Mission Conference Football Preview : Saddleback College Is Hoping to Restore Order

There was a new look to the Mission Conference standings last season--a look that Saddleback College didn’t find too appealing.

It’s a look that Saddleback wants to put out of style quickly.

Riverside became the first team other than Saddleback to win the conference since 1976. Citrus won it that year.

Saddleback and the conference title had become a sort of tradition. The Gauchos have won 13 since 1970. Even though Riverside won the conference title last season, the Tigers weren’t picked to win the conference this season. Saddleback is the favorite of the coaches and the sports information directors.

“This year is no different,” Rancho Santiago Coach Dave Ogas said. “Saddleback is the favorite, but Riverside and Southwestern are right there as always.”

But Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen isn’t sold on this year’s team, which is dominated by freshmen and sophomores who have had little playing time. “This season they are a very young team,” said Swearingen, who enters his 12th season at Saddleback with a 98-18-1 record. “We, as coaches, never know what we will have, but we like what we see.”

Here is a closer look at the Orange County teams in the Mission Conference.

ORANGE COAST

5-4, 5-5 (Tied for Third)

This season, OCC might be the deepest team in the conference, especially at quarterback where the Pirates have three solid players.

“Not only are were we green, young and not very good, but we lost a lot of people to injuries last season,” Coach Bill Workman said. “This season we are deeper, stronger and have a lot more to work with.”

Keith Jarrett, a sophomore transfer from Boise State, starts at quarterback, and his backups will be Mike Angelovic, a freshman transfer from Weber State, and Mike Cederoth, a freshman from Villa Park High School.

Sophomore Junior Tagaloa, who set the OCC single-season record for receptions last season with 57, returns at wide receiver.

Bart Recktenwald has switched from defensive back to tailback this season after averaging 20.1 yards on punt returns and 25.6 yards on kickoffs last season. Recktenwald played tailback as a senior at La Quinta High School two years ago and rushed for close to 1,100 yards.

“Bart is dangerous when he has the football,” Workman said. “He proved that last season. We want to make sure he has the ball as much as possible this season.”

The one weak spot for OCC may be along the offensive line, where the Pirates lack experience. Curt Crandell, who played some last season, is back at center, and freshmen Daryl Pessler and Paul Toulouse have looked good at the tackles.

The Pirates’ defensive secondary lost Recktenwald to the offense and Bill Craft to a knee injury. But Brian Sherrard is joined by Gunner Wolfe, Jose Wilburn and Paul Steele.

Martin Maslonka, who started two seasons ago at linebacker, returns after sitting out last season and is joined by Blake Adams, who started last season.

RANCHO SANTIAGO

5-4, 6-4 (Tied for Third)

Sophomore quarterback Rick Burns performed well in the scrimmage and took the job from Wade Clester.

Glen Campbell (520 yards) returns at tailback and Albie Anderman returns at fullback. Mike Miscione, who led the county in rushing last season for Esperanza High School with 1,665 yards, backs up Campbell.

The most powerful part of the team appears to be the offensive line. Tackle Derek Sang, guard Grant Grable and center Ron Byers return to the left side of the line. Sophomore Mark Panasewicz and freshmen Mark Rose and Jim Murphy will play on the right side.

“Our offensive line is our strength,” Ogas said. “We will try to utilize their pass- and run-blocking all we can.”

All-Conference wide receiver Chuck Zacour (53 catches) returns along with redshirt Ed Nasser at tight end.

All-Conference punter Tom Peet (38.8 yards a kick) is back.

The defense lacks some size across the line and depth at almost every position. Kirk Merhish (225 pounds), Wally Thomas (220) and Todd Ramos (185) will get first shot at stopping opponents on the line. All three played last season but didn’t start.

Linebacker Joe Valencia appeared last season on the cover of the media guide but injured his shoulder and missed all of the season. He is back and joined by returning starter Matt Alario in the middle.

Myron Butler and Kirk Anderson will start again in the defensive backfield and will be joined by freshman Robert Glover of Orange High School who was the Pacific Coast League defensive player of the year. Clester could also play in the defensive backfield.

SADDLEBACK

4-4, 5-5 (Tied for Third)

Inexperience could be a problem at Saddleback for the Gaucho offense, which returns no starters. But the defense, which returns three starters, has experience and should lead the team early. Saddleback did have a fine year recruiting, getting eight players who played in the Orange County high school all-star game.

All-conference linebacker Brad Schmidt was going to walk on at Minnesota but decided to return to Saddleback. Dennis Erk, an All-Conference cornerback, has returned, along with defensive back Alex Ohmann and linebacker Tom Schooler, who played but didn’t start.

Erk is joined in the defensive backfield by sophomore Ennis Finley and freshmen Paul Ferguson and Matt Raith. Sophomores Sal Cassaro and Ed Franco join freshman Mike West on the defensive line.

Sophomore Howard Gasser starts at quarterback with Aly Diaz--who played for Southern Conference champion El Toro and was a county all-star--as one running back. Sophomores Jim Francis and Dean Crowley and freshman Darren Sweazy could also start in the backfield.

Sophomores Doug Gann (guard), Shawn White (tackle) and Adam Mapuatuli (center) and freshman Preston Walrath (guard) are among the line candidates.

The biggest hole for Saddleback to fill is the one left by All-American wide receiver Bret Mersola. He set a single-season national record with 91 receptions. Mersola is now at Rutgers.

Freshman Scott Miller, who was also a county all-star, is one of Saddleback’s many receivers, which include sophomores Russell Jenkins, Cary Reese and Kelly Ryan.

Conference Notes

Riverside (8-1, 9-1) lost running back Mike Moore (1,425 yards) and quarterback Keith Widener (71 of 137 attempts for 1,453 yards and 17 touchdowns) to graduation. But Riverside got a big boost at the end of summer when Danny Boyd arrived. Boyd, who gained 1,477 yards at Norristown (Pa.) High School, failed to meet academic entrance requirements at the University of Pittsburgh and came to Riverside. . . . Riverside also found a quarterback when Nick Schichtle transfered from UCLA, where he redshirted one season and played last season. . . . San Diego Mesa (6-2-1, 6-2-2) and San Diego City (0-9, 1-9) are the only schools returning starting quarterbacks. Jeff Sturch is back at Mesa, where he threw for 2,362 yards and 21 touchdowns. But he is the only returning offensive player for Mesa. Quarterback Dan Quinn is back at San Diego City under new co-coaches Leroy Dotson and Anthony Williams. Quinn started six games last season and threw for 327 yards and a touchdown. . . . Palomar (4-5, 5-5) returns nine starters, including All-Conference players Albert Sega (defensive tackle), Curt Dykes (offensive tackle) and Elize Gatson (defensive back). . . . Southwestern (6-2-1, 6-3-1) returns six defensive players, including Bob Bleisch, who was an All-Conference nose guard. Guard Tony Garcia, who was an all-conference player, returns. The offense must replace quarterback Brad Platt, who led the conference in touchdowns (23) and passing yardage (2,545). . . . Citrus (3-6, 3-7) expects to be improved, returning seven defensive starters and five on offense. . . . Grossmont (2-7, 3-7) returns three offensive and three defensive starters, including wide receiver J.J. Saska, who caught 28 passes last season.

Saturday: South Coast Conference preview.