City Western League : A Tossup . . . After University City

It is the consensus of league coaches that University City should win its second consecutive City Western League championship in 1986. No one is sure about second place, however.

The Centurions return eight starters each on offense and defense, including the league’s 1985 offensive player of the year, running back Paul MacRenato.

The other league teams have the same problems--lack of depth and experience, particularly in the offensive line. That creates a problem for each team, which has at least one outstanding running back. La Jolla has four backs who will share time. As for Kearny’s Lupe Ford, 6-feet 2-inches and 200 pounds, he may create his own holes.

Clairemont is an exception to the league trend of troubled offensive lines. Four starters on the Chiefs’ line average 6-feet 2-inches and more than 200 pounds.

Mission Bay quarterback Rusty Patrick was killed in an automobile accident this summer. He was expected to be one of the county’s best. Mission Bay also had five players transfer to schools in other states. Two others are academically ineligible.

Some of the top senior players to watch in the City Western League in 1986 include: running back James Wilson and tackle/linebacker Mike Hastings (University), tight end John Beck (La Jolla), MacRenato and linebacker Greg Cleveland (University City), quarterback Scott Welish and Ford (Kearny) and offensive/defensive lineman Brian Depres (Clairemont), all of whom have college potential.

Here’s a closer look at the teams in the City Western League:

CLAIREMONT

Last season’s record: 3-2, 5-5

Finish: Third

Coach: Hal Krupens

Key Personnel: Cercy Moore (6-1, 190) RB; Chris Box (5-10, 190) LB; Rudi Neri (5-10, 170) WR/DB; LaMount Jackson (6-0, 170) QB; John Steinemann (6-4, 210) OT; Brian Depres (6-3, 220) OG/DT, and Ramon Madrigal (5-10, 175) C/LB.

Top newcomers: none.

Outlook: Krupens spent 16 years as the offensive line coach before getting the head spot this year. The offensive line and the backfield are the strong points for the Chiefs. Running backs Cercy Moore and Chris Box and quarterback LaMount Jackson are all juniors with a season of experience. Jackson, a spot receiver, took over at quarterback when Joe Fernandez suffered an injury. He may be out for the season. Krupens said of Box on defense, “He’s a really impressive linebacker.” Depres, who will play on both lines, could be a college prospect if he has a good season, Krupens said.

Krupens has only 30 players, but he’s optimistic. “I think we’ll be representative. We’ll be able to move the ball. I think our depth will hurt us. We’ll have to go both ways with a lot of kids and then you run into a problem with injuries.”

KEARNY

Last season’s record: 2-3, 5-5

Finish: Tied for fourth

Coach: Tom Barnett

Key Personnel: Scott Welish (5-10, 175) QB; John Williamson (6-4, 220) OT/DT; Ted Graham (5-9, 160) LB; Darrel Hicks (5-9, 150) WR; Alan Ring (5-11, 180) TB/DB; Hoochie Osborne (5-9, 155) WR/DB, and Lupe Ford (6-2, 220) FB/DE.

Top newcomers: Tony Alexander (6-2, 225) OT/DT; Jason Phillips (5-11, 185) LB; Tom Ellery (6-1, 190) G/LB; Eric Mercado (5-9, 165) WR/RB, and Keith Bryant (6-0, 180) DB.

Outlook: Only six starters return. Quarterback Scott Welish may be the best in the league. Also back is bruising fullback/linebacker Lupe Ford. The Komets will have to bolster their offensive line, where John Williamson, a junior, is the only returning starter. Tony Alexander, who returns after deciding to sit out his junior season, Tom Ellery, an exchange student from Germany, and Butch Villegas (5-10, 190) are expected to help out. Sophomore Victor Lease will start at center.

“We’re little,” Barnett said. “We have a lot of inexperience right now.” The Komets also face three league champions in their five nonleague games. “How good we will be depends on how we’re progressing through those games,” Barnett said.

LA JOLLA

Last season’s record: 2-3, 2-6-1

Finish: Tied for fourth

Coach: Gene Edwards

Key Personnel: John Beck (6-5, 225) TE/DT; Eric Prior (6-1, 192) DB/FB; Brad Mathews (6-0, 183) RB/DB; Bing Manning (5-10, 195) FB/LB, and Brent Woodall (6-4, 210) TB/LB.

Top newcomers: Brad Raulston (6-2, 185) TE/LB; John Tribolet (5-11, 175) QB, and Behnain Tashakorian (5-11, 220) OT.

Outlook: Only two starters, John Beck and Eric Prior, return from last year’s fourth-place team. Beck, a major-college prospect, will team with junior Raulston in a double-tight end formation to help establish a ground game. Bing Manning and Prior will alternate at fullback, with Brad Mathews and Brent Woodall sharing time at tailback. At quarterback, senior Doug Powell, a third-stringer last year, is expected to start, but junior Tribolet will take over if he falters.

Overall, Edwards, who is in his 26th year of coaching, said inexperience and lack of overall speed will be the Vikings’ weakness. However, he believes they are bigger than last year and could develop a strong ground game.

