FOOTBALL ’92 : THE HIGH SCHOOLS: SOUTHERN SECTION : TEAM CAPSULES

CHANNEL LEAGUE

Buena COACH: Rick Scott, 5th season LAST SEASON: 8-3; tied for 1st in league, 6-1 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior tailback George Keiaho (5-foot-10, 200 pounds), the first California freshman to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,134), rushed for 1,443 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and was named Cal-Hi state sophomore player of the year. A formidable offensive line includes junior tackle Brian Williams (6-4, 245), a returning starter; senior center Scott Probasco (6-2, 218), a reserve last season; and senior tight end Gary Lipp (6-1, 210), an exceptional blocker who became a starter late last season. Senior quarterback Aaron Triana (6-0, 185), a varsity shortstop, threw for 428 yards in the final three games last season after starter Matt Ertman broke his collarbone. Junior wide receivers Reggy Richins (5-10, 157) and John Ikenouye (5-10, 160) move up from the sophomore team. Defense strength lies with linebackers Robert Simpson (6-0, 185) and Jeremy Addison (6-1, 190), both seniors, and junior Brett Phillips (6-2, 210). Simpson was a second-team all-league selection, and Addison was honorable mention. Senior defensive back Brian Deppen (5-11, 155), a reserve last season, is recovering from an off-season motorcycle accident that left both arms in casts. Senior Travis Newbold (5-11, 190), a returning starter, might move from nose guard to defensive end. All-Ventura County kicker Troy Scott--”no relation to me except when he makes the long ones,” his coach quipped--enters his senior year with a streak of 27 consecutive PATs. OUTLOOK: The Bulldogs are long on talent--”the best I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Scott said--but short on experience. “We have so many juniors, I could talk about them forever,” Scott said. “I just don’t know which one is going to start where. It’s going to depend on how quickly they mature.” Keiaho will be one of the area’s most exciting players to watch for the next two seasons, but Buena might slip a notch with the loss of several key players.

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Hueneme COACH: Ed Knight, 2nd season LAST SEASON: 0-10, 8th in league, 0-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH: If nothing else, interest in football is on the rise at Hueneme. Two years ago, the team finished the season with 18 players. Last year, the Vikings had 26 players. This year, Knight culled the campus and came up with 40. “We really recruited a lot of kids this year,” Knight said. “We don’t expect to play too many both ways like we did last year.” Only five players are returnees. Senior quarterback David Andrade (6-3, 190), a three-year starter who passed for 1,385 and 12 touchdowns last season, is one of the best quarterbacks in Ventura County. What little experience Hueneme has lies on the defensive line, where seniors Elias Barajas (5-10, 205) and Jesus Ortega (6-1 1/2, 200), and junior Adam Lemus (5-10, 235) return as starters. Barajas is “the best of the bunch,” Knight said, although Lemus was the team’s most improved player the latter half of last season. Senior Luis Rojelio (5-7, 180), who moves from linebacker to center, is the only other returning starter. “He’s very quick,” Knight said. “Just too short for linebacker.” Beyond, Knight is spending summer practice becoming acquainted with new recruits. “It’s impossible to say where many of them will play at this point,” Knight said. OUTLOOK: Knight led Walnut to a Valle Vista League title in 1990 after many observers had predicted a last-place finish. The magic is coming more slowly at Hueneme, where Knight continues to strive toward developing a passing juggernaut. Andrade might have as much talent as any passer in the league.

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Oxnard COACH: Jack Davis, 14th season LAST SEASON: 6-4; 5th in league, 3-4 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior quarterback Larry Bumpus (5-11, 170), one of the best athletes in Ventura County, is entering his third season as a starter. Last season he passed for 1,594 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 422 and eight touchdowns. However, the team’s top three receivers last year have graduated. Replacements include wingback Chuck Harrington (6-1, 175) a junior who started in the secondary last season, and senior Charles Jones (6-5, 245), who moves from tackle to tight end and also will play on the defensive line. Senior running back Lloyd Mix (5-10, 190), who rushed for 532 yards after gaining eligibility with three games to play last season, is one of the league’s top rushers. As for a quality wide receiver, “we literally have no idea who yet we’re going to have,” Davis said. The offensive line includes junior Eric Terrill (6-1, 230), who started at center last year and will switch to tackle, and senior Matt Parker (5-11, 190), a part-time starter last year. Both also will play on the defensive line. The secondary includes Harrington and seniors Weldon Washington (5-11, 160) and Robert Ruiz (5-7, 165), both returning starters. Many players will play both ways, Davis said. OUTLOOK: Bumpus is among the league’s best quarterbacks, and Davis figures, “Anytime you have a good quarterback, you have a good team--if you can give him any help.” Oxnard will need to produce a few game-breaking threats to compete with Buena, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

