TODAY’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Madrigal Finally Finds Niche as Tackle at Fullerton College

Ray Madrigal, as with many who play community college football, never had any plans to compete at that level.

Not because he had lofty expectations of playing on the offensive line at Notre Dame, one of the powerhouse Florida schools, or any other big-time Division I program.

The exact opposite was true in fact.

Madrigal, who was a two-year starter at offensive tackle for Servite High School, had hoped to attend the University of San Diego, a Division III school that offered little more than obscurity when it came to football.

Madrigal said he simply “fell in love with the campus” and wanted to go there.

But things didn’t work out, and now three years later, Madrigal is starting at left offensive tackle for Fullerton College, which plays host to Saddleback at 7 tonight in a Mission Conference Central Division game.

Madrigal wasn’t accepted to San Diego, a private school that has high academic standards and a long waiting list, and planned to attend Fullerton until he could qualify.

He didn’t play football in 1989 and just attended classes. But with the encouragement of his girlfriend, he decided to go out last season.

“I wasn’t real hard to convince,” said Madrigal, who spent his time going to class and working at Disneyland.

Last year, he spent most of the season learning to play guard after being a tackle in high school. He played more and more as the season progressed, but never started.

During the off-season, Fullerton offensive line coach Glenn Thomas decided to switch Madrigal back to tackle to fill a void. So Madrigal spent his spring and summer lifting to improve the strength of his 6-foot, 255-pound frame, and learning the tackle position all over again on the community college level.

Thomas says Madrigal has learned his position well.

“Ray is an excellent pass-blocker as well as (blocking for) the run,” Thomas said. “He works hard, has a lot of pride in what he does and he isn’t afraid to suggest things that might work as well. He’s just the total package in what an offensive lineman should be.”

Now that Madrigal is playing football again, he no longer thinks of going to the University of San Diego.

Instead, he is looking to move on to a bigger football school.

“After high school I didn’t think I would play again,” he said. “But now I know I would really like to go on and play.”

In tonight’s Mission Conference Central Division games:

Golden West (4-1, 3-1) at Riverside (1-4, 1-3), 7 p.m.--Riverside has the top rushing offense (284 yards per game) in the conference and Golden West is fourth in rushing defense at 96 yards per game. Golden West has only allowed four rushing touchdowns, but Riverside has run for 14.

Riverside has played better this season than its record suggests, losing three games by a total of four points.

Golden West defeated Riverside, 22-13, last season.

Orange Coast (5-0, 4-0) vs. Rancho Santiago (1-4, 0-4), Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.--Orange Coast has moved up to second in the J.C. Grid-Wire national ranking and is ranked second in California as well. This is the highest the Pirates have been ranked on either list since 1975.

College of the Sequoias is No. 1 in both rankings.

OCC has shown great depth at running back with Adrain Steen (368 yards), Shane Sherman (352) and Eric Washington (238).

Rancho Santiago is hoping to regroup after a 51-17 loss to Pasadena last Saturday that was the fourth in a row for the Dons. Last season, Rancho Santiago beat OCC, 43-15.

Saddleback (4-1, 3-1) at Fullerton (4-1, 3-1), 7 p.m.--This game features the two winningest coaches in the history of community of college football as well as two fine teams. Hal Sherbeck has 237 victories and is in his 31st season. Swearingen, in his 30th season, has 224 victories.

The game also matches two top-20 football teams in the J.C. Grid-Wire ranking. Fullerton is 13th and Saddleback is 20th. Saddleback won last season’s game, 31-29.