TONIGHT’S PREP FOOTBALL : Pacifica Remains Key to La Quinta’s Hopes

The one constant in the Garden Grove League seems to be the Pacifica High School football team.

The Mariners returned to the league in 1987 and have won 21 of 22 league games. Even their only loss--31-17 to Bolsa Grande in 1987--was later overturned because of the use of an ineligible player.

So in the three years since moving from the Empire League, the Mariners are unbeaten in the league, have won three league titles and twice have reached the semifinals of the Southern Section Division VI playoffs.

With that in mind, La Quinta Coach Roger Takahashi is anything but condescending when he says that to win the league title, Pacifica is the team to beat.

The Aztecs (4-0, 1-0 in league) will get their shot tonight when they play the Mariners at Bolsa Grande High School.

“Year in and year out, Pacifica is the team,” Takahashi said. “The faces may change, but they always seem to execute the same. It’s a very steady program.”

The Aztecs, though, have managed to shake the Pacifica program a little in the last two seasons.

In 1988, La Quinta led, 14-12, before Pacifca’s Bobby Anderson kicked a last-second field goal.

Last season, Pacifica defeated La Quinta, 35-28, but needed every break and every big play--and even that almost wasn’t enough. On the last play of the game, Aztec quarterback Richard Weaver completed a 50-yard pass to Jason Cherms, who stumbled and fell at the Pacifica 13-yard line.

“We’ve been close,” Takahashi said. “Last year, Jason had the defensive back beat and lost his balance. We were 13 yards short.”

La Quinta finished second in the league last season and reached the Division VI championship game before losing to Corona del Mar. This year, the Aztecs would like more, starting with Pacifica.

Through their first four games, the Aztecs have outscored their opponents, 99-34. La Quinta is also off to its best start since 1983, when it won the first of three consecutive league titles.

The Aztecs have accomplished it despite losing their top players from 1989, Weaver and running back Trent Julian.

Quarterback Wes Hopkins, the sixth-ranked passer in Orange County, has completed 50 of 80 passes for 801 yards and six touchdowns. Last week, he completed 18 of 25 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in 27-14 victory over Garden Grove.

Walt Dawkins has been a threat as a runner and receiver. He has gained 161 yards rushing, including 46 in four carries last week, and has 18 receptions for 303 yards.

Against Garden Grove, Dawkins had five receptions for 100 yards.

“We had seven starters returning on defense, so I knew we would be sound on that side of the ball,” Takahashi said. “And so far our skilled position players have been very, very good. Our offense has improved a lot in four weeks.”

Pacifica (3-1, 1-0) hasn’t been as fortunate. An injury to quarterback Chris Castellano has left the Mariners in a bind. Castellano suffered a dislocated jaw in practice last Thursday and sat out Pacifica’s 21-14 victory over Kennedy.

In that game, Castellano’s replacement, junior Rich Main, was asked to do little. He threw only five passes, completing four for 42 yards and a touchdown.

“Rich didn’t get much preparation time because Chris was hurt so late in the week,” Pacifica Coach Bill Craven said. “So we decided it would be better to keep things on the ground.”

Derrick Nicholson responded with 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns in his first game at running back. Nicholson was a starter in the secondary last season.

In another Garden Grove League game, Bolsa Grande will meet Los Amigos at Garden Grove High School.

In nonleague games:

Canyon vs. Woodbridge at Irvine High School; Corona del Mar vs. Costa Mesa at Newport Harbor High School; Lakewood vs. Los Alamitos at Gahr High School; Long Beach Wilson at Huntington Beach; Villa Park vs. Trabuco Hills at Mission Viejo High School; Western vs. Katella at Glover Stadium.