Best of the Backfields : This Top 10 List Celebrates Performances by Foursomes, Not Individuals, in Last 25 Years in O.C.

At first glance, The Times’ list of the best prep football backfields in Orange County over the last 25 years, appears to have some startling omissions.

NFL players Steve Beuerlein, Derek Brown and Ken Margerum didn’t make it.

But keep in mind, the selection of these top backfields was based on the performance of the group, not the individual. We looked at statistics and consulted numerous coaches, former players and local football historians to compile the list.

While two county NFL players, including Edison’s Mark Boyer (New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts) and El Toro’s Scott Miller (Miami Dolphins) played on two of the best backfields, many of the county’s finest stars didn’t.

Ray Pallares of Valencia, the county’s all-time leading rusher with 5,396 yards, didn’t make it. Neither did the county’s all-time leading passer, Todd Marinovich of Mater Dei and Capistrano Valley, who played for USC and the Raiders.

Only one Fountain Valley backfield made the list, although the Barons’ honor roll includes former NFL players Emile Harry (Kansas City Chiefs) and Margerum (Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers) and current NFL receiver Mike Cook (Phoenix Cardinals).

Rancho Alamitos’ Green Machine, a Division VI finalist in 1992, didn’t make the list although it had the county’s all-time single-season rushing leader in Jeff Byrd.

What about San Diego State quarterback David Lowery and Trabuco Hills’ Division VIII champions of 1988? Bob Caffrey’s passing attack at Loara in 1979? Nope, not here.

El Modena’s championship team of 1984 with Brett Johnson and Robert Lee’s Santa Ana teams of the mid ‘80s? We found 10 groups better.

Here’s The Times Orange County’s top 10 backfields:

1. Edison, 1979

Quarterback Frank Seurer, running back Kerwin Bell, running back Mark Churchwood, receiver Mark Boyer.

This group stands above the rest. It is the closest one high school has come to an all-star backfield.

There was an explosive runner (Bell), a prolific passer (Seurer), a sticky-fingered receiver (Boyer) and a blue-collar fullback (Churchwood).

Seurer played with Bell at Kansas before moving on to play for two years in the USFL with the L.A. Express (1984-85) and two more with the Kansas City Chiefs (1986-87).

Boyer played eight seasons in the NFL, with the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets, after playing at USC under John Robinson and Ted Tollner.

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Edison Coach Dave White said. White coached the Edison freshmen in ’79 and came up to help Coach Bill Workman during that year’s playoffs.

Although the Chargers lost twice that season, they marched through the playoffs, defeating their opponents by an average score of 33-7. Edison defeated Redlands in the championship game, 55-0.

“We scored four touchdowns in the third quarter of that game . . . Frank got hotter than heck and it seemed like every time Kerwin touched the ball, everyone held their breath,” White said.

Said El Toro Coach Mike Milner, who coached rival Fountain Valley: “The ’79 Edison team was the best team I played against.”

2. El Toro ’86

Quarterback Bret Johnson, running back Aly Diaz, running back Scott Ross, receiver Scott Miller.

Perhaps the best compliment this backfield could receive was that Johnson and his teammates always found a way to win.

Johnson, a two-time Southern Conference player of the year, led the Chargers to consecutive Southern Section championships in ’86 and ’87. El Toro did not lose a game in those seasons.

In ‘86, Johnson had a variety of weapons to use, including tailback Diaz, a 1,000-yard rusher, and Miller, who caught 63 passes for 1,020 yards and 13 touchdowns that season.

But Johnson was the catalyst.

“Bret was a great leader and great competitor,” Capistrano Valley Coach Eric Patton said. “You didn’t want him to have the ball with the game on the line.

“Diaz was a strong, slashing runner and that made that team. You had to stop their power running game. But, if you stopped the run, Bret would kill you with the passing. One thing that people have forgotten is Bret was a great runner. He was mobile and threw well on the run.”

While Bret made the list, his younger brother, Rob, didn’t. USC’s starting quarterback played wide receiver for El Toro’s 1989 squad, which had Steve Stenstrom at quarterback. Stenstrom now starts for Stanford.

The ’89 Chargers lost to Paramount, 26-20, in the Division III final.

3. Fountain Valley ’77

Quarterback Doug Thompson, running back Jim Freeman, running back Willie Gittens, receiver Tim Holmes.

This was perhaps the most talented Fountain Valley team of this era, but the Barons didn’t win the Southern Section title until ’78.

In ‘78, quarterback Gil Compton and running back Sam Centofante led Fountain Valley to a 34-14 victory over Servite in the Big Five championship game.

But the memories of Gittens linger.

“Kerwin Bell was a little faster and a little more physical, but both were great,” Milner said. “Willie had that acceleration, vision, and a natural instinct that can’t be coached.”

Gittens scored 25 touchdowns in nine regular-season games, and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

Thompson also had a big season, passing for 1,280 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gittens and Thompson received scholarships to play at Arizona State.

