Sunny Hills, La Habra Geared to Compete for Title

The theme at La Habra High School is “Drive for Five” as the Highlanders’ football team prepares for another ride through the Freeway League.

La Habra, under veteran coach Bob Rau, has won an unprecedented four straight league titles, but this season’s drive could be a bumpy one in the vicinity of Sunny Hills High, where Coach Tim Devaney says he has his best team in eight years.

The schools shared the league title last season and are traditionally among the Southern Section Central Conference’s top-ranked teams. Sunny Hills, with 12 returning starters, was the preseason choice in a poll of coaches to win the conference. La Habra was picked to finish sixth in the conference race.

“They’re the class of the league,” said John Turek, Troy coach. “Both have a lot of quality players coming back off championship teams. It looks like Sunny Hills and La Habra will battle for first, and the rest of us will be fighting for the third playoff spot.”

If that’s the case, the league champion won’t be crowned until the season’s last week when Sunny Hills plays host to La Habra.

Sunny Hills has advanced to the playoffs in five of Devaney’s seven seasons, winning the Central Conference title in 1983 and reaching the semifinals three times. Last year, the Lancers were eliminated in the semifinals by Valencia, 17-14, in double overtime in what Devaney called the most frustrating loss of his career.

The Lancers were one of the county’s best defensive teams last year. They allowed 10 regular-season opponents an average of 6.4 points per game and posted four shutouts. Look for the Lancers to be equally strong offensively and defensively in ’87.

“We’re going to score points,” Devaney said. “If the defense can hold the opposition down like it did last year, we’re going to win.”

Rau has made some big changes offensively at La Habra . . . for good reason. Former La Habra defensive coordinators Steve Silberman (Sonora) and Steve Nishimoto (Fullerton) are now rival coaches in the league, so Rau has installed the run-and-shoot offense for third-year quarterback Matt Shackelford.

“When you have to play against two coaches who have been inside your system, it makes it tough,” Rau said. “The element of an option attack will add some new wrinkles and force some other people to play us honestly defensively.”

Here’s a closer look at the Freeway League:

BUENA PARK: 0-5, 0-9-1 (Sixth in league)

The Coyotes haven’t won a football game in three years, but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of first-year coach Rick Foley, 26, the county’s youngest head coach. He begins his fourth year on the Coyote staff with 10 returning starters off a team that managed only a 7-7 tie against Rancho Alamitos in its season opener in ’86. Quarterback Dave Baylor, guard/linebacker Kenny Burroughs and second-team, all-league cornerback Mike Lord are part of the reason for Foley’s optimism. “Dave Baylor will turn this team around,” Foley predicted. “We’re going to surprise some people.” Mike Reding, a two-time league champion wrestler, will start at defensive end and was voted defensive team captain. Dan Dennerberg is the team’s best running back, and Foley claims to have a quality kicker in Lonnie Legg. The Coyotes’ offensive line will be one of the league’s biggest, averaging 220 pounds. The top newcomer is defensive back Gary Reres, a transfer from New York, who is so aggressive that Foley said, “I’m afraid to let him practice against the team.” Foley, on Buena Park’s 28-game winless streak: “There hasn’t been any continuity since I’ve been here. The staff has changed every year. This is the first time I can honestly say we’ve got a good staff assembled in four years.”

FULLERTON: 3-2, 7-4 (Third in league)

A new era begins at Fullerton after Martin Luczaj, one of the most successful coaches in the county over the past six years, resigned last March. Steve Nishimoto, defensive coordinator at La Habra for three years, has replaced Luczaj and some big changes are already noticeable. Nishimoto has added the triple option with a sprint-out passing attack. “Defensively, we’ll look a lot like La Habra, minus the (Kevin) Capps and (Linton) Weatherspoons,” he said. Darrell Corbin, a three-year starter, returns at halfback where he’s gained almost 1,500 yards in two seasons. James Ramsay and Steve DePhillips will alternate at fullback, and newcomer Marcus Roberson, sophomore son of former Laker forward Rick Roberson, is a tailback to watch in the future. Four of five starters return on the offensive line, but Nishimoto said the Indians won’t have anybody to match former standouts Jeff Bailey or David McKinnon. Guards Collin Milligan and Mike Graham are the team’s best linemen. Newcomer Rene Arias and Brent Bice are vying for the quarterback position. “Both will play a lot in the preseason, and then we’ll go with the top performer when league starts,” Nishimoto said. Wide receiver John Bailey, sophomore brother of Jeff Bailey (now at UCLA), is another top newcomer.

