These Teams Figure to Keep 2-A Title in the League : Avocado Preview

Over the past 10 seasons, eight teams from the Avocado League have played for the San Diego Section 2-A title. Last season, four teams went to the playoffs and two of them, San Marcos and San Pasqual, played for the title and tied.

The league’s eight coaches say it is stronger, top to bottom, this season. And Rancho Buena Vista, in only its second year of existence, is one of the preseason favorites.

RBV wasn’t one of the four teams that went to the playoffs a year ago. But it has 14 starters back, including the league’s co-offensive player of the year, running back Scott Garcia.

Although RBV should be good, Oceanside should be the best. Roy Scaffidi has 12 starters back, an offensive line that averages 6-feet 3-inches, 235 pounds, the league’s defensive player of the year in Sibian Fuimaono and possibly the most exciting player in the county in quarterback Jerry Garrett.

It’s not good news that each team has to play seven league games. El Camino made last year’s playoffs with an average team and is much improved, Ramona has 18 players back who started at one time or another and Carlsbad has 15 returning starters. Not to mention the two teams that tied, 14-14, in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium last December.

Carlsbad

Last season’s record: 4-6, 2-5 in league.

Finish: Seventh.

Coach: Rick Brown.

Top returners: Danny Smith (5-8, 165, Sr., FS), John Wiley (6-3, 215, Sr., DT), Thaddeus MacNeal (6-0, 186, Sr., QB), Miguel Perez (6-2, 170, Sr., WR).

Top newcomers: Phil Martinez (5-10, 185, Jr., DB/RB), Jason Macedo (5-10, 180, Sr., RB).

Outlook: Brown says the key will be for his players to believe they can be successful. There are 20 back from last season’s varsity, 15 of whom were starters; second-team all-league safety Danny Smith and quarterback Thaddeus MacNeal lead the way. Jason Macedo returns to provide depth in the backfield after a year as a foreign exchange student in West Germany.

El Camino

Last season’s record: 5-5, 4-3 in league.

Finish: Third (tie).

Coach: Herb Meyer.

Top returners: Eric Robinson (5-1, 170, Sr., QB), Cory Norfleet (6-0, 165, Sr., RB), Sylvester Jones (5-9, 165, Sr., DB/RB), Kim De Los Reyes (5-11, 210, Sr., DL).

Top newcomers: Ricky Spears (6-0, 170, Jr., LB), Brian Madlangbayan (5-6, 155, Jr., RB).

Outlook: With 16 lettermen back and the nucleus from a 9-1 junior varsity team, most coaches fear El Camino could be the kind of team Meyer took to the 2-A title game three times in the 1980s and to the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. All-league quarterback Robinson is back to lead the wishbone offense, along with Jones, Madlangbayan, Norfleet, receiver Reggie Carter (5-8, 156, Sr.) and tight end Shane Armstrong (6-4, 225, Sr.). Jones, De Los Reyes, Spears and Wayne Tuitasi (6-0, 192, Sr.) are the top defensive players.

Escondido

Last season’s record: 3-7, 3-4 in league.

Finish: Sixth.

Coach: Tom Everest.

Top returners: Mark Seltzer (5-10, 220, Sr., RB/LB), Mike Garcia (5-11, 195, Sr., RB), Jason Hendrickson (6-3, 195, Sr., FS), Gabe Sanchez (5-9, 175, Sr., WR).

Top newcomers: Mark McCarty (6-2, 260, Jr., OL), Neil Small (5-10, 185, Jr., DB/RB).

Outlook: Jeff Hopkins (5-11, 175, Sr.) moves up as quarterback after a year as a backup. His targets will include, Sanchez, all-league as a junior, Mario O’Conner, the league’s high hurdles champ, and tight end Dana Moen. Moen, the most valuable player on the water polo team last season, played football as a freshman. McCarty, a transfer from Michigan, adds size to the offensive line. Defensive lineman Jeff Hunt (6-6, 210, Sr.) and Hendrickson, a second-team all-league free safety, lead the defense. Escondido lacks depth and must avoid injuries to remain competitive.

Oceanside

Last season’s record: 4-4-2, 4-2-1 in league.

Finish: Second.

Coach: Roy Scaffidi.

Top returners: Sibian Fuimaono (6-0, 215, Sr., MLB), Michael Coe (6-0, 175, Sr., CB), Greg Frazier (6-0, 175, Sr., CB/RB), Jerry Garrett (6-1, 185, Jr., QB).

Top newcomers: Sherman Crane (6-1, 195, Sr., FB/DL), Junior Faavae (6-0, 195, Jr., OLB).

Outlook: Scaffidi will center his offense around Garrett, his 15-year-old quarterback, and his defense around Fuimaono, the returning league most valuable player. Garrett didn’t play until the ninth game last season because he was 14 years-old, too young to play varsity football, according to CIF rules. When he finally got in, he ran for two touchdowns and threw for one in a 31-0 rout of El Camino. Oceanside has the most talent in the league and can be successful even if Garrett doesn’t live up preseason billing. Its offensive line is huge, wideout Lee Straine is an excellent receiver, and running backs Frazier and Crane each run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds or faster. Frazier also is an all-league cornerback, as is Coe.

