Foes Can’t Keep Up With Jones : Division X: Brethren Christian lineman is 6 feet 3, 295 pounds, but he has surprising quickness.

Darryl Jones, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound Brethren Christian lineman, took one look at his lunch plate and knew it wouldn’t be enough.

Jones had come to the Sequoia Athletic Club in Buena Park to be introduced with teammates Reggie Davis and Keith Washington to reporters the week of the Warriors’ Southern Section Division X championship game.

Lunch was also part of the deal, but Jones was thinking, this is a meal?

“They served a real petite portion of chicken breast,” Jones said. “So I said to the waiter, ‘Excuse me, sir. I’m a big guy and you have a lot of food. I’m sure we can work something out.’ ”

Jones was given another plate.

“I’m just a real negotiable guy,” explained Jones, who would like to go to law school. “I see something I want and figure it doesn’t hurt to ask. All they can do is say, ‘No.’ ”

Some would think that it wouldn’t be prudent to say no to someone pushing 300 pounds, but Jones is only menacing on the football field. Off the field, he has the personality of a gentle bear, Brethren Christian Coach Ken Sharrar said.

“He’s a people person,” Sharrar said. “Whether it’s with people he really knows or people he doesn’t know well, he really affirms people. He’s a positive person to be around.”

It’s Jones’ behavior on the field, of course, that has college football recruiters interested. Jones has scheduled trips to Oregon State, Utah State and San Diego State and is excited about the prospects of moving from Division X in high school to Division I in college.

But this week, Jones is trying to block his plans from his thoughts and concentrate on tonight’s game against top-seeded and undefeated Los Angeles Baptist. He is even ducking phone calls from college recruiters to free his mind.

“I’m just trying to focus on this game,” he said. “I don’t even care about colleges right now.”

College was even more removed from his thoughts when he joined the Brethren Christian football team as a freshman. He had never played any organized sports, but he was big (taller than 6 feet and 225 pounds) and people told him he should be playing football.

“I just thought I would be able to come out and kill everybody because I was a big guy,” Jones said. “It took me a year to find out you have to work hard to get to the point where I am now.”

In the beginning, Jones was terribly out of shape, but he overcame his distaste for working out because he enjoyed the sport so much. As a freshman, he was good enough to finish the season on the varsity; he has started nearly every game since then.

Last year, playing at 320 pounds, he was named the most valuable defensive player of the Olympic League. This year he has slimmed to 290 pounds and says he’s now even more mobile; that 5.2 second 40-yard dash he ran then is probably closer to 5.0.

“I’m not a big guy whose stomach gets in the way of doing anything,” Jones said.

In the past, some coaches have questioned his intensity, but Sharrar, in his first season as head coach, has no doubts about Jones’ desire.

“As a young player, he needed extra motivation because everything came easy to him,” Sharrar said. “Now, we sometimes have to motivate him to tone it down.”

Jones’ teammates elected him one of the three captains before the season and he has let no one down.

From his position on the defensive line, he has been in on 104 tackles, second on the team to middle linebacker Washington (110). Jones leads the team in forced fumbles (four), fumble recoveries (three) and sacks (six). The Warrior defense has given up an average of 186 yards per game and was second in Orange County to Los Alamitos in that category after the regular season.

On offense, Jones and Joel Baptiste, a 245-pound junior guard, make up the right side of the line that has helped spring Washington and halfback Mark Stump to 1,000-yard seasons.

Jones’ biggest frustration is that many teams are calling plays that avoid his side of the field on defense. Sharrar says Jones is fast enough to cross the field, but Jones still feels a bit cheated.

“It’s kind of a respect thing, but, hey, I want my tackles,” Jones said with a laugh. “Keith Washington and I have been fighting for tackles all year. I’m trying to prove to him that defensive tackles can get more tackles than linebackers. The backers usually get all the glory.”

Division X Facts and Figures

BRETHREN CHRISTIAN

Starting Lineup

OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 12 Reggie Davis 6-4 195 Sr. RB 44 Keith Washington 5-10 205 Sr. RB 31 Mark Stump 6-0 170 Sr. WR 27 Darin Dobler 6-0 175 Sr. WR 22 Robert Kogler 5-11 160 Jr. TE 87 Andy Brown 6-5 200 Sr. RT 70 Darryl Jones 6-3 295 Sr. RG 65 Joel Baptiste 5-10 245 Jr. C 59 Bill DeLeon 5-10 215 Sr. LG 55 Jim DeWeese 5-9 180 Sr. LT 73 Mike Lastrina 6-2 235 Sr. PK 20 Jim Ayres 6-1 150 Sr.

DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DT 70 Darryl Jones 6-3 295 Sr. NG 65 Joel Baptiste 5-10 245 Sr. DE 87 Andy Brown 6-5 200 Sr. LB 33 Matt Greenwood 5-10 185 Sr. LB 55 Jim DeWeese 5-9 180 Sr. LB 44 Keith Washington 5-10 205 Sr. LB 7 Kevin Vasquez 5-9 155 Sr. CB 5 Mike Harriman 5-9 160 Sr. CB 13 Ryan Babcock 6-1 165 Jr. FS 31 Mark Stump 6-0 170 Sr. SS 12 Reggie Davis 6-4 195 Sr. P 33 Matt Greenwood 5-10 185 Sr.

