Troy Appears to Have Horses to Win This Four-Team Race

John Turek cringes at the suggestion that his Troy High School football team is favored to win the Freeway League. It’s the last thing he wants to hear.

No matter how many starters are returning (16), and no matter how many of the league’s coaches pick Troy (nearly all of them), Turek has been too close too many times to take things for granted.

In the last three years, Troy has been one victory away from a league co-championship. Even last year, after an 0-4 start, the Warriors needed just one victory in their final two games for a share of the league title.

Troy lost to Sunny Hills, 20-0, and Fullerton, 10-0, to finish 3-2 in league play for the third consecutive year.

Frustration? No. Paranoia? Yes.

“I don’t like this spot,” Turek said. “I don’t like people pointing at us saying, ‘They’re the team.’ We have some players back, sure, but so does Fullerton. And La Habra and Sunny Hills are always tough.”

Troy, Fullerton, La Habra and Sunny Hills have traditionally battled for the league’s three playoff berths. With that many teams in the race, no one can feel too secure.

In 1987, Fullerton beat Troy. Sunny Hills beat Fullerton and Troy. And La Habra beat everybody, only to forfeit two of its victories because of an ineligible player, thus giving Troy a victory over the Highlanders.

“It’s the same as usual,’ Buena Park Coach Rick Foley said. “In this league, things pretty much remain the same.”

The one thing that might change is that Buena Park might get a league victory, which would be its first since 1983. But it’s doubtful whether the Coyotes or Sonora, which has only nine lettermen returning, can get a playoff berth.

“It’s four teams, year in and year out,” Foley said. “But its really tough to pick between them.”

Other coaches don’t have that problem. Troy, which has nine returning starters on defense and seven on offense, is their pick. The offensive line averages 230 pounds, the defensive line 215.

Oh yes, the entire offensive backfield and secondary also return, as well as two linebackers.

“This may be the year they put it together,” said Sunny Hills Coach Tim Devaney, whose team was league champion last season. “They are big and have a lot of skilled players back. Turek may have his year.”

Turek sighs and counters. He talks about Fullerton’s strength at the skilled positions, including fullback Steve DePhillips (891 yards in 1987). He points out that La Habra has the league’s best quarterback in Albert Razo. And he doesn’t overlook the fact that Sunny Hills won league titles on the sophomore and freshmen levels in 1987.

But even Turek, whose team finished tied for second last year with Fullerton and La Habra, admits the talent is there.

“I’m guardedly optimistic,” Turek said.

In the Freeway League, that’s about as confident as you can get.

BUENA PARK--Buena Park hasn’t won a league game since 1983, a streak that has reached 20 games.

But Foley, now in his second season, is accustomed to breaking streaks.

Last season, Foley guided Buena Park to a 3-7 record. That was three more victories than in the previous three seasons, when the Coyotes were a combined 0-29-1.

This season, Buena Park is looking for more.

“We have several check points,” Foley said. “A league victory is just one of them. Our goal is to get to the playoffs.”

For that to happen, a young backfield of quarterback Matt Acevedo, tailback Steve Reid and fullback Eli Mosham (6-feet 2-inches, 225 pounds) must develop quickly. Acevedo is the most experienced, having started five games last year.

Reid started every game in 1987, but at wide receiver. Mosham was on the sophomore team in 1987.

Foley does have an experienced, large offensive line.

Center Jeff Fonua (5-11, 225), tackle Jim Perricone (6-5, 260) and guards Ken Burroughs (6-0, 230) and Don Saladin (6-3, 240) were all starters in 1987. Junior Jason James (6-5, 310), who played as a freshman but sat out last season because of injuries, will add still more size.

Tight end Jason Massachia (6-4, 215) also returns.

The defense is suspect, although Burroughs returns at linebacker and Erwin Masinsin is back at strong safety. Several players might have to go both ways.

FULLERTON--No one in the league has better skilled position players than Fullerton.

DePhillips was the league’s leading rusher in 1987. He has size (6-2, 210) and speed. He had four runs of more than 90 yards in ’87.

But Fullerton’s strength in the backfield doesn’t end there. They have two returning quarterbacks in junior Rene Arias and senior Brent Bice. Both saw considerable action in 1987.

One will start at quarterback, the other at receiver.

Running backs Chad Ledbetter and Jeff Nero also return. Rick Lemire and John Bailey are experienced wide receivers.

However, finding someone to block for all this talent is a concern. Randy Bristow returns at guard and Mike Graham (6-2, 235) moves from guard to center. But the rest of the line is untested.

Sophomore D.C. Olsen is the best of the newcomers. He will start at guard and on the defensive line.

The defense is in better shape. The secondary is intact. Graham and Bristow were starters on the defensive line. DePhillips and Nero are back at linebackers.

LA HABRA--Razo alone would make the Highlanders a formidable opponent.

Razo, who transferred from Servite last year, can beat a team throwing or running and is an excellent defensive back. He is also the team’s punter.

“He’s the type of player you can build a team around,” first-year Coach Jack Nicholls said.

The rest of the backfield is new. Junior Jeff Besinaiz, a starter on the defensive line last season, will move to running back, and Jaime Hutcherson, another defensive starter, will play fullback as well as linebacker.

