Today’s Community College Football : Wood Finally Passes Into Starting Role

It’s not too hard to understand why Rancho Santiago quarterback Scott Wood was nervous on Monday, even though it was five days before the first game of the 1989 season.

After all, Wood has waited three years to be a starting college quarterback. And at 7 tonight, he’ll get his chance when Rancho Santiago plays Citrus in a non-conference game at Santa Ana Stadium.

Wood’s last start was as a senior at Loara High School in 1986. He spent the 1987 season as a redshirt at Rancho Santiago, running the scout team in practice and watching from the sidelines during games.

As a freshman last season, he backed up starter Eric Turner. Turner started, but Wood would replace him in the second half of most games, regardless of the score.

It was billed as a two-quarterback system by the Rancho Santiago staff, but the lines were clearly drawn in Wood’s mind. Turner was the starter and he was second string.

Turner left to enroll at Southwest Texas State and the starting job belongs to Wood. So, Wood awoke on Monday morning with a case of butterflies.

“I guess I was nervous about the game,” Wood said. “But it feels pretty good to know you are the starter. It was best that I was a redshirt that first season. Last year was also a good learning experience.”

Rancho Santiago started the season 6-0-1, with their unusual two-quarterback platoon and then faced 7-0 Fullerton. Coach Dave Ogas decided to go with Turner for the entire game, hoping his experience would make a difference. Wood said it was the toughest game he ever had to watch, especially since Fullerton won, 24-17.

Even in his part-time role, Wood set the school completion percentage record at .639. He was 92 of 144 for 1,024 yards, six touchdowns and had only three interceptions in 1988. But Wood, a co-captain this season, didn’t sit around this summer basking in the warmth of his success.

“He worked really hard last spring and this summer,” Ogas said. “He knows the job is his, but he kept working hard like he was being pushed all the time.”

This season, Wood is being touted as one of the state’s top quarterbacks.

“I really don’t worry about the pressure,” he said. “That kind of pressure is there and if you can’t play under it, then you really shouldn’t be playing at all.”

Tonight’s games:

Citrus (0-1) vs. Rancho Santiago (0-0) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.--Citrus has the advantage of having played a game, losing to Riverside, 45-34. Riverside passed for 326 yards and ran for 199. In other words, Citrus probably spent most of the week trying to shore up its defense.

San Diego Mesa (0-0) at Saddleback (0-0), 7 p.m.--John Barnes, a red-shirt freshman from Trabuco Hills High School, is the starting quarterback for Saddleback. He has not played in a game in almost two seasons, but look for Saddleback to be pass-oriented, as usual. Running back John Burnes could add balance to the attack. And with Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen there is always the chance of the no-huddle offense.

Rio Hondo (0-0) at Orange Coast (0-0), 7 p.m.--Orange Coast opened last season by beating Rio Hondo, 39-14, only to have the season fall apart because of injuries and inexperience. This season OCC has Greg Angelovic, a freshman from Edison High, at quarterback. He is being pushed by Mike Cederoth, a sophomore from Villa Park High. As it did last season, defense figures to be a strength, but Coach Bill Workman hopes the offense catches up.