Fountain Valley was unbeaten and the top-seeded team in the Big Five, but the Barons were upset by Los Angeles Loyola, 21-20, in the second round when Fountain Valley kicker Mike Hamil, who hadn’t missed a conversion all season, hit the crossbar with his extra-point attempt in overtime and the Barons lost by one.

4. Valencia ’91

Quarterback Marc O’Brien, running back Willie Barnes, running back Ryan Roskelly, receiver Korey Alexander.

“That was our best team, head and shoulders above the others,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said.

Who could argue?

Barnes rushed for 1,246 yards while Roskelly, the Division VI player of the year, rushed for 1,070 yards. O’Brien passed for 226 yards in the 27-7 victory over Tustin in the Division VI championship game, and finished the regular season as the county’s top-rated passer.

“To tell you the truth, we didn’t have any close calls that season,” Marrujo said. “We beat a very good Woodbridge team, 48-14, in the semifinals.

“We had five guys who could go wire to wire,” he said.

Korey and twin brother Kevin Alexander rounded out the Tigers’ backfield. Korey scored 16 touchdowns in the regular season, and Kevin was the team’s top receiver. Both also were standout sprinters for Valencia’s track team.

Although all five backs graduated, Rob Petko and Chris Draft helped the Tigers win a second consecutive Division VI championship last season. The Tigers are seeking No. 3 this season, and are ranked No. 2 in the division.

5. Los Alamitos ’92

Quarterback Tim Carey, running back Marchant Wright, receiver Don Ruberio, receiver George Sagen.

The first of the true finesse backfields on our list is led by Carey, who passed for 5,898 yards during his career, and Sagen, who had 153 receptions in ’91 and ’92.

The four backs helped the Griffins win consecutive Division II titles in ’91 and ’92.

“Because they did it over two years, that’s pretty incredible,” Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said.

Carey, now at Stanford, passed for 3,397 yards and 35 touchdowns in ‘92, leading the Griffins to an unbeaten season and a share of the Division II football championship.

Los Alamitos tied Esperanza, 14-14, in ‘92, after defeating the Aztecs, 8-0, in the ’91 title game.

“Carey was the best I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Barnes said. “Marchant was a great back, he just didn’t have the breakaway speed. And having Sagen and Ruberio for two years was heaven.”

But the ’92 backfield wasn’t the only great one in Los Alamitos history. Some may argue for the 1989 backfield, which featured quarterback Todd Gragnano, now at Louisville, running back Erik Mitchell, now at Colorado, and receiver Tyler Cashman, now at USC.

And Barnes thinks his current group of quarterback Mike Good, running back Enrico Bozman, and receivers Brad Melsby and Anthony Tucker, could be his best yet. The Griffins are 8-0 this season and top-ranked in the county.

6. Santa Ana Valley ’74

Quarterback Fred Morales, running back Wilbert Haslip, running back Myron White, receiver Noble Franklin.

White earned Lower Division 3-A player of the year honors in ’74 after rushing for 1,743 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns. He finished his career with 4,164 yards rushing, which, at the time, was the all-time record in Orange County.

Haslip was an All-Southern Section 3-A linebacker in ’74 who played fullback for the Falcons. He went on to play fullback at Hawaii.

“We got beat in the ’73 playoffs, but the backfield matured in ‘74,” said Coach Dick Hill, who is now an assistant at Savanna. “I think Myron could have had posted a CIF record that no one could have touched, but I pulled him out of a lot of games early so we didn’t run up the score.”

Hill estimated that White averaged only 2 1/2 quarters of playing time that season, when the Falcons finished 11-1-2.

Although UCLA offered White a scholarship to play football, he passed it up and signed for $60,000 to play baseball for the Dodgers, where he spent six seasons.

But White, who earned the nickname “Miracle” while at Santa Ana Valley, made his mark on the football field.

“Myron White is one of the three-best running backs I’ve seen in Orange County,” Milner said.

7. Capistrano Valley ’89

Quarterback Tony Solliday, running back Paul Shaheen, receiver Dave Poltl, receiver Dan Zamora.

Solliday, now a quarterback at Navy, led the Cougars to 12 consecutive victories before the heartbreaking semifinal loss to Paramount.

Trailing, 28-21, with four minutes remaining, Solliday completed six of seven passes during a 63-yard drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass to Zamora. He also connected with Zamora for a touchdown in the California tiebreaker, but the Cougars lost when Paramount scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

In the 1990 Division II championship game against Paramount, Solliday drove the Cougars 81 yards in the final two minutes to set up a game-winning field goal that lifted Capistrano Valley to a 17-15 victory.

“Solliday was the glue that held it all together,” Patton said.

Solliday passed for 2,344 yards in ‘89, and finished his career with 6,591 yards passing, third on the all-time Orange County list behind Todd Marinovich and Bret Johnson.

In ‘89, Shaheen rushed for more than 1,000 yards, while Poltl (44 receptions) and Zamora (31 receptions) were Solliday’s top receivers in the regular season.

Poltl would have his best season in ‘90, catching 84 passes for 1,312 yards. Only Los Alamitos’ Rob Katzaroff, who had 93 receptions in 1985, caught more passes during a single-season in Orange County.