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Rio Mesa COACH: John Reardon, 25th season LAST SEASON: 8-4; 4th in league, 4-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: With the loss of several starters to graduation, many of this year’s “sprinkling” of seniors will be forced to play on both sides of the ball, Reardon said. Senior Jim Starr (6-1, 215), among the league’s best linemen, will start at guard and defensive tackle. Senior Robert Medina (6-1, 225) will play outside linebacker and offensive tackle, and senior Demetrius Henderson (5-9, 180) will play defensive end and guard. “We’ll put our best athletes on the field until our juniors come along,” Reardon said. Junior Donald DiDimozio (6-0, 170), a split end-defensive back last season, and senior Derek Carson (6-0, 170), the school’s best tennis player, are battling at quarterback. DiDimozio handled a few snaps last season. At tailback, senior David Belger (5-8, 170), a transfer from Central California, and junior Johnny Espinoza (5-8, 160), the junior varsity’s leading rusher last season, are the top prospects. Senior Stanley Monroy (5-9, 170), who started at outside linebacker last season, also will play fullback. Senior linebacker Phillip Rickerson (6-0, 210) missed last season because of a knee injury. Senior Josh Severn (6-0, 160) a wide receiver-defensive back, is a returning starter. Reardon said that senior defensive tackle Paul Santeango (6-0, 234) will be an outstanding lineman. OUTLOOK: Late-season surges have highlighted the past two seasons for Rio Mesa. Last year, the Spartans entered the Division II playoffs as the at-large team, then upset undefeated Royal, the Marmonte League champion, in the opening round. Two years ago, Rio Mesa won its final three league games to sneak into the playoffs. This year, the going should be tougher. “We really are going to be a junior-laden team,” Reardon said. “I think we’ll be respectable.”

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Ventura COACH: Harvey Kochel, 13th season LAST SEASON: 9-3; tied for 1st in league, 6-1 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Three experienced ballcarriers return, led by three-year starter Derek Swafford (5-11, 175), who rushed for 1,016 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and 1,069 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore. He also caught 14 passes for 251 yards last season. Off-tackle specialist Devon Passno (5-11, 195) rushed for 997 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Junior Jake Kochel (5-11, 190), the coach’s son, rushed for 426 yards and six touchdowns last season. All three also will play part time in the secondary. Last season’s entire offensive line has graduated, but there is no shortage of talent. Senior tackle Blake Johnson stands 6-4, weighs 310 pounds and can move, Kochel said. Others vying for starting jobs include senior guards Roland Luera (6-1, 210) and Eric Bronley (5-9, 245), senior tackle Dirk Boon (6-3, 215), and centers Harold Lassiter (5-10, 200), a senior, and Sean Burdick (6-2, 220), a junior. All were reserves last season. Same goes for seniors Sergio Sanchez (5-11, 240) and Ian Nicholson (6-3, 200), who will spearhead the defensive line. The list goes on with tight end-linebacker George Lopez (6-0, 195) and tight end-defensive end Mason Meadows (6-2, 190), both promoted from the sophomore team. At quarterback, senior Mike Ellis (6-1, 180), who threw two passes as a backup last year, and sophomore Erik Olson (6-1, 175), who led the sophomore team as a freshman, are battling for the starting job. The winner will throw to a list of receivers that includes seniors Clint Dawson (6-0, 175) and Dusty Parkins (6-1, 180), and juniors Noah Walsh (6-0, 160) and Dwayne Mathis (6-0, 170). Mathis is an exceptional athlete who also will play running back. Senior inside linebackers Alex Juarez (5-10, 195) and Erik Givens (6-1, 205) both are returning starters and three-year varsity members. Junior Alfonso Delgado (5-11, 195) will play linebacker and defensive back. OUTLOOK: Ventura is the team to beat, according to most league coaches. For the third consecutive year, the Cougars should have the muscle in the trenches to wear down opponents. On offense, that should result in many holes for their backs to run through. Last season, Swafford (14), Passno (14) and Kochel (six) combined to score 34 touchdowns.