PALOMAR LEAGUE : Orange Glen to Challenge RBV

Can RBV be had?

That’s what coaches in the North County are wondering. Can Rancho Buena Vista, the five-year-old school that has won two section titles and reached the semifinals last year, be beaten?

RBV Coach Craig Bell said his team is rebuilding while others are at full strength. Fallbrook, he says, is loaded. So are Torrey Pines, Orange Glen and Vista. And, he says, “loaded is a whole lot better than reloading.”

However the Longhorns have won 22 consecutive league games dating back to 1987, their first year in the Avocado League..

But Orange Glen did something no other Palomar League team had done since RBV became a 3-A school. They beat RBV, 24-7, ending the school’s streak of nine consecutive playoff victories. If there was an air of invincibility in the North County, the Patriots proved the Longhorns to be mere mortals.

“We’ve got to climb that mountain all over again,” Bell said. “There are a lot of guys standing there with cannons.”

Can they be had?

Maybe.

THE RACE

Top contenders: Rancho Buena Vista (10-3), Orange Glen (9-5), Fallbrook (5-4-1), Vista (6-6).

Could surprise: Torrey Pines (4-6-1), Mt. Carmel (5-5-1).

Hoping for improvement: Poway (4-5-1), San Dieguito (1-9).

Game of the year: Orange Glen at RBV, Nov. 8. First meeting since 1990 playoff upset.

THE PLAYERS

The Man: Omar Navarro, Orange Glen. The tiny quarterback (5-6, 175) passed for 2,746 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. Within three games, Cree Morris, current SDSU starter, should be erased from the OG record book in the category of career passing yardage--Navarro needs 542 yards to surpass him. Morris reached the section finals his senior season; Navarro already has been there.

Who will fill Markeith Ross’ shoes? In 1989, RBV teammates Ross and O.J. Hall were named the section co-players of the year on offense. In 1990, Ross became the county’s all-time leading ground-gainer. In 1991, O.J.’s little brother, Edric, carries on. Hall has big-game potential; he gained 190 yards against Mission Viejo last year, but finished with 516.

Others to watch on offense: Fallbrook junior John Dutton (6-4, 200) impresses Coach Tom Pack, in his second decade of the run-and-shoot; Vista back Chato Jackson, who rushed for 722 yards; Fallbrook RB Tony Burton, who actually rushed for 1,072 yards in the Warriors’ run-and-shoot; and Orange Glen’s Kris Plash, whose 71 receptions were fourth-best in section history.

Others to watch on defense: The league features, at linebacker: Orange Glen’s Paul Caputo (6-0, 195), RBV’s Funi Moi (6-1, 205), and Fallbrook’s Mike McInerny (6-1, 185) and Tim Pearson (5-11, 200). In the secondary, Vista’s Jerry Butkiewiez and RBV’s Marc Pallatto stand out.

THE INTANGIBLES

The Burke Factor: Motivator Ed Burke (61-41-3) returns for a second stint at Torrey Pines. The Falcons haven’t had a winning season since he left for San Dieguito in 1984. His effect?

“(It) solidifies a whole school that was divided in the past,” Bell said. “He’s got the whole school backing him, he’s got the district behind him, and his team is loaded. It’s like Lawrence of Arabia has returned home. I expect him to ride out on a white horse when they play us.”