Orange County Prep Football : This Coach May Stay for a While : Paredes Stabilizes Bishop Amat After Several Changes

The beat goes on at Bishop Amat High School despite a game of musical chairs among the Lancers’ football coaching staff.

Mark Paredes, the school’s athletic director, assumed the coaching job last spring when Don Markham resigned to take a coaching position at Ramona in Riverside. Paredes is the Lancers’ third coach in three years.

Jim Patricio left Bishop Amat two years ago to accept a job at Walnut. Patricio and Markham won Angelus League titles but left the parochial school in favor of public-school teaching jobs.

“After Don left, I sat down with our principal (Merritt Hemenway), and we decided not to open up the job because we wanted some continuity,” Paredes said. “I took the job the day after Don left.”

Paredes served as an assistant last season, coaching the backs and receivers. But he has spent more time hitting fungos than throwing footballs in his six years at Bishop Amat.

Paredes coached the Lancer baseball team to five appearances in the Southern Section playoffs in the past five years. That success came after losing every game in his first season in 1980. But all along, coaching football was his first priority.

“When I originally got into the education field at St. Bernard in 1972, the idea was to someday become a head football coach,” Paredes said. “When I left football to become the head baseball coach here, I didn’t think I’d ever get back into coaching football.

“When I hired Don, I got involved again. When Don left, I knew this would be the ideal opportunity to do something I always wanted to do.”

Paredes has resigned as baseball coach and said he will quit as athletic director after the current school term.

“I just don’t have the time for the other jobs,” he said. “I want to put all my energy into football.”

The Lancers have made a smooth transition under Paredes. Bishop Amat is undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports of Sacramento entering its Angelus League opener at 7:30 tonight against Servite in Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.

Third-year tailback Eric Bieniemy has rushed for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the Southern Section last season with 29 touchdowns. Bieniemy is the third great tailback developed at Bishop Amat, after Pernell Taylor (Notre Dame) and Randy Tanner (USC).

“Randy Tanner was the best all-around back we’ve had here, but Eric is a better runner,” Paredes said. “He is a great runner. We’ve stayed with the power-I to exploit Eric’s talents. The development of quarterback J.R. Phillips has been our biggest surprise.”

In other games tonight:

Century League

Foothill (3-2) vs. Canyon (2-3) at El Modena High School: Foothill has lost two straight and running back John Fishbeck is doubtful after injuring his right knee last week. Fishbeck has gained 529 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. Canyon is coming off a 27-13 victory over Orange in which the Comanches gained 318 yards rushing.

Orange League

Valencia (3-1-1) vs. Magnolia (2-2-1) in Glover Stadium: Valencia has lost running back Tony Goulet for the season with torn knee ligaments. Dorian Estes picked up the slack, rushing for three touchdowns and scoring another on an interception return.

Sea View League

Corona del Mar (2-3) vs. Saddleback (5-0) in Santa Ana Stadium: Corona del Mar was on the verge of losing its fourth straight game last week when reserve quarterback Kurt Ehmann rallied the Sea Kings from a 20-0 deficit to a 30-28 victory over Costa Mesa. Saddleback won its 15th straight spanning two seasons with a 48-7 victory over Capistrano Valley. The Roadrunners are 28-2-1 in the past three seasons.

Sunset League

Edison (4-1) vs. Marina (0-5) at Westminster High School: Edison has never lost to Marina, compiling an 11-0-1 record against the Vikings since 1974. The teams were league co-champions last season, but Edison defeated the Vikings, 51-14. Running back Sean Magula, who has missed four games, should return for the Vikings.