Sunny Hills Might Be Team to Run Past La Habra for a Change

Traditionally, predicting the winner of the Freeway League has been easy.

The six-team league has been dominated by La Habra High School, which has won five titles in the past six years. The streak was interrupted in 1987 when La Habra’s undefeated team forfeited two games for using an ineligible player.

Once again, there is an overwhelming favorite in 1989, but this time that team should be Sunny Hills. Even Jack Nicholls, La Habra’s coach, admits as much.

“The big reason we won the title last year was beating Sunny Hills in our league opener,” Nicholls said. “I feel strongly that if we want to repeat, we’re going to have to beat them again.”

La Habra upset Sunny Hills, 14-0, last season, shutting out a team that averaged 24 points in its other nine regular-season games.

“It was a big, big win,” Nicholls said.

Shutting out Sunny Hills this time around would be quite an accomplishment. The Lancers figure to have one of the best running games in Orange County with three talented running backs.

Brian Pizula, who averaged 9.1 yards per carry as a junior, is among the top backs in the county.

Ken Overby is a strong, slashing-style runner who will start at fullback. But the most impressive back is speedster Mike Sullivan, who gained 1,200 yards on the Lancers’ sophomore team last year.

Sullivan, the school’s junior class president, was ineligible to play for the varsity last year after transferring from Servite.

“All three have power, speed and the God-given ability to run to daylight,” Sunny Hills Coach Tim Devaney said. “This is by far the best group of running backs I’ve coached.”

They will have the benefit of running behind three all-league offensive linemen--center Robert Sung, guard Darren Correll and tackle Pat Marshall.

“They have the most talent and the most experienced coaching staff,” said Rick Foley, Buena Park’s coach. “That’s a pretty tough combination to beat.”

Devaney, who had been downplaying his team during the preseason, finally admitted this could be his best team in 10 seasons at Sunny Hills.

“A team rarely goes through this league undefeated, but Sunny Hills could do it this year,” said John Turek, Troy’s coach.

A look at the teams:

BUENA PARK--Six victories in four seasons leaves little room for optimism, but third-year Coach Rick Foley is confident his team will end the longest league losing streak (27) in the county sometime in ’89. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, and for the first time in my six years here, we’re not picked to finish last,” Foley said.

Last year, Foley had two full-time assistant coaches and seven walk-on coaches on his staff. This year, he has seven full-time coaches.

The Coyotes have one of the biggest offensive lines in the county, anchored by tackles Jason James (6-5, 295) and Jim Perricone (6-5, 255). They also have two of the county’s quickest players: all-league cornerback Malcolm King and wide receiver Charles White.

Foley thinks the program turned around last year, when the sophomore team tied Sunny Hills for the league title.

Quarterback Mark Medellin and tailback Chris Medina, who led the sophomores to a 9-1 record last year, are among the top newcomers.

FULLERTON--The Indians were the surprise of the Division VI playoffs last year, advancing to the semifinals by upsetting La Mirada and Kennedy. Quarterback Rene Arias returns for his third season after completing 34 of 75 passes for 589 yards and 6 touchdowns and rushing for 211 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Arias was seldom 100% last year in Fullerton’s triple option; he suffered a hyper-extended elbow in the team’s second game and never fully recovered. “In our offense, Rene is going to get hit on almost every play,” said Steve Nishimoto, Fullerton’s coach.

Fullback Marcus Roberson, the backup to Steve DePhillips the past two years, finally gets his chance. “Our offense is quarterback-fullback oriented, so Marcus figures to carry about 20 times a game,” Nishimoto said.

Bobby Patel, who started at cornerback last year, will move to wide receiver. He caught only three passes last year, but averaged 36 yards per catch. D.C. Olsen, a 215-pound junior, is the biggest player on the team and will double at linebacker and either guard or center.

Nishimoto lost his most versatile player when wide receiver-defensive back John Bailey quit the team after spring football to concentrate on baseball. Bailey was the county’s 13th leading scorer as a junior, serving as the team’s punter and field goal kicker. He also caught seven touchdown passes.

