FOOTBALL ’91 : THE HIGH SCHOOLS: SOUTHERN SECTION : FRONTIER LEAGUE : Calabasas

COACH: Larry Edwards, 12th season

LAST SEASON: 3-7; tied for 3rd in league, 1-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Calabasas program is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, as the Coyotes will suit up 36 players. That beats last year’s total of 18, which dipped as low as 14 with injuries. Among those who survived last year and are ready for a big year is senior all-league tight end Cameron LaBrache (6-3, 190). LaBrache had 22 catches last year for 209 yards and also will play defensive end this year. Quarterback is unresolved. The top contenders are senior Iman Mohtashemi (5-6, 120) and junior Todd Signarelli (6-0, 160). “Don’t let 120 (pounds) fool you,” Edwards warned of Mohtashemi. Two of the other contenders are juniors Darren Mark (5-11, 160) and Dusty Nabor (6-0, 160). Mark and Signarelli will double as linebackers while Mohtashemi and Nabor will play defensive back. The running game, like the rest of the team, is fairly deep. Junior Mark Warshaw (5-10, 165) has been moved from guard to fullback to share time with senior Donald Downs (5-11, 190). Back from an injury last year is senior running back Dave Christensen (6-0, 170). At receiver, Edwards is counting on junior Mike Baron (5-9, 150) and senior Richard Lee (5-8, 145), a converted soccer player. Also returning is senior tight end Brad Miller (6-0, 180). The Coyote line is big. Senior tackle Matt Credle (6-5, 225) will lead the way, and Edwards is high on sophomore Jason Rempel (6-4, 240). “He can move,” Edwards said. The defensive line will feature returning all-league player Jason Felderman (5-11, 175), senior Josh Burnam (5-11, 180) and junior Steve Malka (6-2, 190).

OUTLOOK: “This year,” Edwards laughed, “we don’t have to be creative at practice. It’s kind of boring.” Edwards jokes about his numbers “problem,” but the Coyotes will be deeper and better than last year. “I don’t want to make any bold predictions,” he said. “After all, you have to jog before you can run.”

Fillmore

COACH: Curtis Garner, 4th season

LAST SEASON: 8-3; 2nd in league, 2-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fillmore’s terrific senior class of 1990 graduated, leaving many question marks. Still, the Flashes will be competitive with seven returning starters. Junior Phillip Chessani (6-0, 180) a tight end last year, is moving to quarterback. Chessani played catcher on Fillmore’s successful baseball team and “has a rifle of an arm,” according to Garner. Chessani will throw to senior wide receiver-safety Casey Brown (5-11, 140) and senior Rey Garnica (5-9, 165), a wide receiver-defensive back, who Garner really likes. The running game will miss record-breaking tailback Tory Cabral, but two players will try to make up the gap. Senior Jose-Luis Lomeli (5-11, 170) will start at fullback and senior Val Pillado (5-7, 165) will play running back and linebacker. On the line, third-year letterman Steve Bricker (5-7, 210) is a senior offensive and defensive tackle and junior Shane Woods (6-0, 185) will play guard and linebacker. Two welcome additions are senior Danny Ocegueda (6-2, 195), who will play tight end and linebacker and junior Louis Garza (5-11, 155), a wide receiver and defensive back. Both players sat out last year.

OUTLOOK: “Our secondary, without a doubt, is the strongest part of our team,” Garner said. “And we have a very strong receiving corps.” Fillmore had a shot at the league title last year--its first in Division VIII-- but lost to Santa Paula. Don’t be surprised if it comes down to those two teams again.

Nordhoff

COACH: Cliff Farrar, 5th season

LAST SEASON: 4-6; tied for 3rd in league, 1-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nordhoff returns six starters on defense and five on offense, bringing the Rangers hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 1982. The quarterback, Steve Saum (5-9, 175), is a junior who started last season. “He has good athletic savvy and good, quick feet,” Farrar said. A running back to watch is senior Nacho Vega (5-9, 175), a senior who came on strong at the end of last year. Up from a successful junior varsity team is wide receiver-defensive back Adam Blundell (5-9, 160), who Farrar says was the featured offensive player at the lower level. The line is experienced: A returning second-team all-leaguer is senior center Jim Barrett (6-0, 189). Senior guard Jim Flynn (5-9, 180) also returns. Perhaps the team’s best player is all-county linebacker Matt Johnson (6-1, 225), who will double as a tackle. Other linemen figuring to play are senior Cris Breck (6-0, 190), a tight end-linebacker, senior David Cure (5-11, 210), a nose guard, and senior Charlie Leikam (6-1, 225), a defensive tackle. The secondary will feature senior cornerback Aaron Fabbian (5-9, 150) and free safety Jeff Colborn (6-0, 195), a converted linebacker.

