The New Guy Showed Them : Prep football: Steve Saum survived sophomore hazing to help carry downtrodden Nordhoff program to respectability.

It was exactly the type of greeting a neophyte quarterback did not need. Yet veteran members of the Nordhoff High football team went out of their way to make Steve Saum feel anything but welcome.

Some Ranger juniors and seniors two years ago delighted in giving Saum the cold shoulder and unmercifully criticizing him for the slightest of transgressions. In fact, being as unpleasant as possible to Saum became a popular activity during an otherwise forgettable season.

What did the wide-eyed 15-year-old sophomore do to incur the upperclassmen’s wrath?

“Some of the older guys didn’t think I should be starting over seniors,” Saum said. “The older guys wanted to have a great season, and they didn’t think a sophomore should be in there at such an important position.

“I got hassled--a lot.”

So much so that Saum considered walking away from the sport he loves. A little good-natured jocularity is one thing, Saum thought, but the deluge of hostility he faced was too much to handle.

Enter Coach Cliff Farrar, who was determined to keep Saum on the field. As long as Farrar called the shots, Saum would be the Rangers’ quarterback.

“I pulled him aside one night and told him he was my guy no matter what,” Farrar said. “Things weren’t going well for him or the team, but I knew he would do great things for us in the future.

“I just wanted to let him know that I had a lot of confidence in him.”

Good move.

Two years later, Saum is a standout senior quarterback--and leader--for Nordhoff (11-1). He will direct the Rangers against undefeated Montclair Prep (11-0) tonight at 7:30 in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division IX playoffs at Valley College.

“Steve’s leadership and talent are two of the key reasons we’ve reached the point we have,” Farrar said. “He has done everything I expected of him and more.

“He’s been the best quarterback I’ve had in my six years here.”

Saum, 17, quickly helped transform the Rangers into a Frontier League power. After taking some lumps both physically and emotionally during a 4-6 campaign as a sophomore, he has led the Rangers to two consecutive league titles. Nordhoff is undefeated in league play during that span (8-0).

The Rangers also have set a school record for victories in a season, breaking the old mark of eight, and this is the first time the team has advanced to the semifinals of a section divisional playoff.

While his statistics were less than outstanding last season (761 yards, seven touchdowns, 13 interceptions), Saum was a second-team all-league selection. He has improved considerably this year, completing 55% of his passes for 1,403 yards.

Saum set a school single-season record with 22 touchdown passes, and he has thrown only four interceptions.

Not bad for a guy who is isn’t exceptionally big, strong or fast. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Saum acknowledges he does not accomplish much on physical attributes alone.

Calabasas Coach Larry Edwards has seen Saum develop into “the league’s most savvy passer.”

“He just has such good instincts, he has the ability to make plays work even if they are not executed 100% correctly,” Edwards said. “You can see that he has acquired a good sense of the game.”

Ironically, Saum credits the sometimes nightmarish experiences of his sophomore season with helping him achieve success as a quarterback and a leader.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without the stuff that happened when I was a sophomore,” he said. “I’ve worked hard to prove myself and I try to set a good example by always encouraging my teammates.

“That’s how you get people to play like a team and not individuals.”

A three-sport letterman, Saum plays shortstop on the baseball team and point guard on the basketball team. It is no coincidence he toils at the positions generally regarded as the primary leadership spots in each sport.

“I like leading people by setting a good example, it’s not like I’m on a power trip or anything like that,” he said. “I have confidence, but I’m not cocky.”

While being cheered for his athletic endeavors, Saum has maintained his academic focus. He is enrolled in college-preparatory classes and has a 3.0 grade-point average.

Saum, whose family is from Seattle, dreams of playing quarterback for the Washington Huskies. However, he realizes that is a longshot.

“I’ve wanted to go there since I was a little kid, but all of the quarterbacks they give scholarships to are like 6-4, 220,” said Saum, who said he is being recruited by NAIA schools.

At the moment, however, Saum is still the Rangers’ quarterback. Brimming with the confidence of a three-year starter, he proclaims Nordhoff will go to the championship game.

“If we lose (to Montclair Prep), it will be because we beat ourselves, not because they are better than us,” Saum said. “If we go out there and want to do it we will. It’s basically up to us to just believe in what we do.”

Spoken like a true leader.