PREP FOOTBALL ALL-STARS 1987 : Quarterback Scourge : Roger Jones Bags Channel Islands Record for Sacks With His Relentless Pursuit

There are two images of Roger Jones at Channel Islands High.

On campus, he is rarely without a basketball under his arm. When a pickup game is formed during lunch period, Jones impresses friends with quick moves and slam dunks.

On the football field, he is rarely without a quarterback under his arm. When the 6-1, 195-pound senior plays defensive tackle, he impresses friends with quick moves and body slams.

Jones joined the Raider football team a week late this season because his mother wanted him to concentrate on basketball. After convincing her that he could do both--and well--Jones has recorded a school-record 22 sacks this season, helping the Raiders to the Coastal Conference final Friday night at Thousand Oaks.

The transition from Basketball Jones to Football Jones has rattled some quarterbacks’ bones.

“Roger is a very good basketball player,” football Coach Joel Gershon said. “He was going to concentrate on hoops, but his mom relented and said go ahead and play football.”

The sack-happy Jones can resume being slam-happy next week when he joins the basketball team as a small forward.

But his quickness may be impaired in the final. Jones suffered a severely sprained ankle in Channel Islands’ 42-6 win over Canyon last week.

“He’ll strap it up and go,” Gershon said. “Roger has been such a big-play guy. He’s made great things happen for us.”

Channel Islands also set a school record with 28 interceptions, a record for which Jones can take pride.

“A lot of credit goes to the pressure Jones put on quarterbacks,” Gershon said. “He hurried a lot of throws.”

Jones, is one of seven first-team players on the All-County team from either Channel Islands or Thousand Oaks, the only teams in the County still playing. In addition, there are five second-team and five honorable-mention selections from the two schools.

OFFENSIVE BACKS

Channel Islands and Thousand Oaks are both Marmonte League teams, and as would be expected in a league full of fine running backs, they were led by exceptional ballcarriers. Marc Monestime of Thousand Oaks has been Mr. Consistency for three years. The senior, who is a native of Haiti, has rushed for 1,596 yards and 18 touchdowns in 251 carries this season, which gives him a county-record 3,984 career yards. “Marc is a slashing type of runner that works well behind our offensive line,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards said. “And he is relentless.”. . . . Channel Islands counters with junior John Johnson, a breakaway threat who has gained 1,577 yards and 26 touchdowns in 160 carries for an astounding average of 9.8 yards a carry. Johnson has rushed for more than 800 yards in the past four weeks, including games of 241, 223 and 195 yards. “John is understanding how good he can be,” Gershon said. “The game is becoming easier each week for him.”. . . . Camarillo’s Bill Bell set a school record by ringing up 1,454 yards rushing in 266 carries. The senior, whose zigzagging running style confounded defenders, also scored 11 touchdowns. Bell helped Camarillo to a surprising third-place finish in the Marmonte League. Bell was able to stop on a dime, shifting gears while would-be tacklers flew past him. . . . Santa Paula’s running backs had no chance to pile up yardage in Coach Mike Tsoutsouvas’ passing offense. But quarterback Will McInerney benefited handsomely. Only 5-9, McInerney was described by Tsoutsouvas as “The Joe Kapp of Ventura County,” after the quarterback led the Southern Section with 22 touchdown passes in the regular season. McInerney, who added a touchdown and 201 yards passing in a playoff game, threw for 1,958 yards while throwing only 6 interceptions. The scrappy senior scrambler passed largely from a shotgun formation and completed 158 of 246 passes for a percentage of 64.2.

