Southwest Looks to Better Days Ahead : Cougars: Although the team appeared to have the makings of a winner, the offense never developed.

With many of his top players returning from a 2-7-1 team in 1992, Southwest College football Coach Henry Washington had good reason to feel optimistic about the 1993 season.

But if Washington learned anything from the Cougars’ 3-6-1 record this season, it might be that the program is making progress slower than he anticipated.

“We kind of hit rock bottom in 1992 and we lost some key players,” Washington said. “So this year we started off hoping to just be competitive. We won three games and we felt like we could’ve won at least five.”

Except for a 45-0 loss to powerhouse Bakersfield, Southwest was competitive in every game. That was especially the case after the first six games, when the Cougars went 3-3-1.

Washington was satisfied with the defense, but the offense struggled through the first three games, scoring only 19 points in losses to Citrus (20-6), Santa Barbara (14-6) and Moorpark (20-7).

It wasn’t until the fourth game, a 30-3 win over Compton, that the offense started to break through. Perhaps the highlight for the Cougars was a 38-35 win over Valley, which was ranked in the state Top 20 by the J.C. Athletic Bureau for most of the season.

One of the players who helped turn around Southwest’s offense was Sheldon Anderson, a freshman who started the year at defensive back before moving to quarterback.

Anderson, who had his best game against Valley, said the offense lacked consistency.

“I think (the season) could’ve been so much better,” Anderson said. “It was disappointing because we didn’t play to our abilities.”

Washington said several players might change positions in 1994.

The defense should be the strength of the team. Eight starters, including lineman Harold Bell and defensive back Darrell Cooley, are expected to return. Cooley was one of the conference leaders in interceptions with six, two of which he returned for touchdowns, including a 106-yarder against Compton.

But Cooley, one of the Cougars’ fastest players, could be shifted to wide receiver.

“There’s a possibility that if we don’t (recruit) a game-breaking receiver, we may move him there,” Washington said. “(Cooley’s) just awesome when he turns it on in the open field.”

Four starters return on offense, including quarterbacks Bradley Freeman and Anderson. Washington said there is a good chance that Anderson will move back to defensive back, a change the player would welcome.

“I don’t want to play quarterback next year,” Anderson said. “I want to play cornerback or safety. I think that’s where my future is.”

Washington also thinks the expected return of offensive lineman Kevin Body and tight end Kevin Amos, two players who were academically ineligible, will help strengthen the line.

But Southwest’s priorities in recruiting will be offensive linemen and a speedy receiver.

Washington believes a Western State Conference title may not be as far away as some people think.

“We think we’re going to be at a level soon where we can compete for the conference title,” he said. “I feel real good about the future and about who’s coming back. There are also a few people we’re (recruiting) who can really help us. I think if we can keep more of our home-grown kids here in the future, this program really has a lot of potential.”