FOOTBALL ’88 : Muir and Bishop Amat Look Like Cream of the Prep Crop

In recent years, Bishop Amat High of La Puente and Muir of Pasadena have stood high above the rest in San Gabriel Valley prep football.

About the only question has been whether it was Muir and Bishop Amat or Bishop Amat and Muir.

So it is not surprising that as the 1988 season gets under way tonight, Muir and Bishop Amat are expected to lead the way again.

At this point, Muir may hold a slight advantage, although the schools will have an opportunity to decide the matter when they clash in a non-league game Oct. 1 at La Canada High.

About the only thing that has changed since last season is that the CIF Southern Section has adopted a different system for playoff groupings, listing schools and leagues by divisions instead of conferences.

But that does not figure to change the power structure in the valley.

Other top teams from last year include CIF Eastern Conference champion Northview, Pasadena, Claremont, Los Altos and South Hills. They are expected to be among the elite again along with Glendora, West Covina and Nogales.

The Top 10

1--Muir (Pacific League; Division II)--By their own lofty standards, 1987 was hardly the Year of the Mustang.

After winning back-to-back Coastal Conference titles, the Mustangs finished 9-1 only to forfeit their first eight wins because of an ineligible player and miss the playoffs.

But the program is back on track. “I think Muir is on its way back, if it ever really was down,” said first-year Coach Herb Robinson, former coach at cross-town rival Blair.

With a roster mostly of juniors and sophomores, Muir figures to be even better next season.

As for this season, Robinson said: “There are some young, talented kids, but they’re going to make young, talented mistakes.”

While they develop, the Mustangs will probably rely more on returning standouts: wide receiver Derick Holmes, linemen James Ellison (6-2, 270), Henry Johnson (6-0, 230) and George Bugarian (6-0, 210) and defensive backs Jerry Phillips and Stephon Crutchfield.

Among the younger players to watch are junior tight end Elic Mahone (6-4, 220) and sophomores Reggie Reese at running back and defensive back Reggie Hunt (5-10, 205) at fullback and linebacker and Dimitrius Martin at quarterback.

2--Bishop Amat (Angelus League; Division I)--You may not find any can’t-miss, blue-chip prospects among these Lancers.

At least, not any as highly regarded as defensive back Stephon Pace or tailback Mazio Royster--two stars from last year’s 11-1 team who are at USC.

That does not mean the Lancers are not loaded. Even without a marquee player, Bishop Amat has as much talent as any team in the valley.

“We don’t have the great talent (of) the last few years, but we have some good ones,” Coach Mark Paredes said.

Taking the place of Royster and Pace are tailback Adam Rogers and cornerback Loren Cannon. Paredes said Rogers, a 5-8 and 185-pounder who rushed for 407 yards as fullback last season, is more like former Amat star Eric Bieniemy than Royster “in the sense that he hits the holes a lot harder and has great strength.”

Rogers will run behind a big offensive line. The leaders are Ken Canchola (6-3, 245), Geoff Jamora (5-11, 245) and Joe Patterson (6-1, 235). Two other top offensive players are quarterback Brian Harmon and tight end Jason Green.

The defense includes linebacker Kurt Szalonek (5-11, 200), defensive end Doug Ramos and defensive backs Pat Sullivan and Jeremy Smith.

3--Pasadena (Pacific League; Division II)--If Muir is the best team in the Pacific League, cross-town rival Pasadena--as usual--is a not-too-distant second.

With 22 lettermen from a squad that was 7-4-1 and reached the CIF Coastal Conference quarterfinals, the Bulldogs do not have to take a back seat in talent.

“We have a good group of youngsters,” Coach Gary Griffiths said. “I don’t think we’re going to be intimidated by anybody.”

One player who certainly will not be intimidated is heavily recruited offensive and defensive tackle Terry McDaniels (6-5, 245), who has 4.9-second speed in the 40-yard dash.

The offensive line also returns Aaron Branch (6-0, 205) and Michael Turner (5-11, 230). Other leaders on the run-oriented offense are speedy flanker John McCoy, quarterback Kyle Washington and tailback Chris Thomas.

On defense, the Bulldogs have experience in all-leaguer Chris Jeter at linebacker, linemen Chuck Jackson (6-3, 225) and Howard Brown (5-10, 210) and defensive backs Bobby Webster and Tahrell Miles. Jeter and Miles are also running backs on offense.

4--Claremont (Baseline League; Division IV)--The Wolfpack usually has one of the best teams in the valley.

