Chris Ferragamo’s Second Season . . . : Ex-Banning Coach Tries to Build Power at Harbor

In a cramped and teeming locker room at Murdock Stadium last Saturday night, sweaty palms and hushed anticipation excited second-year Harbor College Coach Chris Ferragamo.

“They’re nervous. That’s good,” Ferragamo said of his Seahawk football team. “I want their hands sweaty. If they’re dry, the players aren’t ready to play.”

El Camino College, the defending national community college champions, was more “ready to play,” dishing out a 42-25 beating. But Harbor may have taken a moral victory for its coach. Ferragamo is trying to rebuild the Seahawk program after a stellar high school coaching career at Banning High, where he won more than 150 games in 17 seasons.

This season opener was important because last year Ferragamo bragged that he would bring “Division I football” to the community college level. But Harbor was 2-7-1 and had morale problems. And Ferragamo, who has also generated controversy with Harbor staff, was disciplined by the state for violating recruiting rules.

The team, composed of many former Banning stars, knows how important success is to Ferragamo. To obtain new recruits, his system must show that it can work in college. Just 54 players remain from the 93 who started practice.

Worse, Ferragamo will drag the Seahawks through a murderous schedule. In its first five weeks, Harbor plays four of the state’s top-ranked teams.

“If we play four teams that we can run over, does that tell us anything about ourselves?” Ferragamo asked.

Grumbled a longtime Harbor fan seated in the sparse Seahawk crowd at Murdock: “(Ferragamo) wants to start rebuilding right up here, at the top of the mountain.”

As each bus rumbled to a stop outside the stadium, a great yell could be heard inside each. A stiff breeze greeted each man when he stepped off the bus. Burly linemen wore gray undershirts that said “Seahawk Power” and “Samoans in Action.” The players carried shoulder pads and helmets. They walked into the locker room two abreast.

“It’s time,” said a player meekly.

Trainer David Lew taped ankles. Ferragamo and his assistants pitched in, wrapping white roles of tape over stocking-footed feet. In a single game, said Lew, he uses 3 miles of tape.

Anticipation was building.

“I’m so nervous right now,” line coach Jim True said.

The minutes ticked by slowly. A line formed at the restroom. Tackle Rob Majewski of San Pedro slipped out the backdoor and eyed the long, narrow tunnel leading to the field. Savoring a breath of fresh air, Majewski placed a plastic mouth guard over his teeth and re-entered the stale atmosphere of the locker room with his helmet on.

In the back of the room, behind lockers against a tile wall, Ferragamo drilled the Seahawk backfield on play-calling.

“He’s really good,” said Earl Ray Saunders, seated nearby, of Ferragamo. A prep star at Banning, Saunders was declared ineligible for this game. His head rested on his right arm. A red letterman’s jacket hung from his shoulders, but he did not sweat in the sultry conditions.

Perspiration surfaced, however, on the face of Ferragamo, who wore matching dark blue shorts and shirt and white tennis shoes stuffed by white stretch socks.

“Don’t worry about making a mistake,” he told the defensive unit. “Just go for it.”

Former Ram quarterback Vince Ferragamo, the younger brother of Chris, entered the locker room.

“Hey, Vinny,” said Chris with a smile. They shared a handshake. Vince has been tutoring quarterback Ed Lopez, a converted tight end. But he wouldn’t predict how he would do.

“I’m not a prophet,” he said.

Nevertheless, both Ferragamos were concerned about the way Lopez dressed. They removed tape from the ends of his jersey and told him to tuck in the shirt so defensive linemen could not grab it. Chris asked Lopez to place his ponytail under his helmet for the same reason, but the long black strands remained out during the game.

In an energetic voice, Chris went over more plays with offensive players. Six foot, 7 inch, 285-pound offensive tackle Jeff Manzo, whose name is tattooed across the strapping muscles of his right arm, stood with his helmet on as Ferragamo spoke. In a corner, linebacker Earl Austin read the Bible.

Ferragamo called the team around him. It was still an hour before game time.

“I know you are ready. I know I’m ready,” he said, glancing at his wristwatch. “If we could only speed up the clock.”

They exited through the tunnel and onto the field for warm-up drills. Vince Ferragamo, who spent the game in the press box as a spotter, advised Lopez: “If the guy is open, you throw it to him. If he ain’t, you throw it out of bounds.”

Chris Ferragamo ran defensive drills in a swarm of mosquitoes. True worked with the offensive line in the end zone.

Fifteen minutes before the game, the team met for a final time in the locker room. Jason Wyatt, a linebacker and son of a minister, asked the team to kneel, then said a rare prayer for a public school.

“You all know we have the desire to win, Lord,” he told bowed heads.

The wait was almost over.

“I hate this part,” said Lew under his breath of the waiting.

Ferragamo made his final pep talk.

“I want your mom and dad, brother and sister, uncle and aunt to say that this is the best football game they have seen you play,” he said. The speech was met with a rousing cheer.

El Camino, in blue and silver jerseys, stood near the tunnel where Majewski had stood before. Harbor exited in front of the Warriors, but twilight, and the fact that each player wore a helmet, hid the tension. The Seahawks marched and chanted down the width of the tunnel and onto the field. The Warriors burst onto the field minutes later.

Lopez was sacked 10 times but threw for 263 yards. Wyatt intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, the first points of the year for Harbor. The Seahawk defense was a bright spot, yet 3 1/2 hours later, El Camino had secured a victory.

With two minutes left in the game, reality overcame the Seahawk sideline. It had been a tough game, one of many in the next few weeks. It would only get more difficult from here on out, but there was hope.

“We got 25 points against these guys,” said 275-pound offensive lineman Lee Ursich of San Pedro, his hand resting on Lopez’s grass-stained jersey. “We did not quit.”

Nearby, sweat dripped off the face of cornerback John Howell.

“We didn’t,” Howell agreed, a smile coming to his face. “We didn’t quit.”

Saturday night Harbor plays host to Taft College (1-0), the state’s No. 1-ranked team.

-30-