Good Cop, Bad Cop Work Together in Leadership Role at Irvine : Division IV: George Linares and Jay Wojtkiewicz help lead Vaqueros into the championship game.

One will pat you on the back, the other will kick your butt.

It’s precisely the kind of contrasting leadership a football team needs, and Irvine’s has it in the senior linebacking duo of George Linares and Jay Wojtkiewicz.

Those leadership qualities, along with some football know-how, will be on the line Saturday night when the Vaqueros (12-1) play Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (12-1) for the Division IV Southern Section championship at Orange Coast College.

“We’re very pleased with our offense,” Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said. “But our program at Irvine has always been based on defense. And as the only returning starters on defense, George and Jay create the kind of intensity we need and do the things we need to get done.”

Such as . . .

Gentle nudges, compliments of Wojtkiewicz, and swift kicks by Linares, although Henigan said both are content to let their play speak volumes.

“They’re not rah-rah types,” he said. “They lead by example. They practice hard. We recognize a practice player of the week, and it could go to either of them every week.”

Both players recognize each other’s value and say the end justifies their means.

“We’re both trying to get the same things done,” Wojtkiewicz said. “We just go about it differently.”

What Irvine will attempt to do Saturday is win its third consecutive section title, following Division II championship in 1991 and last year’s Division IV banner. However, the Vaqueros don’t care much about history.

One title. One hundred one titles. This is the only one that means anything to anyone right now.

“It’s not exactly all of us that have won two championships,” said Wojtkiewicz, who was a varsity letterman his sophomore year and has two titles to his credit. “We’re not the ones three-peating. A lot of people here now had nothing to do with the team two years ago.”

Although he wasn’t a varsity player all season, Linares had a little bit to do with Irvine’s 1991 team, since he was called up for playoffs.

“I want to end it with a great year,” he said. “I want something to look back on when I grow older.”

Several games into the season, Wojtkiewicz grew tired of a nit-picking defense that tended to point fingers when things weren’t going right. He singled out the Newport Harbor and Santa Margarita games as minor turning points.

Linares pointed to the Nov. 26 Foothill game, which Irvine won, 27-24. Their common thread?

Irvine was losing in each and came back to win.

“Jay and I were talking to everyone, asking them how much they wanted it (against Foothill),” Linares said. “We asked them if they wanted this season to end. We really worked together.”

Broken down, their defensive styles are quite different. Linares welcomes one-on-one confrontations. Wojtkiewicz can be deceptive.

“He has more speed than I have,” Linares said. “I’m more aggressive.”

Said Wojtkiewicz: “He’s good at taking on the big blocker. I try to use my speed to get to them before they get to me.”

Jay’s way has given him 90 tackles, five sacks, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt. George has chalked up 111 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery and two interceptions.

Henigan’s senior defensive standouts have played side by side for the last four games. Before that, Wojtkiewicz was at defensive end, but was moved back to his old linebacking position when the need arose.

Linares was a linebacker his sophomore year, but played tight end last year. Both prefer their current positions to others they’ve played.

“Inside linebacker allows you to make a big hit on a run play, and that gets people on the defense going,” Wojtkiewicz said. “And you have a chance to be in on every play.”

Unlike past Irvine teams, this bunch considers itself a blue-collar crowd with ordinary talent and a work ethic second to none.

“There have been some superstars, but not this year,” Linares said. “Me and Jay are just ordinary football players who work hard, play hard and get the job done. Everyone can consider themselves a superstar if they do the work, not just the ones that get their names in the paper. The superstars are the guys who get the job done for their team.”

Like Linares and Wojtkiewicz have all season, each in their own way.

Division IV Facts and Figures

IRVINE

Starting Lineup OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 14 Mike Phelps 6-5 210 Sr. FB 34 Tony Mathis 5-7 165 Sr. HB 11 Sean Clark 5-9 145 Jr. WR 81 Tommy Louie 6-0 180 Sr. WR 5 Geoff Noisy 6-1 180 Sr. TE 46 Travis Kowalewsky 6-0 190 Sr. OT 66 Matt Meehan 6-4 240 Sr. OG 60 John Puente 6-0 255 Sr. C 65 Jeff Hagstrom 6-1 250 Jr. OG 77 Scott Ehlert 6-4 250 Sr. OT 63 Garrett Terlaak 6-1 225 Sr. PK 81 Tommy Louie 6-0 180 Sr.

*

DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DL 64 Adam Wright 6-1 195 Sr. DL 76 Dave Cook 6-3 200 Sr. DL 58 Geoff Hatcher 6-1 200 Sr. DL 68 Jeff Bodholdt 6-2 235 Sr. ILB 31 George Linares 6-2 220 Sr. ILB 45 Jay Wojtkiewicz 6-4 200 Sr. OLB 33 Chuck Gates 6-2 195 Sr. OLB 43 Brian Flynn 5-11 175 Jr. DB 7 Dan Booher 6-0 175 Sr. DB 32 Jason Miele 5-10 165 Jr. DB 47 Chris Austin 6-2 185 Jr. P 81 Tommy Louie 6-0 180 Sr.

*

SEASON RESULTS (12-1)

35: Esperanza: 17

35: Mission Viejo: 7

21: Fountain Valley: 28

23: Corona del Mar: 20

28: Tustin: 17

38: Woodbridge: 22

29: Santa Margarita: 26

29: Newport Harbor: 21

35: Saddleback: 21

42: University: 7

Playoffs

35: West Hills Chaminade: 16

27: Foothill: 24

42: Glendora: 21

*

CANYON SPRINGS

Starting Lineup OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 21 Ryan Roques 5-11 165 Jr. FB 35 Darrell Franklin 5-10 170 Jr. HB 23 Marcelle Williams 5-11 185 Sr. WB 5 Bryan Howard 5-10 170 Sr. WR 83 Richard Bowling 5-9 145 Jr. TE 44 Matt Driscoll 6-0 195 Jr. OT 63 Brandon Reitan 6-3 240 Jr. OG 62 Kevin Ogle 5-11 200 Sr. C 74 Hiromi Harris 5-10 235 Jr. OG 55 L.D. Landtiser 6-0 205 Jr. OT 73 Michael Frank 6-4 240 Sr. PK 63 Brandon Reitan 6-3 240 Jr.

*

DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DL 70 Andre Pepper 6-3 215 Sr. DL 43 Manny Sobredo 5-9 180 Sr. DL 66 Rich Orellano 5-11 205 Sr. DL 55 L.D. Landtiser 6-0 205 Jr. ILB 44 Matt Driscoll 6-0 195 Jr. ILB 95 Nathan Mutter 6-1 200 Sr. OLB 7 Armando Ramos 5-10 170 Jr. OLB 32 Gilbert Robles 5-9 165 Sr. CB 3 Robert Grays 6-2 170 Sr. CB 8 Chris Jones 5-10 155 Jr. FS 21 Ryan Roques 5-11 165 Jr. P 63 Brandon Reitan 6-3 240 Jr.

SEASON RESULTS (12-1)

7: Fontana: 0

65: Upland: 21

19: Rialto Eisenhower: 41

35: Moreno Valley: 0

56: Palm Springs: 0

14: Riverside Arlington: 0

27: Riverside Rubidoux: 20

24: Riverside Poly: 14

34: Riverside Ramona: 20

30: Riverside North: 3

Playoffs

27: Canyon: 21

37: La Verne Damien: 21

27: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: 7