Fall Notebook /Sean Waters : Quarterbacks Reared on Oxnard’s Avenue of the Stars

No one would have mistaken Douglas Avenue in Oxnard for Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or Fifth Avenue in New York.

But what Douglas Avenue lacked in high-priced merchandise during the early 1980s, it made up for in athletic talent. The nondescript street cornered the market for exceptional high school quarterbacks in Ventura County.

The 3 most talented quarterbacks in the area--Johnel Turner of Oxnard, Tim Gutierrez of Santa Clara and Jason Isaacs of Buena--once lived within a few houses of each other on Douglas.

“Johnel use to live at one end of the block, Tim at the other and I lived in the middle,” Isaacs said. “Tim and I were inseparable. We would play whiffle ball in his front yard and we built a golf course in my back yard.

“We became closer friends with Johnel when we began playing Pop Warner football together.”

The trio broke up 4 years ago when Isaacs moved with his mother to Alaska before returning to Ventura 8 months later. Turner moved shortly thereafter, leaving only Gutierrez on Douglas.

During the regular season, Isaacs, Gutierrez and Turner were responsible for 50 touchdowns, more than 4,500 yards of passing yardage, and 2,000 rushing yards.

Gutierrez led Ventura County with 2,175 yards passing and Isaacs was third with 1,756. Turner passed for 646 yards and was the second-leading rusher in the area with 1,085 in 127 carries. All are juniors.

“We would brag about our stats on the telephone,” Isaacs said. “I would tell Tim the only reason he threw for that many yards was because he played in an easier league.

“After we beat Oxnard, Johnel wished me good luck the rest of the season and said we should all get together again.”

That would be some block party.

Tougher than the rest: John Johnson, who has been hampered all season by ankle and knee injuries, did not gain as many yards as he did last year, but Channel Islands Coach Joel Gershon said Johnson had a better season.

“I think in light of all the injuries he had to overcome, John accomplished more this season than last,” Gershon said. “He had one injury after another, but he only missed one game because of knee surgery. He already proved he can run when he’s healthy. Now, he showed he can play hurt, too.”

Johnson had 1,185 yards and 8 touchdowns in 137 carries. He had 1,672 yards and 27 touchdowns in 171 carries last season.

Johnson’s career total of 3,324 rushing yards places him third on the all-time Ventura County list. Marc Monestime of Thousand Oaks set the record in 1985-87 with 4,054 yards and Johnson’s older brother, Hilria, who also played for Channel Islands, had 3,709 yards during the 1978-79 seasons.

Possible retirement: John Reardon, coach at Rio Mesa since 1965, may have coached his last game.

Reardon, 54, the dean of Ventura County football coaches, broached the subject of retirement with Rio Mesa Principal Vincent Deveney during the season, but said he has yet to decide.

“I like to coach, but coaches by instinct are competitive people,” he said. “We haven’t been lining up equally talent-wise.”

Reardon’s teams, known for their physical play, won 9 Frontier League championships from 1971 to 1983 and a Channel League title in 1985. The Spartans won the 1971 Southern Section 1-A Division championship.

Rio Mesa, however, has not reached the playoffs since 1985, going 11-18-1 in that span.

A name with a blast: His friends make up stories about his nickname and girls giggle when they hear it, but Buena lineman John Simpson enjoys being called Shotgun.

“It’s unique,” Simpson said. “It’s a good conversation piece. I never have trouble starting a conversation. The first thing people ask me is how I got that nickname.”

So how did he get that nickname?

“When my father was younger, he would go skeet shooting,” Simpson said. “My older brother J. R. wanted his own shotgun so he could go, too. After I was born, my dad carried me into the house and said, ‘J. R., here’s your shotgun.’ ”

Wrong play, right result: Santa Paula Coach Mike Tsoutsouvas has a play in his playbook for every occasion, including one for a bad snap on a field goal or extra-point attempt.

“Sure, we have an automatic play,” Tsoutsouvas said. “I’m sure everyone does. It’s nothing special. We have two receivers run to the corners and one under the goal post. The holder runs right and throws the ball.”

Tsoutsouvas was thankful to have his players well prepared.

In its first-round playoff game against St. Monica, Santa Paula drove 65 yards to score a touchdown and tie the score, 27-27, with 1:15 left.

Then came the extra-point try and, sure enough, the snap was fumbled. Dustin Magdaleno picked up the loose ball, ran left and threw a pass just before being tackled by 3 defenders. Martin Rios caught the pass and Santa Paula held on for a 29-27 victory.

Back in gear: Santa Paula’s top receivers, Doug Hendrix and Chris Cole, returned after missing 2 weeks with injuries, but it took some persistence and a few dollars from Tsoutsouvas’ pocket.

Hendrix and Cole needed medical-release slips from their doctors before being able to play against St. Monica in last week’s playoff opener. Hendrix, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, had no trouble getting his. But Cole, who suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung, had to plead his case.

“The doctor wasn’t going to give him a release,” Tsoutsouvas said. “He went with his father to the doctor’s office . . . . and threatened to go to another doctor until he got his release.”

Tsoutsouvas spent $60 to buy a flak jacket to protect Cole.

Cole returned the favor, catching 3 passes for 49 yards. Hendrix had 7 receptions for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns in Santa Paula’s win.

Bowl bound: Moorpark College will make its first bowl appearance in 3 years when it plays Rancho Santiago in the PONY Bowl at Orange Coast College on Dec. 3.

The Raiders (9-1, 8-1 in conference play) earned a bowl invitation after clinching the Northern Division championship of the Western State Conference with a 51-22 victory over L. A. Southwest last week.

Bakersfield (10-0) claimed the WSC title with a 9-0 conference record.

Staff writers Tim Brown and Ralph Nichols contributed to this notebook.