So you can imagine how Coach Bob Baiz feels about having 12 starters from a team that was 9-2 and tied for the league title.

“We feel real good because we’ve never had that many starters returning before--even on our championship teams (of 1984 and 1985),” he said. “We’ve won or shared the (league) title five of the last seven years, so that says something for our program.”

The Wolfpack is especially strong offensively with all-leaguers Kevin Hawkings (6-3, 215) at tackle, Gerrit Becker (6-5, 205) at center and Craig Palos (6-0, 170) at wide receiver.

Toss in sturdy Antonio Clay (5-9, 205) and speedy Dimitrius Smith (6-1, 195) at running back and Claremont should move the football. The quarterback will be either senior Richard Langton or junior John Michel.

Claremont is strong on its defensive front with the return of standouts J. J. McGwire (6-3, 230) and Dwayne Sparks (6-3, 235) at tackle. Other defensive leaders are all-league safety Aaron Pruitt (6-0, 190), linebacker Glenn Barger (6-1, 220) and cornerbacks Scott Barnes and Khari Rone.

“Offensively we feel we can do something and defensively we feel confident if our linebacking comes through,” Baiz says.

5--Glendora (Baseline League; Division IV)--Coach Dean Karnoski says his team learned a lot in its first-round defeat by Los Altos in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year.

“I think being in the playoffs and playing Los Altos gave us a good experience,” he said. “We feel like now that we have a little more experience, we’re ready to go further this year.”

With 16 starters from a team that finished 6-5 and tied Claremont and Damien for the Baseline League title, the Tartans could go a lot further than a year ago.

“This is the first time in the four years that I’ve been here that we’ve had so many people coming back,” Karnoski said. “Usually it’s five or six.”

Perhaps the most important player returning is junior quarterback J. J. O’Laughlin (6-3, 195), who passed for 1,600 yards last season. “I have never seen a quarterback, with the exception of (Dan)) McGwire, who can throw the ball harder or stronger,” Karnoski said.

O’Laughlin has his top receivers from last season, Sean Flynn (6-0, 165) and Marc Tamayo, along with linemen Matt Graham, Tony Tedesco (6-3, 200) and Jason Tibbetts (6-1, 235). The offense will also return running back John Hunter.

The Tartans are even more experienced on defense, where eight players return, including linebackers Brian DeHuff (6-1, 220), Steve Jones and Brad Baiotto, tackles Chris West (6-4, 205) and Tedesco and cornerback Curtis Goddard.

6--Los Altos (Sierra League; Division IV)--With only five starters from a team that was 12-2 and reached the Eastern Conference final last year, this has the outward appearance of a rebuilding year for the Conquerors.

However, looks can be deceiving. With a surplus of outstanding prospects from its junior varsity and freshman-sophomore teams, Los Altos has the talent for another successful year.

“We’re going to be primarily juniors,” Coach Dwayne DeSpain said. “ . . . In time we can be pretty good, but with only three non-league games it’s going to be tough at first.”

While the younger players are developing, Los Altos will rely on seniors: offensive tackle and defensive end Eric Dives (6-4, 235), tight end and safety Jason Martin (6-4, 215), cornerback and wide receiver Paul Garcia (6-0, 180), linebacker and center Lou Parra (5-10, 190) and cornerback Richmond Chung (5-9, 150).

DeSpain calls Dives “one of the finest linemen to play at Los Altos in a long time.”

The Conquerors, who have reached the conference final the last two years, also have defensive end Richard Rodriguez (6-0, 190), offensive guard Paul Voth (5-11, 210) and running back Rick Bernard returning.

Among promising younger players are juniors Roger Boden at running back, Todd Slosek at wide receiver, Joey Castillo at offensive guard and sophomore Mike Allen at quarterback.

7--Northview (Valle Vista League; Division IV)--It is true that the Vikings graduated most of their starters from their Eastern Conference championship team of last year.

But before you feel sympathy for Northview, note that the Vikings return both of their starting running backs and several offensive linemen from the team that finished with a 12-1-1 record.

That should be enough to keep the Vikings among the elite teams in the valley again this season.

Probably the most important holdovers are all-CIF tailback Mike Galindo, who rushed for 1,500 yards as a junior, and junior all-league fullback Marcus Green (6-1, 180), who ran for about 700. “Just having those two really helps,” Coach Brian Beveridge said. “I think we have a lot of the same throwing ability as last year, but if we drop the first five passes of the season it’s nice to know we have something to fall back on.”

