TONIGHT’S PREP FOOTBALL GAMES : Ocean View Catches Wave of Success to Playoffs

Howard Isom, Ocean View High School football coach, is not quite used to the spotlight.

“It seems like every time I open my mouth I get quoted now,” he said.

Perhaps that’s because Isom, in his first year as a head coach, has led Ocean View (6-2 overall, 3-0 in the Sunset League) to its first playoff berth since the school opened in 1976.

That berth was guaranteed when the Seahawks defeated Huntington Beach, 21-7, last Friday.

Ocean View, in sole possession of first place, will go for further accomplishments as it meets Edison (5-3, 2-1) at 7:30 tonight at Westminster High School.

A victory would ensure Ocean View at least a part of the Sunset League title, something the Seahawks have never won in football. Ocean View plays Marina (2-6, 0-3) in its final league game next Thursday.

Isom, an assistant at Ocean View for four years before becoming head coach, said his team’s success has snowballed.

“Each game becomes bigger and bigger,” he said. “But this one should be a barn-burner.”

Quarterback Randy Karliner leads the Seahawk offense. Only a junior, Karliner, a two-year starter, has passed for 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions. Quincy Bennett is the team’s leading rusher with 467 yards.

Defensively, Ocean View is strong, particularly in the secondary. Sean Rogers and Andrew Wind both have five interceptions, Scott Caringella has four and Jason Merkel two. And although defensive end/offensive guard Greg Johnston is only 5-foot-6, he had a sack and knocked down three passes last week--including one he intercepted.

“The team has really come together; they’ve jelled as a unit,” said Isom, who previously coached at Westminster and Huntington Beach. “They (the offense and defense) just seem to feed off each other.”

Against Edison, Ocean View will face two talented players in quarterback Donnie Smith, who has passed for 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns and has a 64.4 completion percentage, and running back Shane Sherman, who has rushed for 1,154 yards and 13 touchdowns.

But more important, perhaps, is the fact that Edison has some strong motivations of its own tonight. A victory would ensure the Chargers a playoff spot. Last year, Edison finished 9-1 overall, but lost the league title to Fountain Valley, the eventual Division I champion.

Edison Coach Dave White says that memory is still fresh in the minds of his players.

“We feel real fortunate to have another chance to win the league title,” White said. “So it’s like good news and bad news. The good news is that we have another shot, the bad news is we’re going against the hottest team in Orange County.

“Their confidence is at an all-time high. They just don’t beat themselves. We’re going to have to play a perfect game to beat them. But we’re healthy and we feel like if we play the way we are capable of playing, we have a good chance.

“Right now, it’s the biggest game of the year.”

In the Empire League:

Loara (6-1-1, 2-1) vs. Cypress (4-4, 1-2) at Western High School--Loara Coach Herb Hill needs one more win to tie the county record for victories (190) set by the late Clare VanHoorebeke, who coached at Anaheim for 23 years. Hill will retire this season after 37 years of coaching, 28 at Loara. Coy Collins, the county’s No. 2 performer in rushing (1,360 yards) and No. 3 in touchdowns (17), leads seventh-ranked Loara.

Los Alamitos (7-1, 3-0) vs. El Dorado (0-8, 0-3) at Valencia High School--Quarterback Todd Gragnano leads the county in passing yardage (1,825 yards) and running back Erik Mitchell has rushed for 968 yards and 20 touchdowns for fourth-ranked Los Alamitos.

In the Sea View League:

University (2-6, 0-3) vs. Corona del Mar (5-3, 1-2) at Newport Harbor High School--Corona del Mar, the defending Division IV champion and two-time defending league champion, is fighting for a playoff spot. The Sea Kings are led by running back Brian Lucas (672 yards, 10 touchdowns) and running back/linebacker/kicker Jerrott Willard.

Corona del Mar’s wide receiver/defensive back Warren Johnson--who has five interceptions in seven games--is out with a shin injury.

Other games:

Garden Grove League--Los Amigos vs. La Quinta at Bolsa Grande High School; Sea View League--University vs. Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor High School; South Coast League--San Clemente vs. El Toro at Mission Viejo High School; nonleague--L.A. Jordan vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium.