Three New Coaches Spice Up Battle in the League’s Last Hurrah

The 1989 football season will be the last for the Angelus League. Barring any last-minute changes, Servite High School will move to the Del Rey League next season and the Angelus will be renamed the Mission League.

Since the mid-1960s, when the league was formed, the Angelus has been one of the best and toughest high school football leagues in California.

Four members--Servite, Mater Dei, St. Paul and Bishop Amat--have won the large-school division championship.

“I think given what the league has meant and accomplished, there’s going to be a special desire to win it this year,” said Bishop Amat Coach Mark Parades, whose teams have won or shared the last four league titles.

Servite shared the title last season when it had the league player of the year in running back Derek Brown and one of the state’s top defensive players in linebacker Garrett Greedy. Both are gone and the Friars have a new coach in Larry Toner.

“Of course, I’d like to win the league, especially this year,” Toner said. “Of course, I’d also like to win the lottery. Right now, I’m just trying to get to know my kids.”

Toner is one of three new coaches in the league. Bruce Rollinson takes over at Mater Dei and Steve Carroll at Bishop Montgomery.

Rollinson played on the last Mater Dei Southern Section football champion (1967) and in two Rose Bowls with USC (1969 and 1970).

Who will be flying highest?

Most think it will be Bishop Amat, which return numerous skill players to a team that advanced to last season’s Big Five Conference final.

After Bishop Amat, coaches are still wondering.

“There’s so many new names, new systems, it’s going to take awhile to get acquainted,” St. Paul Coach Miguel Olmedo said.

A look at the teams:

BISHOP AMAT--If you wanted to find a quality prep running back, you usually looked at Bishop Amat. The school has produced Pernell Taylor (Notre Dame), Randy Tanner (USC), Mazio Royster (USC) and Eric Bienemy (Colorado) in the 1980s. They come and they go.

But last season’s heir, Roger Adams, didn’t quite fill the bill. Coach Parades ended up platooning at the position.

“I think when a traditional running team goes to the air, they can take advantage of other teams just watching,” Parades said.

One player definitely to watch is wide receiver Jeremy Smith, who was named the state’s junior player of the year. Smith caught 85 passes last season for more than 1,000 yards.

As good as Smith is, he might not be this team’s best prospect. Tight end Jason Green, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior, is just as fast as Smith.

“I think we’ll have to throw the ball more. I can see where we are slowly evolving into a passing team,” Parades said.

BISHOP MONTGOMERY--The Knights usually do well during the nonleague season--they were 4-1 going into league play last season. But the very physical Angelus League usually proves too tough. So Carroll has instituted a new strength program at the school.

One player who seems to have already taken advantage of the weights is defensive tackle Chris Maumalanga, who is 6-foot-3, 330 pounds. Maumalanga, picked as a prep All-American by several national magazines, bench presses 390 pounds and leg presses 840.

“He’s a big, strong boy,” Carroll said.

Bishop Montgomery has another quality player back in defensive back Matt Burola, a three-year starter.

Bishop Montgomery has a new quarterback in John Zimmerman, who looks good at 6-3, 190 pounds, and has a strong arm. But until Carroll sees him under game conditions, “He’s still at ground zero.”

MATER DEI--The Monarchs return some one of the best players in the league, just not a lot of them--actually three.

Quarterback Dan O’Neil started as a junior and completed 53% of his passes for more than 2,000 yards last season in Chuck Gallo’s pass-happy offense.

Running back Kealii Clifford rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Clifford, who will be starting for the third season, also is an adept receiver.

Offensive lineman Ryan Motherway is the only remnant from last season’s massive line that averaged 260 pounds. Motherway is 6-4, 255.

Rollinson, who says he hopes to bring some added intensity to the Monarch team, said he was hoping to lay low this season and “sneak up on people.”

ST. PAUL--Life without Greg begins this season for the Swordsmen. Greg Willig, St. Paul’s 6-7 quarterback for the past three seasons, graduated and is at Rice University.

Willig, the league’s offensive player of the year last season, will be replaced by Mike Guerrero, who also has good size at 6-2, 195 pounds.

Coach Olmedo said Guerrero’s arm is not as strong as Willig’s and his ability to read defenses has room for improvement. Still, Olmedo said St. Paul will continue to throw often.

Steve Corpus, who caught 32 passes last season, returns for St. Paul. Wide receiver Bruno Serrano has excellent speed. Junior Ryan Granillo, a 6-3, 210-pound tight end, started as a sophomore and was the team’s second leading receiver.

Olmedo is excited about his team defensively, especially at defensive end with Sam Balero (6-2, 195) and Scott Melendres (5-8, 175).

SERVITE--Toner became something of a legend at Servite in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, making his name on discipline, fundamentals, execution on the lower levels and as the developer of the Hut Drill. But Toner, who’s been coaching the past few years in Portland, Ore., is unknown to his present players.

“I know they’ve heard stories about me,” Toner said. “But most of those tend to be apocryphal.”

There’s only one starter back from the team that was a few seconds and a holding call away from the Big Five finals. That’s lineman Jose Salazar.

Still, Servite always manages to find its way into the playoffs. The school is working on a playoff appearance streak that stretches back to 1972.

Quarterback Rob Walker is relatively new, having played only 10 downs last season.

Kent Weiss, who saw limited time last season, inherits the unenviable position of replacing Brown at running back.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW ’89 ANGELUS LEAGUE

1988 Overall, League Records in Parentheses

SCHOOL ’89 COMMENT Servite (10-3, 3-1) New coach, loses running back Derek Brown Bishop Amat (11-3, 3-1) Speed and lots talent at skill positions Mater Dei (6-6, 2-2) Dan O’Neil may be league’s best quarterback St. Paul (6-5, 2-2) Lost league’s top QB, but will continue to pass Bishop Montgomery (4-5, 0-4) Only four league victories in past four years

Tuesday: the Century League