RECEIVERS

Marcos Sanchez was more than McInerney’s favorite receiver at Santa Paula. When the quarterback was scrambling for his life looking for a friendly face, Sanchez was the one most often found. He had a knack for coming back to the ball and had great leaping ability to make spectacular catches. The senior with the soft hands caught a county-high 61 passes for 933 yards and 10 touchdowns. . . . The most dangerous deep threat in the County was David Eggert of Ventura. The Cougars’ ploy was to lull defenses to sleep by pounding up the middle over and over, then Eggert would dash under a long pass from quarterback Jason Matheny and make the catch for a big gain. Eggert, a senior, caught 38 passes for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns. “David has graceful moves and deceptive speed,” Coach Harvey Kochel said. Eggert averaged 19.1 yards a catch in helping Ventura to a record of 10-2, including the Channel League title.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Thousand Oaks’ offensive line, supposed to be a weakness this season, turned out to be perhaps the best in the County. And guard Eric Dennis was the best Lancer blocker. “Eric is the best guard we’ve ever had at the school,” Lancer line coach Rob Elliot said. “He was a well-kept secret early in the season but soon enough people realized how good he was.” Thousand Oaks’ line, led by Dennis, rolled through the supposedly tough playoff defenses of Palmdale and Antelope Valley. . . . The Channel Islands line is heel to heel with the Lancers’ and Raider tackle Carlos Hernandez leads the way. Big enough to blow a defensive tackle off the line of scrimmage, yet agile enough to pull and lead the way on a sweep, Hernandez is the type of consistently good blocker that can lead a team to the conference final. “Our line improved steadily and Carlos was at the forefront,” Gershon said. . . . Ventura was co-champion of the Channel League by being more physical than most of its opponents. And physical is an apt description of Won Lee, who spearheaded a balanced Cougar offense with his dual ability to run and pass block effectively. “Won is an accomplished lineman in every phase,” Kochel said. . . . Ventura’s toughest competition in the Channel League was from Hueneme, the other co-champion. When the Vikings needed tough yardage, they knew who to run behind--Don Young. A prime mover who led by example, Young was described by Coach George Machado as “Someone the team could look to in the huddle for inspiration. He never let up.” Young, as well as Lee, were first-team All-Channel League selections. . . . The strength of Santa Clara’s 7-4 team was the offensive line, and the leader of the line was center Ben Clark. Quiet and unassuming off the field, Clark was the anchor of the Saints on the field as the only senior on the line. “Ben is just a tremendous football player,” Coach Steve Dann said. “Without a doubt, he was our leader this season.” Besides having a young line, Santa Clara had a sophomore quarterback. Nothing was more reassuring for signal-caller Tim Gutierrez than taking snaps from the steady Clark.

KICKER

Playing for a team that had trouble moving the ball consistently, Moorpark’s David Stratton had plenty of opportunities to show his prowess as a punter. The senior had excellent hang time and averaged a County-leading 41.6 yards a punt. “David was a bright spot for us throughout the season,” Coach Bob Noel said. Stratton also kicked 13 conversions and 3 field goals and was Moorpark’s leading receiver with 26 catches for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Ventura traditionally is strong at defensive back and Kyron Johnson is among the best ever. “He’s smart, quick, intense and an outstanding hitter,” Kochel said. Those ingredients could enable Johnson to secure a Division I scholarship although he’s a couple of inches shorter than the Cougars’ last Division I product, Eric Turner, who is a starter from UCLA. . . . Chris Gann of Thousand Oaks was considered the best pure defensive back in the Marmonte League. He had a team-high five interceptions, but his speed and instincts made him best against the run. He was in on 87 tackles before a broken collarbone ended his season. . . . Gil Valencia and Tony Kerr posted their most impressive statistics on offense, but were also among the best in the secondary. Valencia caught 41 passes for 705 yards and 10 touchdowns for Camarillo and finished his career as the leading receiver in Ventura County history. He also had 7 interceptions, recovered 4 fumbles and was in on 77 tackles. Kerr led the County in rushing during the regular season with 1,482 yards on 215 carries. That was one of four Simi Valley rushing records he set this season. He had a 98-yard run against Newbury Park in a game in which he rushed for 240 yards. His 2,129 yards in his career is another record. Kerr was also a hit on defense, where he brought down more than his share of opposing running backs who popped into the Simi Valley secondary. His greatest attribute, however, was his leadership qualities, according to Coach Dave Murphy. “Every day he tells kids to work harder,” Murphy said near the end of the season. “I can’t think of a bad day Tony’s had in practice in four years.” That’s no small feat considering that the Pioneers had a record of 4-5-1.

LINEBACKERS

Had he been given the ball more often, Ventura’s Steve Dailey probably could have been an All-County running back. He alternated at fullback and also did the team’s kicking. His field-goal range: a measly 55 yards. Dailey’s favorite position was middle linebacker, however, and he was the main reason the Cougars allowed a paltry average of 11.9 points a game. He’s also quite a hit in baseball. He batted almost .500 last spring and is considered a major college prospect in that sport as well. Stanford and USC have both been in contact. He may chose to play both sports. . . . Mack Humphrey of Thousand Oaks played in the middle of the County’s other dominant defense. He lacks spectacular size or speed but delivered plenty of batten-down-the-face-mask hits. An outside linebacker as a junior, Humphrey made the transition to the inside look easy, making 116 tackles during the regular season and leading the Lancers in tackles during the playoffs, including 24 unassisted tackles in wins over Palmdale and Antelope Valley. . . . Bob Grandpre of Westlake was a starter at the unusual combination of quarterback and linebacker. After starting his high school career as a sophomore lineman, he was moved to quarterback as a senior this season where he improved enough to pass for 850 yards and eight touchdowns and be selected first-team All-Marmonte League. As a linebacker, he teamed with Chris Millan to form one of the best tandems in the County.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

