Prep Football ’91 : Small Schools

Brethren Christian

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 7-3 2-2

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Mike Roark 7-3

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 4 5

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR John Deweese, 5-11, 190 OG LB Sr. Daryl Jones, 6-5, 280 -- DT So. Brian Joseph, 6-3, 180 WR DB Sr. Jamie Knapt, 5-11, 185 -- DE Jr. Matt Marksbury, 6-2, 180 WR DB Sr. Tim Osborne, 6-2, 180 WR -- Sr. Scott Thomas, 6-3, 175 WR DB Jr. Jeff Zabel, 6-1, 215 OC DT Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Eddie Carlson, 5-11, 195 OT DE Jr. Dan Cerio, 5-11, 185 QB -- Sr. Reggie Davis, 6-2, 160 WR DB So. James Harris, 5-8, 170 RB DB Jr. Keith Washington, 5-10, 190 RB LB So.

OUTLOOK

The Warriors rebounded well last season after going 0-6 in league in 1989. Much of the credit for the turnaround belongs to a run-and-shoot offense, installed by Roark, that produced 187 points in the first seven games. The defense held the opposition to 37 points during that span before collapsing in the last three games. Roark said this team also should be able to score. “I’ve never seen this much speed,” Roark said. “I’ve got eight kids who are legit 4.6 (in the 40-yard dash) or faster. Even my quarterback (Cerio) is quick (4.5).” Cerio, who sat out last season, takes over the shooting part of the operation from departed Brandon Stott (1,603 yards passing and 14 touchdowns in ‘90). Harris is the single back in place of graduated Frank Brady (892 rushing yards). Said Roark of Harris: “He’s scary. I think he can be better than Brady.” Deweese, who had 173 tackles last year, is the defensive catalyst.

Calvary Chapel

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 4-5-2 3-3-1

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Kris Van Hook 4-5-2

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 9 9

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Kenny Alma, 5-10, 170 RB DE Jr. Mike Echan, 5-8, 150 WR DB Sr. Matt Kellogg, 5-7, 150 RB LB Jr. Danny Neumann, 6-0, 170 WR LB Sr. Jason Sharkey, 6-1, 210 QB -- Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Rick Coburn, 5-7, 175 RB LB Sr. Jake Guild, 6-2, 210 TE LB Sr. Rick Jorris, 6-0, 235 OT DT Sr.

OUTLOOK

Want to hear from a coach who is excited about his team? Van Hook is your man. Van Hook on Sharkey: “He’s as good of a thrower as anyone I’ve coached.” On Echan: “He’s just about unstoppable.” On Neumann: “He can jump real well, and he’s got the softest hands in the world.” With that kind of arsenal, a coach no doubt would expect big things, right? You got it. “We have experience. Most of these kids have played for us for two years,” Van Hook said of the Eagles, who head for their second varsity season. “Our passing game will be very strong . . . We should be right in the thick of it if we stay healthy.” Van Hook said Sharkey, who passed for more than 1,000 yards last season, will be the “main part of our offense.” Alma, who had never played football until last season, led the team in sacks with seven (“He’s very, very quick,” Van Hook said). Alma is back to anchor the defense, along with linebackers Kellogg and Coburn, a transfer from J.J. Pearce High in Dallas, Tex. There is, however, one area that concerns Van Hook: “We need to improve our defense against the run,” he said.

Capistrano Val. Christian

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 3-7-1 3-2-1

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Doug Johnson 12-8

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 6 5

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Joel Howe, 5-10, 165 OG LB Sr. Mike Mansfield, 5-10, 170 RB DE Sr. Cory Susag, 6-0, 185 C LB Sr. Chris Wegener, 5-8, 170 RB DB Sr. Mark Wilson, 5-9, 155 QB DB Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Jason Biniasz, 6-2, 240 OT DT So. Brent Verkler, 6-0, 195 OT DT So. Jeremy Williams, 6-2, 215 -- NG So.

OUTLOOK

After a two-year hiatus, Johnson returns to head the Eagles, and he faces one of the most difficult obstacles for a football program: lack of personnel. “We have a pretty good first string, but we don’t have any depth. We only have 19 kids on varsity,” Johnson said. “If we get hurt, we are in trouble.” But Johnson likes the talent on the team. “We have guarded optimism, but I think this team has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs,” he said. The Eagles will feature a pro set with split backs on offense--”We’ll use a lot of quick passes,” Johnson said--and will call on Wilson or senior Kel Riley to steer the attack. “No matter which quarterback starts, we are going to be happy because they both throw well,” Johnson said. “Right now, Wilson will start because Riley has missed a few practices with a nagging injury to a leg.” All-leaguer Susag is the most accomplished Eagle defensive player. Johnson said the lines are question marks because of the inexperience of Biniasz, Verkler and Williams. But the coach hopes they’ll mature rapidly. “We think they are going to be pretty good football players,” Johnson said.

Orange Lutheran

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 9-3 2-2

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Tim Taube 9-3

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 7 1

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Scott Doremus, 6-0, 205 OT DT Sr. Cory Fleming, 5-10, 145 SE -- Sr. Lenny Gavin, 6-0, 180 QB DB Sr. Rick Krumes, 6-0, 185 TE LB Sr. Brandon Orman, 6-0, 195 RB -- Sr. J.P. Presley, 5-9, 185 OG DG Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Dan Buster, 6-1, 185 -- DE Jr. Dale Huss, 5-9, 145 WR DB Jr. Kris Vernoy, 6-0, 195 OT DT So. Brent Vieselmeyer, 6-0, 175 OG -- So. Todd Williamson, 5-10, 170 RB -- Jr.

