Troy, Brea-Olinda Could Find Out Tonight Which One’s for Real

Coaches at Troy and Brea-Olinda high schools entered the 1989 football season with totally different approaches. But the results have been similar.

Troy Coach John Turek didn’t know what to expect with only two returning starters and 15 seniors on his 39-man roster. “We could be pretty good or we could be pretty bad,” he said.

Brea-Olinda Coach Jon Looney had nine players in their third season of varsity football, including quarterback Chad Marlow, a two-time all-league selection. “This is the best team we’ve had in the six years I’ve been here,” Looney said.

Both teams are undefeated entering a nonleague game at 7:30 tonight in Fullerton District Stadium. Troy has two shutouts, 21-0 over Rancho Alamitos and 46-0 over El Dorado.

Brea-Olinda opened its new stadium with a 12-6 victory over Buena Park and followed with a 33-3 victory over San Diego Hilltop.

“This game should give us an indication of how good we really are,” Looney said. “I’m surprised Troy has been so good because they lost so many starters from last year.”

Turek has eight underclassmen starting on offense, including left-handed quarterback Greg Windle and fullback Chad Brasington. Windle has completed 10 of 20 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Brasington has rushed for four touchdowns and 203 yards in 28 carries.

“We don’t have anyone on the team who has impressive credentials or earned high accolades before the season started,” Turek said. “But this is an intelligent group that plays well together as a team.

“We haven’t made the mental mistakes typical of young teams. Last week, we went an entire game without an illegal procedure penalty.”

Marlow passed for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior and has benefited from the addition of offensive coordinator George Dena to the coaching staff this season. Dena left Anaheim when Ted Mullen resigned to become an assistant at Palm Desert.

Marlow has completed 16 of 26 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Brea-Olinda has won despite missing an integral part of its backfield.

Running back Eddie Stewart missed the season opener with a shoulder injury and running back Jeff Vazzana missed the second game because of a knee injury. Vazzana is questionable tonight, but Stewart will start.

“We’ve been pointing for this year,” Looney said. “This is our real first test, so we’re looking forward to this game.”

Other key games tonight:

Loara (2-0) vs. Canyon (1-1) at El Modena HS: Loara Coach Herb Hill is five victories from tying Anaheim’s legendary Clare Van Hoorebeke for most career victories by a county coach. Hill has 185 victories. Loara running back Coy Collins is the county’s fifth-leading rusher with 285 yards.

Mater Dei (0-2) vs. Santa Ana (2-0) at Santa Ana Stadium: Mater Dei’s offense has been steady, but its defense has allowed 49 points in losses to Fountain Valley and Tustin. Quarterback Danny O’Neil has completed 28 of 45 passes for 412 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Kealii Clifford has rushed for 149 yards and caught nine passes for 113 yards. Santa Ana tailback Garner Hicks has rushed for 247 yards in 38 carries.

Newport Harbor (2-0) at Huntington Beach (2-0): “We’re an ugly 2-0,” Huntington Beach Coach George Pascoe said after the Oilers beat Pacifica, 12-7, last week. Quarterback Jeff Gibson was intercepted on his first pass in both victories. Strong safety Doug Cunningham has two interceptions. Running back Rob Farley leads surprising Newport Harbor with 167 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Dominguez (2-0) vs. Edison (1-1) at Westminster HS: Bruce Walker, one of the top 50 players in the nation, leads Dominguez. Walker, a 6-3, 245-pound fullback and linebacker, is being recruited by Nebraska, Oklahoma, UCLA and USC. Quarterback Donnie Smith has thrown for 252 yards and two touchdowns for Edison.

Other games: Los Alamitos vs. Villa Park at Veterans Stadium; Buena Park vs. Magnolia at Handel Stadium; Tustin at Irvine; and Westminster vs. Esperanza at Bradford Stadium.