The new quarterback is senior Chuck Kemp (5-10, 175), and he should receive ample protection from linemen Fred Rodriguez and Matt Hunkins (6-0, 180).

Northview’s inexperienced defense is led by lineman Eddie Martinez (6-0, 220), linebackers John Chico (5-11, 190) and Rodriguez and defensive back Reggie Lorincz. “If we perform well on defense, I think we will be a pretty good football team,” Beveridge said.

8--South Hills (Valle Vista League; Division IV)--The success of the Huskies last season may have been overshadowed by the fact that cross-town rival Northview won the Eastern Conference title.

Nonetheless, a 10-3 record and a berth in the conference semifinals is nothing to scoff at, and with 10 starters returning the Huskies have the ingredients for similar success.

“We have a lot of potential and I think this could be a pretty good team,” Coach Jack Nemzek said.

The option offense will revolve around quarterback Jason Giambi (6-2, 185), who is also an outstanding basketball and baseball player. “We feel he’s a pretty good quarterback and he’s a very good athlete,” Nemzek said. “He’s a good runner and he can pass better than before.”

South Hills also has talent in other skilled positions with speedy running back Kaseu Huma (5-11, 165), wide receiver Jimmy Jordan (6-1, 195) and tight end Ron Maden (6-1, 195).

Not to mention one of the biggest interior lines in recent years. The offensive line features tackle Jerod Preston (6-1, 230) and center Zeke Varela (5-10, 250), and the defensive front is headed by Bill Chiara (5-11, 230) and Ersel Beard (5-11, 240).

The secondary should also be strong with safety Curt Himebaugh (6-0, 170) and Jordan.

9--West Covina (Sierra League; Division IV)--When cross-town rivals Royal Oak and Charter Oak merged in 1985, the result was a CIF Southeastern Conference title.

Can the same happen with the merger of cross-town rivals West Covina and Edgewood this season?

“The expectations are high, but I would like to think that we have as good a chance to be a good football team as we’ve had in a while,” longtime West Covina Coach Tim Brancheau said. “It’s as talented as any team I’ve ever coached.”

Brancheau was quick to note that Charter Oak was not moved into a stronger league the first year of its merger while his team (which was a combined 8-10-3 last year) has been elevated into the rugged Sierra League.

Still, he said the ingredients for success are in place.

The Bulldogs have outstanding speed and size on offense with tailbacks John Haynes (6-2, 210) and Brian Crosson, linemen Robert Collins (6-3, 270), Jeff Chadbourne (6-7, 280) and Andy Pringle (6-1, 205) and tight end Chad Dillard (6-4, 215).

West Covina has ample size on its defensive front with Steve Shool (6-1, 210), Brian Webster (6-3, 215) and Homer Castillo. Others are linebackers Brian Welts, Tom Pill and Brian Haynes and defensive backs Tarik Bradford and Mike Porter.

10--Nogales (Sierra League; Division IV)--No, that was not two different teams that competed for Nogales last season. It simply appeared that way after the Nobles followed an impressive 4-1 record in non-league play with an 0-4-1 league season.

That’s why Coach Laing Stevens is a little wary about making predictions about this year. “Last year I thought we would be very good and we wound up on the bottom (of the league),” he said. “So you never can tell.”

However, with its entire offensive backfield and other top players returning, Nogales figures to finish considerably closer to the top.

Perhaps the most explosive player is running back Daryl Green, a 5-10, 175 senior who was an all-valley first team selection last year. He rushed for 1,042 yards and 7 touchdowns in 192 carries and caught 17 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown as a junior and has rushed for 2,022 yards in two years as a starter.

Others in the backfield are quarterback Roman Chavira (5-10, 155) and fullback Jerome Rowser (6-2, 225), whom Stevens calls “one of the best fullbacks in the valley.”

The run-oriented Nobles will rely on tackle Willie Tovar (6-2, 225) and guard Rick Acevedo (6-2, 200) to provide blocking. Nogales also has a solid defense that includes Jason Williams (6-1, 205) and Rowser on the line, Damien Parker (5-9, 208) and Phoukham Skoulphong at linebacker and Patrick Neal and Chad Stewart in a quick secondary.

Others to Watch

Arroyo (Mission Valley League; Division V)--The Knights are not known for starting the season strong but usually are fast finishers.

Take the last two seasons when Arroyo struggled in non-league play only to wind up in the CIF Southeastern Conference title game.

With a difficult non-league schedule that includes Nogales and Temple City and many newcomers on defense, the Knights do not figure to break out to a fast start.

