TONIGHT’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Healthy Change of Pace Keeps Burns Running

John Burns of Saddleback College will suit up for his ninth game of the season when the Gauchos play host to Rancho Santiago at 7 p.m. tonight.

Playing nine games in a season is usually no big deal. After all, the community college season is usually 10 games long--unless you get hurt.

Until this season, Burns hadn’t been able to avoid getting hurt.

Burns, a running back, played the first seven games as a senior at Mission Viejo High School in 1987.

But on the second play of the eighth game against San Clemente, he took a handoff, went up the middle and was hit by several defenders. Burns was slammed to the ground and broke his collarbone, causing him to miss the rest of the season.

Burns, 19, went to Saddleback in 1988 and moved into the starting lineup after one game because of a leg injury to starting running back Aly Diaz.

Burns rushed for 459 yards in 96 tries, and caught 14 passes for 169 more in the first seven games, but his season ended early.

Burns was hit in the left leg by a helmet, just as he caught the ball during practice. He flipped over, and came up limping.

He iced his leg at first, but the pain remained strong. He had his leg examined, only to find out he had a broken bone in the lower part of it.

“I was really sort of funny at the doctors’ office,” Burns said. “I was standing up when the nurse came in with the X-ray. She told me to get off the leg right away, it was broken.”

Burns attended Saddleback’s final two regular-season games on crutches.

“I would stand there and people kept coming up and telling me it was too bad I wasn’t playing,” he said. “I just got sick of people always feeling sorry for me. It was just like in high school when I got hurt.”

Burns came back this season with a couple of goals. He wanted to prove he could stay healthy and gain 1,000 yards.

So far he has stayed out of the doctors’ office, and has rushed for a team-high 760 yards in 157 carries with two games left. Burns also has caught 24 passes good for 249 yards. He also leads Saddleback with seven touchdowns.

In tonight’s Mission Conference Central Division 7 p.m. games:

Rancho Santiago (7-1, 6-1, 2-1) at Saddleback (1-7, 1-6, 0-3)--Saddleback has never lost in this series, but this appears to be Rancho Santiago’s best chance. The Dons have the top offense in the conference, averaging 423 yards and 34 points a game.

Freshman running back Estrus Crayton leads the conference in all-purpose yardage with 196 a game. He has scored 17 touchdowns this season and needs two more to tie the school record of 19 set in 1949 by Al Carmichael.

Riverside (8-0, 7-0, 3-0) at Fullerton (5-3, 4-3, 2-1)--Riverside, ranked second in Southern California and fourth in the national J.C. Grid-Wire poll, can clinch a tie for the Central Division title with a victory. Fullerton has a solid chance for an upset mainly because of its strong defense against the rush. The Hornets allow a conference-low 82 yards a game.

Riverside is averaging a conference-high 259 yards a game led by running back Daryl McChristian’s 1,285 yards and nine touchdowns.

Of course, if the Tigers elect to pass, things could be much more unpleasant for Fullerton. The Hornets are allowing 221 yards a game.

Golden West (4-4, 4-3, 1-2) at Orange Coast (5-3, 4-3, 1-2)--The district rivals get together for the 24th time with Golden West leading the series, 12-9-2. Golden West is led on offense by sophomore running back Sean Cheatham, who has gained 838 yards in 163 carries.

OCC hopes quarterback Greg Angelovic returns to form. Angelovic, a freshman, had five interceptions in the first seven games and had four last week in a 33-17 loss to Riverside.