Nicholls is also counting on junior running back Mark Brown, brother of Servite star Derek Brown.

“Mark certainly has the genes,” said Nicholls, who was the defensive coordinator at Warren the last four years. “But we don’t know how good he is yet.”

The defensive front is anchored by Roy Seabrook (6-5, 240). Hutcherson, Besinaiz and Razo will play both ways.

Newcomers who should help are junior defensive lineman Dan Ledieff and linebackers Franco Peneulas and Dylan Brennen.

“We have a lot of new faces, so we’re trying to take things slow,” Nicholls said. “I know the kids are still upset about having to forfeit those games last year. They feel they have something to prove.”

That chance might come on the second week of the season, when La Habra plays Loyola, which is the state’s top-ranked team according to Cal-Hi Sports of Sacramento. Last season, La Habra played Loyola tough, losing, 10-6, on a touchdown late in the game.

“When you play tough competition, it makes you a better team,” Nicholls said. “But we could do without Loyola this year.”

SONORA--It might be a rough season for first-year Coach Larry Allen, who was an assistant at Troy. Only 9 of the 37 players on the roster have varsity experience.

To add to Allen’s problems, Sonora opens the season against Northview and Valencia, both of which won Southern Section titles in 1987.

On offense, Marcus Garrett returns at running back and Scott Sanders at tight end. The only lineman back is Mike White.

Defensively, four starters return--Garrett, Kevin Cook and Jose Sualez in the secondary and Scott Tibbetts at linebacker.

“We need some stability here,” said Allen, who is Sonora’s fourth coach in the last five years.

Jack Hay will start at quarterback, after throwing only 10 passes as the backup a year ago.

The offensive line has four new faces, including seniors Ben Lillenfield (6-6, 285) and Greg Kemp.

Sonora’s only other returning letterman is kicker/punter Scott Szeredy. Considering Sonora’s lack of experience, Szeredy will probably be doing more of the latter.

SUNNY HILLS--Defense will be the name of the game for the Lancers. It has to be.

Devaney must replace his entire offensive line, which graduated. Sunny Hills also lost its quarterback (David Chisum), its leading rusher (Bryan Edmunds) and its best all-around player (Mike McGuire).

So much for repeating as league champions. Perhaps, except the Lancers’ lower-level teams had a combined 16-4 record last year.

The defense will be strong. Linebackers Brian Pizula and Doug Steiner return, and the secondary has Jon Montgomery and Benny Rodriguez back.

Darren Correll (6-1, 240) and Mike Barnum (6-2, 220) give the Lancers a solid defensive front.

But the offense is a void. Running back Collins Soloman and wide receiver Jeff White are the only returners. Senior Tom Hicks saw some playing time last year as a running back.

Jon Beuerlein, the brother of Raider quarterback Steve Beuerlein, replaces Chisum. He was a starter in the secondary a year ago, but now must run the offense.

“We need someone who can make things happen, and we’re looking for Jon to do it,” Devaney said. “But he may not have the opportunity if the offensive line doesn’t jell.” Correll and Barnum will also start on the offensive line. Many others will undoubtedly get a shot.

The future looks a lot brighter than the present to Devaney, who will carry five sophomores on the varsity. Running backs Ken Oebrby and David Wilde are the best of that group, which was 9-1 on the freshman level last year.

They might have to grow up fast.

TROY--Turek might not like hearing it, but it’s hard not to like the Warriors’ chances.

As always, the offensive line is big. Center Matt Elliott (6-5, 235) and tackle Wade Hogg (6-6, 265) are Division-I prospects. Even losing two-year starter Roger Ray (injured hand) hasn’t hurt that much. Senior Jerry Newberry (6-3, 220) has stepped in to take Ray’s place.

Quarterback Brad Zeppieri was inconsistent last year. But the team played better after he became a starter in the fourth game.

Running backs Chris Conway and Mark Stichter return but will be pushed by senior Reggie Essex.

The team’s best athlete is wide receiver/defensive back Tom Wilson, who is a two-time all-league selection. He had five interceptions last year and should be more effective on offense with the development of Zeppieri.

The defense is actually stronger than the offense. All-league selection Clinton Davis and newcomer David Bloom should make a formidable front, with Hogg and Elliott also seeing some time on the defensive line. Linebackers Rod Aguiar (6-2, 205) and Brett Wells (6-3, 218) are big and fast.

Mike Smith, Rod Duarte, Conway and Wilson form the league’s best secondary.

The only question may be whether a promising group of juniors can become dominating as seniors. After all, this is team that was only 4-7 a year ago.

FREEWAY LEAGUE

1987 Overall, League Record in Parenthesis

SCHOOL ’88 COMMENT Sunny Hills (9-2, 4-1) Quarterback David Chisum, offensive line graduated Fullerton (3-8, 3-2) Fullback Steve DePhillips heads talented backfield Troy (4-7, 3-2) 16 returning starters, big offensive line La Habra (3-7, 3-2) Quarterback Albert Razo best in league Sonora (5-4-1, 2-3) New coach and only five starters return Buena Park (3-7, 0-5) Offensive line averages 248 pounds