OUTLOOK: In a fairly unpredictable Frontier League, Nordhoff has a good chance to make an impact. “Our strength is our experience,” Farrar said. “A lot of our kids have played varsity football.” Farrar tabs Santa Paula as the league favorite.”

Santa Clara

COACH: Tom O’Brien, 1st season

LAST SEASON: 3-7; tied for 2nd in league, 2-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: A new coach takes over a team that won a league championship in 1989, but faltered in 1990. The transfer to Oxnard of fullback Lloyd Mix, who rushed for 1,100 yards as a sophomore last year hurts, but senior tailback Scottie Tripp (5-8, 180) will continue to make an impact. “He’s an excellent broken-field runner and he’ll be our No. 1 ballcarrier,” O’Brien said. Tripp will also play strong safety. Two players will share time at fullback: returning senior Marco Noriega (5-9, 180) and Andrew Faalafao, a 6-1, 245 junior who transferred from Channel Islands. O’Brien admits to preferring the run, and two senior quarterbacks are vying for the right to hand the ball off a lot. Chris Macias (6-0, 185) was the leading passer for the Saints last year, throwing for 208 yards in six games. But Allen Lisle (6-2, 195) is pushing Macias after having played five games at quarterback last year. A third candidate is junior Armando Maciel (5-7, 170), the shortstop on the baseball team who will see playing time at receiver and defensive back. Macias and Lisle, meanwhile, will also play as defensive linemen and linebackers. Three two-way linemen return with experience: Grant Foreman (6-2, 245), Duke Revelez (5-9, 245) and Ernie Langarica (6-0, 210). Faalafao’s twin brother, David Faalafao (6-1, 260), will play offensive and defensive tackle. Grabbing attention in the secondary will be seniors Greg Macen (5-10, 175), Justin Villa (6-0, 175) and Jamie Duran (6-0, 190), a transfer from Alemany.

OUTLOOK: O’Brien, like the rest, tabs Santa Paula as the league favorite, but likes the Saints’ chances as well. “Our weakness is a very small number of kids (20),” he said. “But we’re very honestly looking for first place.”

Santa Paula

COACH: Mike Tsoutsouvas, 7th season

LAST SEASON: 8-3; 1st in league, 4-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Santa Paula must live with the role of favorite, as the defending champion varsity team receives reinforcements from a championship junior varsity team. But gone is prolific quarterback Ben Fausset to graduation, leaving two players to battle for the job. Tsoutsouvas says it is between senior Erasmo Jacinto (6-1, 185) and junior Brian Whittaker (6-0, 175). Whittaker threw for more than 2,000 yards on the junior varsity and is “the Frontier League version of Steve Young,” Tsoutsouvas said. Jacinto, he says, “is a real slinger.” Also gone to graduation is multipurpose back Dustin Magdaleno, the county’s all-time leading receiver. Trying to fill his shoes are three backs: senior Eddie Rabago (5-10, 200), junior Brian Lister (6-0, 205) and converted guard Mike Hinger (5-11, 205). All three can catch the ball out of the backfield, according to Tsoutsouvas, a requirement in the Cardinals’ pass-heavy offense. Three two-way starters are back on the line, including returning all-league center Leonardo Bavaros, a 6-0, 210 senior. Also returning are senior tackles Scott Marcus (5-10, 230) and Greg Lister (6-2, 210). Senior receiver Ray Rodriguez (6-0, 180) will be a primary target. Junior wideout Stevie Gonzalez (5-11, 165) and junior tight end Rene Jimenez (6-0, 185) will also start at receiver. All three receivers also start on defense.

OUTLOOK: Tsoutsouvas downplays his team by saying, “Man, we’re just lying in the weeds out here in Santa Paula, just lying in the weeds.” He tries to sell the Cardinals as a team not to worry about, but he isn’t fooling many. Every league coach tabs Santa Paula as the favorite. “If we can jell,” Tsoutsouvas said, “we can be pretty good.”