Community College Football : Lawton Enjoys His Second Chance : Quarterback Comes Back, Leads Golden West to 4-0 Start

Eric Lawton waited a long time to return to the spotlight. And now that he has, he isn’t wasting his second chance.

Lawton, the starting quarterback for Golden West College, has led the Rustlers to a 4-0 record, 1-0 in the South Coast Conference.

Golden West plays Long Beach City (1-0, 4-0) at 7:30 tonight in Veterans Stadium at Long Beach.

The last time Lawton was the star, he was at Huntington Beach High School in 1983. Lawton was not recruited by any four-year schools when he graduated, so he attended Golden West.

But his community college career was put on hold almost as soon as it started. During summer drills, Lawton fell on his left thumb, which then needed surgery. He was forced to redshirt the 1984 season.

In 1985, Lawton competed for the starting spot but lost to sophomore Tim Hanson, who was later voted first-team all South Coast Conference.

This summer, Lawton finally emerged as the favorite for the starting job.

“I knew coach Ray (Shackleford) didn’t want me here just to sit on the bench,” Lawton said. “I just sat and learned and waited till I got my chance.”

Lawton’s first chance as a starter came in the season opener against Bakersfield. He completed 9 of 18 passes for 108 yards as Golden West won, 24-14.

In that game and a 14-6 victory over Orange Coast the next week, Lawton was throwing mostly short, safe passes.

The last two weeks, the Rustlers have opened the offense and Lawton has been throwing downfield more. He has completed 33 of 61 passes for 517 yards and 2 touchdowns, with only 1 interception.

“Our defense has been doing a super job all season and we’ve been ahead so we haven’t had to throw as much as other teams,” Shackleford said. “We have no doubt Eric can throw long. Since the first game he has been playing with a lot of confidence and he is a good leader.”

In other South Coast Conference action:

Fullerton (0-1, 1-3) at Mt. San Antonio (0-1, 2-1-1), 7:30 p.m.--The Hornets’ defense is second to last in the conference against the run, allowing 209.2 yards a game. The Mounties, led by Jessie Canada who has 214 yards in 34 carries, are second in the conference in rushing. Fullerton is led by quarterback Richard Williams (72 of 126 for 937 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception), and running back Andrew Greer (392 yards rushing on 52 carries).

In Mission Conference action:

Orange Coast (1-2, 1-3) at Riverside (3-0, 4-0), 7:30 p.m.--The Pirates finally won last week, but face the state’s best rushing team. The Tigers are led by Mike Moore, who has rushed for 661 yards and 6 touchdowns on 83 carries. The Pirate defense, led by sophomore defense lineman Jeff Shanks, is second in the conference against the run. Shanks was involved in 14 tackles in a 22-10 victory over Grossmont last Saturday. He had 4 sacks, 3 tackles for losses and 10 solo tackles. Jon Nowotny is expected to return at quarterback for OCC after missing last week’s game with a left shoulder injury.

Saddleback (2-1, 3-1) at San Diego Mesa (2-1, 3-1), 7:30 p.m.--The Gauchos will have to rebound after being upset at home by Riverside, 21-16, last Saturday. Saddleback has the state’s leading receiver in sophomore Bret Mersola, who has 37 catches for 496 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Olympians’ Deangelo Mitchell had 11 catches in a 31-19 victory over Rancho Santiago last Saturday. He has 24 receptions for 356 yards and 6 touchdowns this season.

Rancho Santiago (1-2, 2-2) at Southwestern (3-0, 3-1), 7:30 p.m.--The Dons could give their fading title hopes a lift by beating the Apaches. The Dons allowed 309 yards passing in a 31-19 loss to San Diego Mesa last Saturday and expect to see even more passes against Southwestern. The Apaches are second in the conference, averaging 277.8 yards passing a game.