El Camino Reloads; L.A. Southwest and Harbor on the Rise : Community colleges: Warriors will try to win fourth consecutive Mission Conference title. Cougars return several players from 4-6 season, and Seahawks believe they can improve on 5-5 record.

Early indicators point toward a good season for South Bay community college football teams. Two of the three area schools--El Camino College and Harbor College--had a strong recruiting class and L.A. Southwest returns several key players.

As usual, El Camino is expected to have the area’s strongest team. The Warriors have an excellent group of freshmen that could help them win their fourth consecutive Mission Conference title.

Despite the loss of 10 starters, Coach John Featherstone believes the newcomers can do the job.

“We lost lots of football players, but it was an outstanding year for high school football in our area,” said Featherstone, who has a 48-15-1 record in six years at El Camino. “We got all the guys we needed. But they’re raw and green and they’ve got tons to learn at this level.”

El Camino’s offense will suffer most. Gone are quarterback Rod Harvey, wide receivers Shannon Thompson and Steve Danzy and tailback Anthony Daigle. Daigle is the only running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in Featherstone’s tenure at El Camino.

Harvey will be replaced by his backup, Rod Anderson. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore from Mead, Wash., played well last year when Harvey was injured.

“He had an excellent spring,” Featherstone said. “He’s as exciting a football player as we’ve had here. He has great feet and great feel. He’s tough. He’s going to give us a whole new dimension.”

Anderson will have several receivers to chose from. Freshmen Latario Rachal (5-10, 165) and Demetrius Boykins (6-1, 175) will start with sophomore Fred Safford seeing plenty of action. Rachel, an All-L.A. City Section player from Carson High, was one of the South Bay’s top receivers last season with 57 catches for 1,301 yards and 22 touchdowns. Boykins was the Southern League Player of the Year at Gardena.

Sophomore Mark Harper will start at tailback and sophomores Eric Gamble (6-0, 230) and Al Savea (6-0, 250) will play fullback. Featherstone believes Harper will do as well as Daigle did last season.

“He has great speed and a nice burst and he can cut on a dime,” Featherstone said. “He’s quicker than Anthony.”

The offensive line is also inexperienced. Kenny Thomas (6-2, 275) and Robert Eneliko (6-0, 260) are the only sophomores. Freshmen Art Donnell (Banning 6-3, 290), Josh Gormley (West Torrance 6-5, 250) and Robert Sale (Carson 5-11, 260) will play key roles in the line’s development.

El Camino’s defense is again expected to be its strength. The Warriors return several key players, including All-American strong safety Donovan Gallatin (6-2, 210), linebacker Jim Rudberg (6-2, 223) and lineman Fili Lulu (6-0, 255). Todd Auvaa (6-4, 220), a Carson High graduate and transfer from New Mexico, will join Matt Vincent (6-2, 215) at defensive end and Lemar Mickey and Vincent Bonner will play cornerback.

In addition, the Warriors have several talented freshmen, including linemen Kenny Talanoa (El Segundo, 6-4, 250) and Keith Jones (Torrance, 6-1, 240) and linebackers Bob Tuitau (Carson, 6-0, 240), Manny Gonzales (Leuzinger, 6-0, 220) and Alex Schultz (West Torrance, 6-1, 210).

“Like last year we hope our defense will get the ball to us early,” Featherstone said. “We’re going to be real physical up front.”

The Warriors will have an all-freshmen special team. Felix Perez and Bryon Hammons (Redondo) are battling for the punter’s spot and Jon Brock, Tom Dallen (West Torrance) and Jon Williams (Mira Costa) are competing for kicking duties.

El Camino will open the season at home on Sept. 14 against College of the Sequoias. Last year Sequoias (9-2) placed second in the Northern California League before winning its fourth consecutive postseason bowl.

Harbor College’s football program is on its way up, according to third-year Coach Don Weems. In 1989 Weems inherited a struggling program that went 3-17-1 in two seasons under Chris Ferragamo.

Weems led the Seahawks to a 3-7 record in 1989 and a 5-5 record last year (4-5 in the Western State Conference). He says his team has the talent and depth to improve last season’s finish.

