SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW : Short on Points : Loara’s Linemen Are Leaving Opponents a Little Frustrated

Danny Rovira and Brian Malavar aren’t what you’d expect from Orange County’s best high school defense.

Rovira is a 5-foot 7-inch, 220-pound nose guard who was named the Empire League’s Defensive Lineman of the Year. Malavar, better known for his wrestling skills, is a 5-9, 175-pound defensive end, and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Together, they anchor an imposing defense that has shut out six opponents and allowed only 45 points in leading Loara to a 10-0-1 record.

Rovira strikes a less-than-imposing figure when he walks onto the football field, but he leads the team going into tonight’s Southern Conference playoff game against Lynwood with 46 tackles and 51 assists. He also has recovered three fumbles, blocked a field goal attempt and scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery.

“Danny is about the most unlikely looking lineman you’ll ever see,” said Herb Hill, Loara’s coach. “The way he waddles out to the field, you’d swear he wasn’t much a player.

“But he’s very quick and very strong. He likes playing the game, and he keeps everybody loose on the practice field with his sense of humor.”

Malavar first made his mark as a wrestler. He finished fourth at the Southern Section championships in the 168-pound division as a junior and has received a scholarship offer from Cal State Bakersfield, a West Coast Division II wrestling power.

“He’s equally accomplished at playing the run or the pass,” Hill said.

Malavar has 38 tackles, 32 assists, a sack, a blocked punt and two pass interceptions. He’s scored three touchdowns, returning two blocked punts and an interception. He also was responsible for Rovira’s only touchdown.

“We blocked the kick, and Brian told me to pick up the ball and go for it while he blocked for me,” Rovira said.

Rovira wasn’t surprised with the Saxons’ success. He said it was just a matter of the time before the offensive line matured.

“I knew we were going to be good this year,” he said. “We were 7-3 last year with a lot of juniors, so I thought we had a chance of winning the league.”

The only blemish on the Saxons’ season is a 14-14 tie with Esperanza, but Malavar thinks the game was the critical point in Loara’s season.

“We got behind, 14-6, but rallied to tie them,” Malavar said. “After that game, the team came together. We got tougher, worked harder and became a championship team.”

Loara, seeded second in the Southern Conference playoffs, faces a Lynwood team that has lost to Paramount, Bishop Amat and Carson, teams with combined records of 30-2. The Knights seldom pass, relying on the running of option quarterback Keith Nixon and tailback Austin McCowan.

Nixon, who averages only seven passes per game, has rushed for 609 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was a starting defensive back as a sophomore and a wide receiver as a junior. McCowan has rushed for 863 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“It will be a very physical game,” Rovira said. “Their strength is running the football and our strength is stopping the run.”

Lywnood surprised Capistrano Valley with a pass play for a touchdown in a 20-15 victory, but Malavar doesn’t expect any surprises tonight.

“They use their passing game to catch a team off guard, but we have a smart secondary that adjusts to any situation,” he said.

In other conference games:

El Toro (11-0) at Paramount (10-1): The top-seeded Chargers went over their regular-season scoring average of 33.7 points per game with a 35-0 victory over Canyon in the first round. Quarterback Bret Johnson threw only his third interception of the season against Canyon. He has thrown 22 touchdown passes.

Running back Aly Diaz has averaged 128 yards per game since replacing injured Ron Chocklet in the fifth game of the year. Diaz was held to fewer than 100 yards only once in seven starts. Linebacker Scott Ross was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the South Coast League.

Paramount’s three-year starter Kojuan Williams has completed 85 of 145 pass attempts for 1,613 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for a touchdown in 10 of his last 11 games. Paramount snapped Lynwood’s 35-game unbeaten streak in the San Gabriel Valley League with a victory two weeks ago.

Mission Viejo (6-5) vs. Foothill (7-4) on Northrup Field (Tustin HS): Both teams recorded upsets in the first round. Mission Viejo shocked Ocean League champion Beverly Hills, 33-3, and Foothill eliminated fourth-seeded Los Alamitos, 21-0.

This marks the fourth meeting in four years between the teams in the second round of the playoffs. Mission Viejo holds a 2-1 series lead. Diablo running back Darrin Sweazy returned to the lineup after a two-week layoff and scored two touchdowns. Sweazy was out with a sprained ligament in his right ankle.

Foothill tailback John Fischbeck sat out four games with a knee injury, but he returned to rush for one touchdown and had a reception for another score in the Knights’ victory over Los Alamitos. Foothill intercepted Los Alamitos quarterback Tom Williamson five times.

Santa Ana (10-1) vs. Esperanza (9-1-1) in Bradford Stadium (Valencia HS): Teams with contrasting offenses collide in an interesting matchup. Esperanza is a ball-control, run-oriented team known for long drives. Tailback Mike Miscione benefits from a huge offensive line that is anchored by tackle James Rae (6-5, 253). He has rushed for 970 yards in his past four games, including a county single-game record of 348 yards against El Dorado.

Santa Ana, defending conference champion, is an explosive team that relies on the big play. Tailback Robert Lee has rushed for more than 200 yards in four of his last five games. Option quarterback Richard Fanti has thrown 12 touchdown passes. Wide receiver Darrel Bailey is questionable with a neck injury.