MISSION BAY

Last season’s record: 1-4, 4-6

Finish: Sixth

Coach: Dennis Pugh

Key Personnel: Ernest Johnson (5-10, 165) TB/DB; Doug Gora (6-3, 200) OL/DL; David Geiger (6-1, 195) OG/LB; Pat Merrifield (5-10, 160) WR/DB; Sean Rees (5-10,170) QB; Kevin Bennett (5-8, 160) FB/NG; Howard Barton (6-3, 210) OT/DT; Larry Gallegos (5-6, 130) WR/DB, and Jason Hamm (6-1, 170) WR/QB/LB.

Top newcomers: Dan Drage (6-0, 170) OG/LB; Chris Fernandez (6-0, 165) TB/DB, and Keith Berkley (6-3, 180) TE/LB.

Outlook: The Bucs closed last year by upsetting league champion University City, 14-6, but Coach Dennis Pugh has found he moved into a tough situation with all of the player losses. “It hadn’t been a real optimistic situation coming into this year,” Pugh said. “But I’m real pleased with the way all the kids have rallied around to get ready to play.”

Overall, the lack of depth and inexperience will hurt the Bucs. “We don’t have one specific area that is really strong,” said Pugh whose starting quarterback, Sean Rees, has yet to play in a varsity game. One change that could strengthen the backfield and linebacking corps would be for Maine transfer Jeff Tenzela (6-0, 190) to become academically eligible. “He’ll make all the difference between us,” Pugh said. “He’s a quality player. A good kid.”

If Tenzela becomes eligible, the Bucs will have a strong backfield to run behind a line that averages about 200 pounds.

UNIVERSITY

Last season’s record: 3-2, 5-6

Finish: Second

Coach: Ron Hamamoto

Key Personnel: James Wilson (6-4, 190) TB/FS; Martin Correia (5-10, 180) FB; Mike Hastings (6-4, 220) OT/DL/LB; Tim Carosella (5-10, 190) OG; Pete Hawes (6-0, 165) WR/CB; Larry Gallego (6-0, 180) TE/LB; Chris Nottoli (6-1, 200) OT/DL; Jason Khoury (5-8, 200) NG, and Kevin Casey (6-0, 170) LB.

Top newcomers: Anthony Massa (6-0, 155) QB; Joe Virissimo (5-8, 190) DT; John Montali (6-0, 160) SS, and Kenny Stranigan (5-11, 160) CB.

Outlook: Hamamoto took the Dons to the playoffs in ’85 for the first time in eight years but with graduation dissolving a solid offensive line, he doesn’t expect a repeat this season. “I thought we were small last year. This year we’re going to be even smaller,” he said. The line problems may hurt James Wilson, second-team all-league runner last season, the most. After piling up more than 900 yards rushing and more than 1,300 in total offense as a junior, Wilson will be hard pressed to match those numbers as a senior. Martin Correia returns at fullback, Pete Hawes at wide receiver and Tim Carosella at guard. Anthony Massa, a sophomore, is the top contender at quarterback.

The Dons lack depth (only 30 players), will play a number of players both ways, including Wilson and Hastings, and will rely heavily on newcomers to excell on defense. “With seven or eight guys going both ways, one or two injuries could kill us,” Hamamoto said.

UNIVERSITY CITY

Last season’s record: 4-1, 6-4

Finish: First

Coach: Steve Vukojevich

Key Personnel: Paul MacRenato (6-1, 195) RB/LB; Greg Cleveland (6-3, 215) OL/LB; Brian Sexton (6-0, 165) QB; Darrin Wagner (6-1, 195) RB; Earl Rouse (6-0, 165) LB; Matt Kelly (6-0, 170) CB/WR; Mike Klessig (6-3, 211) OT; Scott McDowell (6-2, 180) DT; Deron Thornton (6-0, 150) WR, Kevin Stewart (5-9, 175) NT; Ray Brewton (5-8, 160) LB, and Steve Smith (6-0, 165).

Top newcomers: Darnes Taylor (6-2, 170) FL; Todd Fisher (6-1, 160) QB; Scott Salcido (6-2, 217) OT; Curtis Williams (6-0, 186) C, and Brad Ledwith (6-2, 195) OG.

Outlook: The Centurions return the nucleus of their 1985 league championship team including Paul MacRenato at running back and Greg Cleveland, a second-team lineman. MacRenato will try to duplicate his statistics last year--more than 900 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Darrin Wagner (4.7 in the 40-yard dash) will team with MacRenato in the backfield, running behind the team’s strongest point, the offensive line.

Coach Steve Vukojevich said his team’s experience will be a plus but has to cope with the loss of Times all-county defensive back Kenny King, who graduated. The Centurions lost their last two games in ‘85, so Vukojevich is wondering whether they”are as hungry as . . . last year.”

University City has a solid foundation at every position but wide receiver. Last year Lincoln, the eventual 2-A champion, knocked University City out of the playoffs with a 12-0 first-round victory. “I’d like to believe we can play with them (Lincoln). We should be considered a team that can compete (for the title),” Vukojevich said.