OUTLOOK

In his first season as head coach last year, Taube took the Lancers to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division IX playoffs. It was the first playoff appearance for Orange Lutheran since 1985, but it won’t be the last as far as Taube is concerned. “I’m looking to contest for the (league) championship,” he said. He appears to have the material to make a go of it, at least offensively. “We’ve been running the option the last couple of years, so I think it should pay off this year with Orman and Gavin back,” Taube said. “If we can find a capable tailback, we’ll be set. The receivers also are looking good . . . I’m looking for them to score a lot of points.” The opposite side of the line of scrimmage is another matter. First-team all-leaguer Presley, who Taube said is the team’s top returning player, is the only starter back on defense. But Doremus and Krumes should help out considerably. “It’s just a matter of getting the group playing as a unit,” Taube said.

Santa Margarita

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 12-1 ---

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Jim Hartigan 20-5

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 2 3

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Jim Herlehy, 6-4, 235 OT DE Sr. Josh Ireland, 5-11, 190 RB DB Sr. Sean O’Brien, 6-4, 205 QB DB Jr. Louis Pavlovich, 5-9, 200 RB NG Sr. Anton Villanueva, 5-9, 185 RB LB Sr. J.J. Wilson, 5-9, 165 WR DB Sr. Ryan Zalta, 5-11, 170 TE LB Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Kevin Duffy, 5-9, 150 QB DB Jr. Mike Gillissie, 6-1, 180 TE LB Jr. Brad Finneran, 6-3, 175 WR DB So. Brian Finneran, 6-3, 175 WR DB So. Brent Noonan, 6-2, 210 OT DE Jr. Chris Tiernan, 5-9, 175 RB DB Jr.

OUTLOOK

In only their third season of varsity football last year, the Eagles made it to the Southern Section Division IV semifinals. But the team graduated 23 seniors, and Hartigan will field a squad this season that features 26 juniors among the 41 players on the roster. So this looks more like a transition year. Still, the Eagles have several standouts who should make them competitive. Ireland, for instance, is a proven running back who has rushed for more than 2,700 yards the past two seasons. And Herlehy, Zalta, Wilson and Villanueva are excellent players who will lend stability. But the quarterback spot will be handled by inexperienced O’Brien, a free safety last year who must try to replace Trevor Yankoff (1,087 yards passing in 1990). Hartigan, however, is bullish on O’Brien: “He’s the guy we are very excited about,” Hartigan said. “He’s young, but there’s a lot of talent there.”

So. California Christian

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 7-4 5-1

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Bert Esposito 0-0

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 6 6

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Dennis Amundson, 6-0, 180 RB DB Sr. Garrett Bell, 6-3, 175 WR LB Sr. Jessie Decker, 6-4, 230 OG LB Sr. Mike Hatcher, 6-5, 200 TE LB Sr. Mike Jacot, 5-7, 175 RB DB Jr. Nathan Lambie, 5-9, 165 QB DB Sr. Jeff Salladin, 6-3, 240 OT DT Sr. Scott Williams, 6-2, 170 WR DB Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Jim Klebeau, 6-3, 235 OT DT Jr. John Turner, 5-10, 180 OG LB Jr. Robert Wakimoto, 5-7, 160 RB LB Jr.

OUTLOOK

Esposito, the school’s athletic director who is taking over a program that has been highly successful the past three seasons, is confident about his team’s chances. “If we stay healthy, we’ll be very strong candidates to win our league,” he said. “I feel we have the capability to do that.” Esposito appears to have the personnel to back up the self-evaluation. The running game is sound with Amundson and Jacot, who can both run in the 4.6 range in the 40-yard dash, and the quarterbacking duties are in excellent hands with Lambie, who has thrown for a total of more than 2,300 yards over the past two years. Esposito said the defense, which held five opponents to under 10 points each, is “stronger than last year.” Linebackers Decker and Hatcher are the key players. The Flames were undefeated in the Arrowhead League since joining in 1989, but eventual league champion Leffingwell Christian stopped the streak at seven last season with a 27-8 victory on Oct. 27.

Whittier Christian

1990 RECORDS OVERALL LEAGUE 13-0 4-0

COACH RECORD AT SCHOOL Tom Caffrey 109-41

RETURNING STARTERS OFF DEF 6 5

TOP RETURNERS OFF DEF YR Brian Brown, 5-10, 185 -- LB Sr. Bryan Clardy, 6-0, 195 OT DT Sr. Phil Franco, 6-4, 245 OT DT Sr. Roman Gallegos, 5-10, 235 OG LB Sr. Matt Marchant, 5-10, 205 OG LB Jr. John Mikucki, 6-2, 215 TE DT Jr. Eric Scofield, 5-10, 205 C NG Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS OFF DEF YR Mark Berokoff, 6-5, 190 WR -- Sr. Chad Callahan, 5-10, 165 QB -- Jr. Jacob Cuccia, 5-9, 175 RB DB Jr. Aaron Meschuk, 5-11, 195 RB LB Jr.

OUTLOOK

Many coaches believe that football games are won at the line of scrimmage. The Heralds hope that’s true, because they are loaded with experience people on both lines. Only tackle Ryan McEntire, the Olympic League most valuable defensive player last season, graduated. So the new Herald backfield of Callahan, fullback Meschuk and tailback Cuccia will be able to operate from behind a solid wall. Meschuk, an offensive guard and linebacker the past two seasons, and Cuccia, an outside linebacker last year, will take over running responsibilities in the team’s double tight-end I-formation that last year featured Rex Pritchard (1,062 yards rushing) and Ron Rector (1,014). Callahan, the backup quarterback last season, has the unenviable task of having to replace Nick Sanchez, who was the league’s offensive most valuable player in 1990. Sanchez guided the Heralds to their second consecutive league crown and the Southern Section Division IX title with a 34-21 victory over Tehachapi in the title game.