LA HABRA--The Highlanders, who have won more league titles in the past six seasons than any other county school, opened with three straight losses last season. But they rebounded to go 4-0-1 in league play, allowing an average of six points per game.

“We expect to win ballgames with our defense,” Nicholls said. “I go by that old Marijon Ancich philosophy that defense wins ballgames. Most of our kids like playing defense better than offense, anyway.”

Still, the Highlanders’ offense should be strong with five returners, plus a quarterback (Mark Moreno) who started five games. Halfback Mark Brown, who scored 11 touchdowns as a junior, is stronger and faster as a senior.

“I anticipate Mark carrying the ball or receiving it about 25 times a game,” Nicholls said. “He’s as good as anybody in the North County.”

Fullback Jeff Besinaiz, the best hitter on the team, doubles at linebacker. Three offensive linemen--Chad Pitcher (center), Dan Lediff (guard) and Herman Hernandez (tackle)--also return.

SONORA--Two Division I-linebacker prospects, Scott Tibbets and Scott Sanders, head a 32-player squad under second-year Coach Larry Allen. “All we need is about nine more players just like them,” Allen said.

Sonora’s only victory in 1988 was over Buena Park, 14-6. In the past four years, the Raiders have a 13-28-1 record.

“We’re fighting a losing attitude,” Allen said. “We’ve had five coaches here this decade, so there’s little sense of continuity and no tradition. We’ve had problems getting kids to come out.”

Ryan Lewis, a wide receiver last year, has moved to quarterback. He improved over the summer and beat out David Stack for the starting spot. Stack will start in the defensive secondary.

Tibbets, an all-league selection, also plays fullback and was the team’s second-leading scorer as a junior.

“I think we can compete with the La Habras and Fullertons, but Sunny Hills is another story,” Allen said. “They’re the cream of the crop in this league.”

SUNNY HILLS--The only question mark is at quarterback, where unproven junior Rick Orr outplayed La Mirada transfer Jamal McKenzie to earn the starting job. Orr is an adequate passer at best and probably will throw less than 12 times per game because he has several fine backs.

Oklahoma Coach Gary Gibbs visited Sunny Hills last spring to scout Correll, a strong lineman whose quickness defies his 245 pounds. Correll also will play linebacker. “Defensively, we’re smaller than we’ve been in the past, but we’re much quicker,” Devaney said.

How deep is Sunny Hills’ backfield? David Wilde, a star running back on the Lancers’ sophomore team two years ago, has been moved to wide receiver to get some playing time.

Sunny Hills will make a six-day trip to Edmonton to play LaZerte High on Sept. 22. The trip, three years in the making, will cost each player $400.

TROY--The Warriors are the youngest team in the league with only 15 seniors on their 39-player roster. Coach John Turek will be counting heavily on players from a sophomore team that finished 5-4-1 and has only one player, Jeff Dorsz (6-5, 250), with good size.

“I’ve never had a team with so many question marks,” Turek said. “We could be pretty good, or we could be pretty bad. We could score some points, but we’re also going to give up some points.”

Troy has only two returning starters, captains Bill Preisler and Adam Petecki. Preisler will double as a defensive end and offensive guard and Petecki doubles at linebacker and center.

Another part-time starter, fullback Chad Brasington, joins tailback Ed Gunderson and quarterback Greg Windle in the backfield. Windle is a dropback-style left-hander who Turek said is “very accurate.” Gunderson has the potential to become the best back Turek has coached at Troy.

“We’ve got some good skilled-position players, but for the first time since I’ve been here, we don’t have the physical size up front on either line,” Turek said.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW FREEWAY LEAGUE

1988 Overall, League Records in Parentheses

SCHOOL COMMENT La Habra (6-4-1, 4-0-1) Highlanders go for sixth title in seven years. Sunny Hills (9-3, 4-1) Best trio of running backs in the county. Fullerton (7-5-1, 3-1-1) Rene Arias is league’s top quarterback. Troy (6-4-1, 2-3) Youngest team in the league with only 15 seniors. Sonora (1-9, 1-4) Qualified only once for the playoffs in 1980’s. Buena Park (2-7-1, 0-5) County’s longest league losing streak at 27.

Thursday: Garden Grove League