano (6-2 1/2, 175); Brett Walsh (6-0, 170), CB; Craig Olsen (6-3, 225), DL, and James Ketcham (5-11, 170), OLB.

Top Newcomers: Tyler Batson (6-6, 215), OLB, and Bob McGriff (6-0, 170), OLB.

Outlook: The Falcon defense will be strong this year with junior varsity standouts Tyler Batson and Bob McGriff joining the squad. “I think we will have a great defensive team and that’s because of our junior class,” said Coach Rick Haines, who is the son of Vista Coach Dick Haines. An experienced and sizeable offensive line will be a key to the success of Torrey Pines’ option attack.

VISTA

Last season’s record: 6-0, 13-0

Finish: First

Coach: Dick Haines

Key Personnel: Tom Booker (6-1, 201), RB; Clarence Lowe (6-1, 235), OG; Tony Mitchell (6-7, 295), OT; Tom Cross (5-7, 165), CB; Charles Jordan (5-11, 230), OG; and Todd Reed (6-3, 210), TE.

Top Newcomers: Amituana Tamasi (6-3, 285), OT; and Bill Faraimo (6-2, 185), QB.

Outlook: Sophomore tackle Amituana Tamasi moves up from the freshmen team to join an offensive line that averages more than 255 pounds. Running back Tom Booker, who is rated as one of the top 50 backs in the country by one magazine, will give opponents problems. “He’s an Eric Dickerson in high school,” said Haines, who is beginning his 17th year as a head coach. The new quarterback is junior Bill Faraimo, who replace his cousin, Sal Aunese, who is now at Colorado. The defensive backfield, which Haines originally believed would be one of the team’s weaknesses, gained some much-needed experience from transfer safety Tony Troussett.

Sunday: City Western League