It is generally accepted that Marmonte League teams didn’t pass much because of the number of outstanding running backs in the league. Roger Jones of Channel Islands was another good reason. On the rare occasion they dropped back to pass, opposing quarterbacks would often find Jones in their face before they ever got their feet set. . . . David Nunnery of Hueneme shared honors for defensive player of the year in the Channel League with Dailey. A defensive end, Nunnery was often referred to as an outside linebacker by opposing coaches. Machado insists he never once dropped into pass coverage, however. “It may have looked like he was dropping, but that’s because he’s so quick. Wherever the ball was he was there.” Indeed, he was in on most tackles, even though opponents tried to run away from him. He also rushed for more than 600 yards. . . . Eric Anhalt provided most of the bright spots in a dismal season for Royal. A Division I prospect, Anhalt’s best position may be tight end. He caught 10 passes for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns and also played on the interior line. On defense, he was the nose tackle, a position in which he used his superior size and quickness to raise havoc for Marmonte League centers. He does the same thing in basketball. . . . John Dotsy of Ventura is best known for being unknown. The leader of the Ventura line, Dotsy wasn’t referred to by name much, but opposing coaches certainly knew his number. A comment from Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb: “That number 68 is an animal.” Kochel described him this way: “He’s fast, tough and a great technician.” Hueneme’s Machado added: “Besides Nunnery, Dotsy may have been the best defensive lineman in the Channel League.”

PREP FOOTBALL ALL-STARS 1987

OFFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year David Eggert Receiver Ventura 6-0 180 12 Marcos Sanchez Receiver Santa Paula 6-1 175 12 Ben Clark Lineman Santa Clara 5-10 180 12 Eric Dennis Lineman Thousand Oaks 6-1 195 12 Carlos Hernandez Lineman Channel Islands 6-0 245 12 Won Lee Lineman Ventura 6-2 225 12 Don Young Lineman Hueneme 6-0 240 12 Will McInerney Quarterback Santa Paula 5-9 180 12 Bill Bell Back Camarillo 6-1 195 12 John Johnson Back Channel Islands 5-10 185 11 Marc Monestime Back Thousand Oaks 5-11 185 12 David Stratton Kicker Moorpark 6-2 185 12

DEFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year Eric Anhalt Lineman Royal 6-4 233 12 John Dotsy Lineman Ventura 6-2 230 12 Roger Jones Lineman Channel Islands 6-1 190 12 David Nunnery Lineman Hueneme 6-2 210 12 Steve Dailey Linebacker Ventura 6-1 210 12 Bob Grandpre Linebacker Westlake 6-2 200 12 Mack Humphrey Linebacker Thousand Oaks 5-11 200 12 Chris Gann Back Thousand Oaks 5-10 170 12 Kyron Johnson Back Ventura 5-10 175 12 Tony Kerr Back Simi Valley 5-9 165 12 Gil Valencia Back Camarillo 6-1 180 12

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year Gabe Diaz Hueneme WR 5-8 145 12 Matt Young Santa Clara WR 6-1 170 11 Greg Banks Thous. Oaks OL 6-0 235 12 Jeff Lujan Simi Valley OL 6-1 223 12 John Peterson Channel Isl. OL 5-10 235 12 Mike Shea Oxnard OL 6-1 235 12 John Sloan Oak Park OL 6-2 190 12 Joel Gaxiola Hueneme QB 6-0 185 12 Jason Matheny Ventura QB 6-0 170 12 Joe Magdaleno Santa Paula RB 5-10 170 12 Jason Stein Oak Park RB 6-1 175 11 John Daley Oak Park K 6-1 180 12

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year Mike Blanton Thous. Oaks DL 6-1 210 12 Freddie Bradley Hueneme DL 5-11 200 11 Ed Ramirez Ventura DL 6-0 215 12 Trent Spangler Camarillo DL 6-2 205 12 John Crouse Rio Mesa LB 6-0 200 12 Chris Millan Westlake LB 5-9 175 12 Nick Schlesinger Nordhoff LB 6-1 203 12 Victor Caro Channel Isl. DB 6-1 170 12 Lawrence Cottrell Ventura DB 6-0 180 12 Al Sanderson Buena DB 6-0 170 12 John Sunia Channel Isl. DB 5-9 192 12

Honorable Mention: E.J. Miller, Channel Islands, running back, 5-8, 175, Sr.; Mike Moore, Thousand Oaks, running back, 6-0, 190, Sr.; Garret Messner, Westlake, receiver, 6-0, 180, Sr.; Manuel Camarillo, Channel Islands, defensive line, 6-2, 230, Sr.; Adam Florez, Buena, defensive line, 6-2, 245, Sr.; Ray Mosones, Channel Islands, linebacker, 6-1, 215, Sr.; Lance Alverson, Thousand Oaks, defensive back, 5-9 1/2, 165, Sr.; John Weich, Santa Clara, kicker, Sr.