LA HABRA: 4-1, 7-4 (Co-champion)

The off-season was a busy one at La Habra. Rau attended spring football camps at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arizona to learn the run and shoot. Quarterback Shackelford attended a passing camp in Bakersfield, hoping to improve his consistency. “This year, we have the personnel for the option, and so far, everything has gone smoothly,” Rau said. Wide receiver Sal Maldonado, the quickest player on the team, has been moved to running back. Linton Weatherspoon and Mike Destich will alternate at fullback, giving Weatherspoon a breather so that he’s more effective at nose guard. Rau has three offensive linemen returning, led by center Gary Pili and guard Greg Diamond. Kevin Capps (5-7, 175), a second-team, all-county selection as a junior, returns at outside linebacker. Fullerton’s Nishimoto on Capps: “He’s the best defensive player in the league. Unfortunately, Kevin is a Division I player trapped in a Pop Warner body.” Nelson Bergamo, the top scorer on the Highlanders’ basketball team last season, is the top newcomer. Bergamo will start at roverback and do the kicking.

SONORA: 1-4, 2-8 (Fifth in league)

It’s not exactly a statistic that a team can take pride in, but the Raiders led the county in hospital visits, losing 14 players with major injuries last season. “It was the biggest nightmare of my life,” Silberman said. “I kept telling myself it can’t get any worse, but it did.” The Raiders played their season finale against La Habra with only three senior starters on defense. Sonora also was shut out six times, but figures to be vastly improved offensively with tailback Eric Johnson and quarterback Bill Robb. Johnson, one of the top intermediate hurdlers in the county last spring, is being recruited by Pacific-10 and Western Athletic Conference schools as a defensive back, according to Silberman. Kyle Schaetzl, who will double as an offensive tackle and linebacker, also is a potential Division I player. Silberman said California, Colorado, San Diego State, Oregon State, Oregon and Nevada Las Vegas are recruiting him. The Raiders have 14 returning starters and good depth at running back, but the offensive line is a big question mark. “I feel good about our starters on the offensive line, but if we have any injuries, we might be in trouble,” Silberman said. Among the top newcomers are linebacker Jason Hayes, wide receiver Kevin Cook and running back Marc Garrett.

SUNNY HILLS: 4-1, 11-2 (Co-champion)

The most-often asked question on the Sunny Hills campus: “How’s (quarterback) David Chisum’s back?” And the answer? “Just fine,” Devaney said. Chisum injured his back at the beginning of summer after he fell off the roof of his house, where he was cleaning leaves. He wore a back brace for six weeks and did not compete in the Lancers’ summer passing games. “The injury may have been a blessing,” Devaney said. “David’s arm is really alive.” Chisum passed for 1,001 yards and 7 touchdowns and was intercepted only 4 times as a junior. He’s one of eight offensive starters returning, including center Steve Shin, guard Marc Jewell and fullback Bryan Edmunds. “Shin is the best center we’ve ever had here and Jewell is the best guard,” Devaney said. “Our offensive line should be really good.” Also returning on the line are tackles Kevin Sharp and Clark Snyder. Defensively, linebacker Mike McGuire and cornerback Gene Schutt are the standouts. The top newcomer on the team is tailback Colin Solomon, who led the sophomore team to its third straight league title. “If the tailbacks come through, we’re going to be tough,” Devaney said. The Lancers will have eight home games at Spaulding Field this season, including all five of their preseason games. This is the team to beat, not only in league, but in the Central Conference.

TROY: 3-2, 8-3 (Third in league)

If Troy is going to seriously challenge Sunny Hills and La Habra for the title, it’s going to have to beat one of the schools for the first time in four years. Turek has compiled a respectable 20-13 record and has qualified for the playoffs in each of his three seasons at Troy, but he’s never beaten Sunny Hills or La Habra. The Warriors lost three quality players--quarterback Mike Pawlawski, tackle Jim Difilippo and center Eric Wright-Hay--to graduation but figure to be strong defensively. Tackles Pete Aguilera and Sean Stecher are among the league’s best, and defensive backs Tom Wilson and Chris Conway were both all-league selections last year. “We should be tough defensively, especially in the secondary,” Turek said. Troy was a passing team behind Pawlawski (now at Cal), but will be a run-oriented team with newcomer Mark Stichter the top ballcarrier. Sean Scanlon, who played sparingly behind Pawlawski, will start at quarterback. “We’ll be more patient offensively,” Turek said. “Most of our passing will be of the play-action variety.” Turek, on the prospects of beating the Big Two: “We can challenge them, but we’re going to have to beat one of them to win the league.”