Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Eric Keller Can’t Elude the Star Treatment at Orange Coast

When Eric Keller came to Orange Coast College, he was tired of being a star.

As a three-year varsity water polo player at Los Amigos High School, he was often in the spotlight. Only once in three seasons did the team fail to make the playoffs. And Keller, the Garden Grove League’s most valuable player as a senior, was a big reason for the team’s success.

“I was basically having to do everything there (at Los Amigos),” he said. “It really became kind of frustrating to carry the load on my shoulders. Here (at Orange Coast) it’s a lot better. We have a really good team and I’m just a part of it. There is a lot of competition and I like that.”

Keller says he’s not a star at Orange Coast, but his 79 goals last season set him apart from most freshmen. Keller was voted first-team all-conference and community college All-American as the Pirates (8-0, 20-4) won the Pacific Coast Conference.

This season, the Pirates are 2-0 in the Orange Empire Conference, 12-1 overall.

“He’s the best community college player around,” Orange Coast Coach Don Watson said. “There’s no question he’s good enough to be a Division I player. Physically he’s probably the most gifted player to go here.

“We ask our set man to absorb a lot of punishment and he handles it well both physically and emotionally. He’s really developed since coming here.”

Keller played water polo for the first time as a freshman in high school.

Only a few games into his sophomore season, he moved into the varsity starting lineup on the Los Amigos team which went to the playoffs but lost in the 2-A final.

“(Former Los Amigos) Coach (Mike) Schizel taught me a lot about water polo and to really play the game,” Keller said. “Coach (Don) Watson has given me a refresher course and really fine-tuned me. He has a way of relating water polo back to life, and it makes us better players and people.”

There’s no hint of a change at quarterback at Golden West although Coach Ray Shackleford started sophomore Bill Marler last week instead of Eric Lawton, who had led the Rustlers to a 2-0 start. Marler led the Rustlers to a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter of Golden West’s 27-10 victory over Ventura Saturday. Marler was 5 for 9 for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lawton, who alternated series with Marler, was 7 for 9 for 88 yards and a touchdown. “We didn’t really go to another quarterback,” Shackleford said. “We played a lot of different people that night. We’re going to need them somewhere down the line, and we want them to be ready and used to game situations.” The Rustlers are off this week. “We don’t need the week off,” Shackleford said. “We are 3-0 and are playing decent football. I would rather we played a game.” Golden West’s next game will be the South Coast Conference opener at Pasadena Oct. 11.

Fullerton College travels to Bakersfield Saturday, as Coach Hal Sherbeck tries for his 200th victory for the third time this season. The Hornets have lost to Rancho Santiago, 26-23, and to Taft, 51-24, so far this season. Mission Conference play continues Saturday with Saddleback (1-0, 2-0) at Orange Coast (0-1, 0-2) and Rancho Santiago (1-0, 2-0) at Riverside (1-0, 2-0). All games start at 7:30 p.m.

Saddleback is still ranked first in football in Southern California with 12 of 13 first-place votes in a poll of sports information directors. Glendale (2-0) received the other first-place vote. Saddleback has won 13 consecutive games in the past two seasons.