Buena Park’s Rau Flips the Switch on McDonald

Coach Bob Rau knows George McDonald was one of Orange County’s top running backs last season, so this year McDonald will get the ball on every snap . . . as Buena Park’s quarterback.

The 6-foot, 182-pound senior will start his first varsity game at quarterback when Buena Park opens the season Friday with a nonleague game at Brea-Olinda. McDonald was the big cog in the Coyote offense last season, rushing for 1,137 yards. He scored 14 touchdowns in 11 games.

But Rau, who coached La Habra to four Freeway League titles from 1982-88, wanted to install an option-oriented offense in his first year at Buena Park.

“At first, George wasn’t thrilled to death with the switch,” Rau said. “But for this offense, you have to have your best athlete at quarterback.”

McDonald, who also plays free safety, runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and is being recruited by California, Colorado, Fresno State and Illinois.

Rau’s quarterback at Duarte last season, Greg Ainsworth, led the team to the Southern Section Division VI championship game and earned division co-player of the year honors with Valencia’s Chris Draft.

“At first, I was hesitant. I really didn’t want to switch from running back,” said McDonald, who played quarterback as a freshman. “I was looking forward to playing running back and it’s easier because you can just take the ball and do what comes naturally.

“But I’m pretty comfortable at quarterback now. I look at it that I’m just a running quarterback, and now I don’t have to take as much of a pounding because most of my runs are to the perimeter,” he said.

Besides the physical changes, McDonald also needed to adjust his psyche.

“He’s had to learn that quarterback’s mentality and realize that he can’t lose it, or everybody else loses it, too,” Rau said.

The switch is one both Rau and McDonald are counting on to help the Coyotes this season.

Although Buena Park has never won a playoff football game, McDonald has some lofty goals.

“Like everybody, we’d like to win CIF,” McDonald said. “The feeling I get is that it’s gonna come together this year.”

Along with McDonald, the Coyotes return running back Jamal Allen and two top linemen in 6-3, 270-pound tackle Wali Sibrie and tackle John Demendoza who is 6-2, 248. Both linemen are Division I prospects Rau said.

“But we gotta see this team compete before we can really see how good they can be,” Rau said. “Right now we have to play a game to get better, then we can get some coaching done.”

Rau, who changed McDonald’s position, also brought a new attitude that McDonald said will help.

“Our previous coaches were in-your-face types to get you motivated,” McDonald said. “Coach Rau, he’s more laid back, like a teacher. He’ll talk to you and talk to you and talk to you, then finally, if you get him mad, he’ll yell at you.

“In the spring and summer, when I made a mistake I got really mad at myself because I was expecting to get yelled at. But now I know if I make a mistake, he’s gonna tell me what I did wrong, explain it to me, and then we move on.”

McDonald should move on to college football next season, and Rau said he could play any of three positions.

“If he wants to, he could play quarterback for a Division I option-type team like Oregon State, or Hawaii or Syracuse,” Rau said. “Some schools are recruiting him as a running back, some as a defensive back. So that’s something he’ll have to sit down and make a decision on down the line.”

Although McDonald favors playing running back in college, he’s not worrying too much about his future.

“I figure if we have a good team, everything else will fall into place for me.”