But, with top offensive players returning from a 10-4 team, it would not be a surprise to see Arroyo in the division championship game again.

Arroyo, which has won its league title four straight years and reached the playoffs six of the last eight seasons, will gear its offense around senior quarterback Willie Reyna (5-11, 180). A three-year starter, Reyna’s teams have never lost a league game and that does not figure to change this season.

“We’ve got an excellent athlete at quarterback, which is going to allow us to do some things that we haven’t done before, and we have good experience on the line, so offensively we’re pretty stable,” Coach Don MacKinnon said.

The offense returns juniors Darren MacLellan and Robert Kwan at running back, linemen Chad Plaisted (5-11, 215) and Roman Davalos (5-11, 205) and tight end Ray Pena. The defense includes linebackers Dominic Jiminez (5-10, 205), Jason Remus (6-1, 215) and Kwan, tackle Saul Campos and defensive backs Fred Martinez and MacLellan.

Baldwin Park (Sierra League; Division IV)--There is a good reason why longtime assistant Tony Zane may have mixed emotions about replacing successful Trifone Pagone as coach of the Braves.

On the one hand, the former offensive coordinator has the opportunity to be the coach after 16 years as Pagone’s assistant at the school. Unfortunately, the opportunity arises when the Braves are stepping up from the Division V Montview League to the rugged Division IV Sierra League.

“Every week will be a challenge now whether we win or lose,” Zane said. “Before you could always look to two or three games. But now we have to be ready every week.”

On the bright side, Zane has inherited an abundance of talent from last year’s 11-2 team that reached the CIF Southeastern Conference semifinals and should challenge for another playoff berth.

Topping the list is all-league wide receiver and safety Bruno Haro, who caught 43 passes for 656 yards last season. But he will miss at least the first two non-league games while recuperating from an appendectomy.

The pass-oriented Braves also benefit from the return of all-league linemen Eddie Andrade (6-3, 250) and David Dunkleman and wide reciever Javier Jiminez and have a good passer in junior quarterback Richard Robles. The defense is led by linemen Fred Ruiz (6-2, 240), Alan Dunkleman and Louie Novelo and linebackers Ricardo Vega and Ricardo Beltran.

Damien (Baseline League; Division IV)--In a typical year, the Baseline League is as balanced as any in the valley. Take last year when Damien tied Claremont and Glendora for the league title.

With 10 starters and 31 lettermen from a 7-4 team, Damien has the personnel to battle for the top spot again.

As usual, the Spartans will start with one of the biggest offensive lines in the valley. The biggest are 6-5 and 265 tackle Len Gorecki, considered one of the top linemen in the valley, tackle Howard Moran (6-2, 235) and center Kevin Burt (6-2, 230).

Damien is also strong in the skilled positions with Eric Kroll (5-10, 185), who rushed for about 1,000 yards as a junior, and quarterback Marty Fisher (6-2, 185), who passed for about 900. The Spartans also have a good wide receiver in junior Brett Shuster and a talented place-kicker and punter in Carlos Bustos, who kicked a 51-yard field goal last season.

The Spartans have size on a defense headed by linemen Mike Evalle (6-0, 235) and Bill Fernandez (6-1, 210) and linebackers Phil Hammitt (6-3, 215), Travis Whisesent (6-1, 215) and Kent O’Toole. They also are strong in the secondary that is led by all-leaguer Jeff Flaim.

Diamond Bar (Sierra League; Division IV)--Under the new eight-team format for the Sierra League, Coach Lance Gross expects it to be more difficult for his team to reach the division playoffs.

“It’s going to be a real barn-burner,” Gross says. “Since they moved Baldwin Park and West Covina in, it’s going to be strong through and through.”

Even so, it would be a surprise if the Brahmas didn’t wind up in the playoffs again. Especially when you consider that they have never missed postseason play in the school’s brief six-year history.

It certainly helps to have 10 starters from a team that was 8-3-1 and reached the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. “I’m happy with our progress,” Gross said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids but I like what I’ve seen so far.”

The Brahmas will have plenty of speed in their backfield with the return of tailback David Morlan (5-10, 175) and fullback Harry Kelly (5-11, 180) and have size on their offensive line that features tackle Mike Rumell (6-1, 215) and Vince Garcia (5-11, 230). They also have more-than-adequate receivers in David Kennedy and tight end Mike Case (6-1, 225).

Diamond Bar’s defense is led by linebackers Brian Loft (5-10, 205 and Frank Delgadillo (6-1, 220).