Ramona

Last season’s record: 3-7, 2-5 in league.

Finish: Seventh (tie).

Coach: Mel Galle.

Top returners: Troy Wood (6-3, 225, Sr., TE), Travis McClanaghan (5-11, 165, Sr., LB), Toby Hughes (6-2, 195, Sr., DE), Matt Dart (5-10, 170, Sr., WR/DB)

Top newcomers: Bill Roberts (6-2, 195, Jr., OLB), Keith Smith (5-11, 195, Sr., C)

Outlook: Galle, who replaces Bill Tamburrino as head coach, inherits a team that has more returning players than the Chargers, or so it seems. Of the 21 returning lettermen, 18 started at some point last season, including six on the offensive line. Chad Waite, a receiver last season, will be the starting quarterback. Jason Gonzalez, last year’s quarterback, is now a running back. Galle also hopes to get more use out of Wood, a college prospect. The defense is led by first-team all-league players McClanaghan and Hughes. El Capitan transfer Bill Roberts will help at linebacker.

Rancho Buena Vista

Last season’s record: 4-5-1, 3-3-1 in league.

Finish: Fifth.

Coach: Craig Bell.

Top returners: Scott Garcia (5-10, 180, Sr., RB), Junior Moi (6-3, 218, Sr., TE/DE), Al Aliipule (6-3, 230, Sr., LB), Jack Harrington (6-1, 260, Sr., OG).

Top newcomers: Victor Santa Cruz (6-2, 200, Jr., ILB), George Zavala (6-2, 230, Jr., OL), O.J. Hall (6-0, 160, Jr., FB).

Outlook: Rancho Buena Vista finished fifth with a junior-dominated team in its first year. Most of those players played on undefeated freshman and junior varsity teams at Vista before the split that sent them to RBV. With all those players back--there are eight starters returning on offense, six on defense--many coaches feel RBV is the team to beat. “A fifth-place finish last year is not anything to crow about,” Bell said. “It’s very complimentary, but at the same time we have everything to prove.” Senior Ed Hoffman (6-2, 195) will start at quarterback. Hoffman split time last season with David Roberts, a junior who has not recovered from a knee injury suffered last spring and will not play this season. Garcia was the league’s co-offensive player of the year and rushed for 983 yards in seven games. He will run behind Harrington, Vista transfer Zavala and, eventually, Dan Hancher (6-3, 220, Sr.). Hancher broke his collarbone during the summer and isn’t expected back until mid-season. Aliipule, Moi and El Toro High transfer Santa Cruz lead the defense.

San Marcos

Last season’s record: 4-4-2, 4-3 in league.

Finish: Third (tie).

Coach: Ken Broach.

Top returners: Sam Rivera (5-9, 160, Sr., CB), Toby Lehman (5-9, 165, Sr., LB), Matt Herr (6-4, 235, Sr., OT), Shea Thompson (6-1, 190, Sr., OG).

Top newcomers: Chris Pope (5-10, 175, Sr., RB), Brandon Clanton (6-0, 170, Jr., QB).

Outlook: Broach lost 37 out of 44 players from a team that tied for the section 2-A title. Cornerback Sam Rivera is the only returning starter. Brandon Clanton, the most valuable player from the junior varsity, beat out Kit Speratos (6-2, 180, Sr.) as the starting quarterback. San Marcos uses a ground-oriented offense that spreads the work around evenly between three backs: Pope, a converted linebacker, sophomore Scott Wilson (5-11, 220) and junior Josh Tirado (5-9, 160). Herr and Thompson will anchor the offensive line.

San Pasqual

Last season’s record: 5-5, 5-2 in league.

Finish: First.

Coach: Mike Dolan.

Top returners: Andy Loveland (6-1, 195, Sr., QB/S), Jim Clayton (5-11, 170, Sr., RB), Scott Thomas (6-0, 190, Sr., OT), Kevin Herde (Sr, MLB, 5-11, 185).

Top newcomers: Tony Medina (5-11, 205, Sr. FB), Jeremy Just (5-11, 185, Sr., OLB).

Outlook: San Pasqual, the defending league champions that tied San Marcos for the 2-A title, also has been decimated by graduation. Dolan has six returning starters on offense and just two of defense. “We have good people who just lack playing experience,” Dolan said of the defense. Loveland returns at quarterback and safety; Dolan said Loveland is the only player to go both ways at San Pasqual. After Loveland moved to quarterback midway through last season, San Pasqual went 4-0-1. Dolan says his team will run 75% of the time out of its three-back alignment. Clayton, a blocking back a year ago, is expected to be the big-yardage runner this year.