8. Western ’72

Quarterback Bobby Acosta, running back Bob Dapper, running back Allen Osborn, receiver Gary Caskey.

Acosta led the Pioneers to consecutive appearances in the Major Division championship games of ’71 and ’72 but came away with no championships.

But Acosta still would be named Major Division player of the year in ‘72, after rushing for 986 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns, and passing for 1,540 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“He looked like he was ready for the NFL at Western,” said Irvine Coach Terry Henigan, who was an assistant under Coach Jim Everett at Western. “He was faster than heck and he was big and strong enough to run over people. He also had that same kind of charisma that Bret Johnson had, that leadership quality.”

Acosta led the Pioneers’ Houston veer option offense, which concerned Anaheim Coach Clare VanHoorebeke so much that the Colonists’ coach sent an assistant to Houston to study the offense before they played each other.

At 5 feet 11, 195 pounds, Acosta was offered a scholarship to play at UCLA by Coach Pepper Rodgers. But Dick Vermeil replaced Rodgers, and after Acosta learned that he would be playing behind John Sciarra, who would lead the Bruins to the Rose Bowl, he chose to play at Fullerton College instead.

“Acosta was the best option quarterback I ever saw,” Milner said.

9. Bolsa Grande ’87

Quarterback Damon Fisher, running back Ricky Lepule, running back Travin Lui, running back Shannon Valdez.

This backfield led the Matadors to a Central Conference championship in ‘86, but made a second-round exit from the ’87 playoffs in a 36-33 loss to Saddleback.

The loss stopped a 20-game unbeaten streak on the field for the Matadors. Although Bolsa Grande forfeited five games in 1987 for using an ineligible player, their numbers from that season are staggering.

Fisher rushed for 1,184 yards, averaging more than 12 yards a carry, and scored 17 touchdowns while passing for 663 yards and seven touchdowns.

“Fisher was a fine athlete,” Marrujo said. “I’ve seen a lot of better passers, but in terms of running the option, he’s the best I’ve seen.”

Lui rushed for 1,271 yards, scored 18 touchdowns, and was the team’s leading tackler. Lepule led the trio with 1,504 yards rushing and scored 16 touchdowns. Valdez, a reserve running back, rushed for 679 yards.

“That team meant a lot to the school,” said Coach Greg Shadid, now an assistant at Orange Coast College. “At one time we were ranked No. 1 in Orange County, No. 1 in our (Southern Section) division and No. 1 in our state division.

“At pep rallies, when the kids started chanting, ‘We’re No. 1,’ they were right. It’s hard to imagine that at one time Bolsa Grande was rated No. 1 in Orange County.”

Said Barnes: “For a ground game, they might have been as good as anybody. The fact that they didn’t have to pass to score all those points is pretty amazing.”

10. Edison ’81

Quarterback Ken Major, running back Dave Geroux, running back Theo Langford, receiver Brett Blanchard.

Workman calls this his second best backfield. A considerable compliment, considering the 1980 group, led by Major and running back Dino Bell (Kerwin’s brother), went 14-0. But Workman is still partial to the 1981 backfield.

“That group had balance, with Kenny throwing and Dave and Theo alternating at running back. Dave was a tremendous runner who looked like he was ticketed for the NFL.”

Geroux gained 796 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry despite leaving games early because Edison had big leads. Major threw for 2,063 yards and 18 touchdowns. Blanchard caught 45 passes, seven for touchdowns. It was all part of the Charger chain.

The Chargers had won back-to-back Big Five conference titles. They had won 32 consecutive games, were ranked No. 1 in the country by one recruiting magazine and their games were broadcast live in radio.

It all came crashing down in the first round of the playoffs, when Servite pulled off a 14-7 upset.

Times staff writer Chris Foster contributed to this story.

The Top 10

The Times’ top 10 Orange County high school backfields of the last 25 years, as compiled by Michael Itagaki and Chris Foster with the help of coaches and long-time observers of local prep athletics. “Backfield” is a quarterback, at least one running back and two other skill-position players, depending on the offense. 1. Edison 1979: Three future Division I college backs led Edison to a 55-0 victory in title game.

2. El Toro 1986: Bret Johnson led El Toro to consecutive Southern Conference championships.

3. Fountain Valley 1977: Talented collection of backs who never won a Southern Section championship.

4. Valencia 1991: Speed and balance helped the Tigers’ win the first of two Division VI titles.

5. Los Alamitos 1992: Stanford quarterback Tim Carey led Los Alamitos to two section titles.

6. Santa Ana Valley 1974: “Miracle” White helped the Falcons win their most recent section title.

7. Capistrano Valley 1989: After a semifinal loss in ‘89, this backfield rebounded to win the ’90 title.

8. Western 1972: Player of the year Bobby Acosta led Western to title games in ’71 and ’72.

9. Bolsa Grande 1987: Three 1,000-yard rushers helped Bolsa Grande average 40 points.

10. Edison 1981: Helped Chargers earn 1 national ranking before first-round playoff upset.