“We’ve had the best recruiting year since I’ve been at Harbor,” Weems said. “Our numbers are up from the past two years. We’re in a better position to compete with the teams on our schedule this year.”

The Seahawks lost several key starters, including quarterback Glenn Baham (Chico State), running back Bill Harris (Cal State Northridge), fullback Cameron Pitcher and strong safety Casey Causy.

However, Weems says that a solid freshmen class combined with a few key returners will fill the void. Among the top freshmen expected to play offense are lineman Jared Tuione (6-6, 300 pounds), who was an All-CIF player at Hawthorne, wide receivers Nevin Elliott (Narbonne) and Ron Misetich (Rolling Hills) and running back Puiafono Palaita.

“He’s a freshman but he doesn’t play like it,” Weems said of the 5-9, 190-pound Palaita. “He has outstanding speed that’s going to help us lots.”

The Seahawks also have sophomore wide receiver Vini Bjazevich and sophomore lineman Tyler Tuione (6-4, 320), Jared’s older brother.

Weems says picking a quarterback will be his toughest job since there are three talented ones to chose from: sophomore Bill Inman, Baham’s backup last year, and freshmen Steve Young and Mark Choate.

“All three could be starters tomorrow,” Weems said. “They’re all very close and they all work very hard at practice.”

Harbor’s defensive strength will be its secondary. Freshman Craig Weems, the coach’s son, will start at cornerback along with sophomore Carlos Roberts, an all-league selection last year. Freshman back Ken McKinley (Banning) will add strength to the defense as will freshmen linebackers Ma’o Niko (6-2, 240) and Gary Lauti (Carson 6-2, 246). Niko was an All-City selection at Carson High last season.

Harbor opens its season at home against East L.A. on Sept. 21. East L.A. finished 3-7 last year and 2-6 in the Foothill Conference.

“Things are definitely up for us,” Weems said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to win more games, but at least we’re headed up.”

L.A. Southwest’s 4-6 record last year proved what Coach Henry Washington said all along. It was a rebuilding year for the Cougars, who finished 3-6 in the Western State Conference. This year will be different, according to Washington, who is also the school’s athletic director.

“This team . . . it could be better than we’ve ever had,” Washington said. “Better than 1989.”

In 1989 Southwest played in a postseason bowl for the first time in school history. The Cougars went 7-3-1 and 7-2 in WSC play. Washington believes he has the players to match the ’89 feat.

The Cougars’ defense is expected to be strong, with eight of last year’s starters back. The key returners are linemen Brian Toby (6-6, 260 pounds), Jason Rose (6-3, 240), Victor Myles (6-4, 220) and Mike Brooks (6-1, 235). Sophomore defensive backs Dewayne Bryant (6-0, 190) and Spencer Wray (6-0, 170) will add speed to the secondary.

“We feel defense is going to be our biggest asset,” Washington said. “We have the experience and the strength to be very good defensively.”

The Cougars’ offense will need some work. They lost quarterback Craig Manigo, wide receiver Jessie Galloway and most of their linemen.

Jessie Wallace will replace Manigo. The 6-0, 190-pound sophomore started at tailback for the Cougars last year, but Washington says he was a talented quarterback in high school.

“He throws real well and he runs real well,” Washington said. “He’s also a good leader and we need that.”

Freshmen Rayne Mack (Leuzinger) and Khary Wilder (Gardena) will be Southwest’s key linemen. Sophomore David Crowfield will play tight end and 6-2, 190-pound Mike Stephens, who led Southwest in receptions and touchdowns last season, returns at wide receiver.

“If we’re going to be successful we have to get the ball to him,” Washington said. “Mike will be the key to our offense.”

Tailback Terrell Jerrett and fullback Takim Brown should help the Cougars inexperienced offense. Jerrett played at Southwest in 1989, but was ineligible last year. Brown is a freshman transfer from Washington State.

“I think we’re pretty much back in tact,” Washington said. “We had a great recruiting year so we’re in great shape.”

The Cougars open the season on Sept. 21 at Citrus College. Last year Citrus finished 8-3 and won the Foothill Conference title with an 8-0 record.