SEASON RESULTS (11-2)

0: Bellflower: 12

7: Fillmore: 6

34: Maranatha: 6

41: La Serna: 6

20: El Cajon Christian: 7

34: Whittier Christian: 14

21: Ontario Christian: 14

21: Orange Lutheran: 3

13: Calvary Chapel: 30

13: Cerritos Valley Christian: 10

Playoffs

34: Rosamond: 6

27: Cathedral City: 13

28: Yucca Valley: 21

LOS ANGELES BAPTIST

Starting Lineup

OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 2 Zack Hernandez 6-0 160 Sr. RB 33 Jeff Symington 5-7 175 Sr. WR 3 Jim Romero 6-0 185 Sr. WR 9 Matt Hernandez 6-0 170 Sr. WR 88 Dana Berg 6-1 195 Sr. WR 13 Craig Lord 6-0 210 Sr. RT 52 Dave Clark 6-0 240 So. RG 58 John Palmerson 5-9 190 Sr. C 76 John Pinto 5-8 290 Sr. LG 79 Brian Lynch 5-11 195 Sr. LT 75 Henry Matthews 6-0 300 Sr. PK 22 Adrian Kaali-Nagy 5-9 160 Jr.

DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 51 Trent Mooney 6-1 225 Sr. DT 75 Henry Matthews 6-0 300 Sr. NG 47 Jon Gandara 5-8 175 Sr. DE 79 Brian Lynch 5-11 195 Sr. OLB 35 Chad Ruffner 5-8 165 Sr. MLB 13 Craig Lord 6-0 210 Sr. OLB 7 Ryan O’Connell 6-0 196 Sr. CB 9 Matt Hernandez 6-0 170 Sr. CB 37 Rocky Mertz 5-8 155 Sr. SS 88 Dana Berg 6-1 195 Sr. FS 40 Brandon Lopez 6-0 190 Sr. P 3 Jim Romero 6-0 185 Sr.

SEASON RESULTS (12-0)

47: Rosamond: 26

27: Calvary Chapel: 3

16: Oak Park: 15

34: Fillmore: 7

43: St. Bonaventure: 18

49: Maranatha: 0

28: Marshall: 7

38: Paraclete: 14

31: Village Christian: 18

Playoffs

34: Silver Valley: 20

28: St. Genevieve: 20

45: Ontario Christian: 0

Division X Championship

Brethren Christian vs. Los Angeles Baptist

RECORDS--Brethren Christian (11-2); L.A. Baptist (12-0)

SITE--Van Nuys Birmingham High School, 7:30 p.m.

BRETHREN CHRISTIAN--The Warriors, who lost in the semifinals last year, advanced to this final with a 28-21 California-tiebreaker overtime victory over Yucca Valley on Saturday. Keith Washington scored on a four-yard fourth-down run and Joel Baptiste forced a fumble on Yucca Valley’s first possession, giving the Warriors the victory. Brethren gets things done with the run--Washington has rushed for 1,213 yards and 15 touchdowns and Mark Stump has rushed for 1,069 yards and five touchdowns. The Warrior defense, anchored by lineman Darryl Jones and linebacker Washington, is also solid.

L.A. BAPTIST--The top-seeded Knights breezed in their semifinal, defeating Ontario Christian, 45-0, as quarterback Zack Hernandez passed for 264 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. Hernandez, who directs the Knights’ potent run-and-shoot offense, has passed for 3,423 yards, second in the state behind Newbury Park’s Keith Smith (3,998), and 23 touchdowns. Jim Romero has 80 catches for 1,468 yards and Dana Berg has 67 for 1,080.

KEY TO THE GAME--Few teams have been able to slow the Knights’ run-and-shoot offense, but Brethren Christian might have a chance if the Warriors ball-control offense can keep L.A. Baptist off the field.

CONSENSUS--Give Brethren Christian the edge in a close game. The Warriors have been well-prepared for this by a tougher nonleague schedule, including games against larger schools Bellflower and Whittier La Serna, and the traditionally powerful Olympic League.

Division VII Championship

Rancho Alamitos vs. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa

RECORDS--Rancho Alamitos (9-3-1), Mira Costa (12-1)

SITE--El Camino College, 7:30 p.m.

MIRA COSTA--Mira Costa was a good team that got even better with the addition of junior running back Mike Fikes in the second game of the playoffs. Fikes, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior, transferred from Victorville Victor Valley High last year but became eligible only two weeks ago. Fikes rushed for 136 yards last week in the Mustangs’ 23-19 victory over Kennedy. He replaced senior Ron Hand at the tailback position. Hand, who had run for 1,026 yards and eight touchdowns, carried only seven times for 18 yards against Kennedy. Senior quarterback Ryan Barnes is not flashy, but he makes few mistakes. Barnes didn’t turn the ball over against Kennedy, completing six of nine passes for 91 yards. The defense is led by junior nose guard Phil Fonua, who also starts at fullback. Fonua and outside linebacker Dennis Hughes caused fits for Kennedy’s offense, especially quarterback Chris Clark. They sacked Clark three times and pressured him on nearly every pass.

RANCHO ALAMITOS--Rancho Alamitos didn’t look like a playoff team, much less a championship team, after four games. The Vaqueros were 1-2-1 and in search of a spark. They got it from running back Moukda Choulamany, who came back from a knee injury to rush for 700 yards in the final six games. When Choulamany re-injured his knee in the first round of the playoffs, he passed the torch to slot back Kevin Allen, whom Choulamany had replaced. In three games, Allen has been simply devastating. He has run for 637 yards and six touchdowns and is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback John Frank has been quietly consistent--making big plays, but not making crucial mistakes. The Vaqueros’ defense has been steady, but not spectacular. They have shut down their opponents’ running games, forcing them into passing situations. Middle linebacker Adam Maldonado, who has made 118 tackles, keys the defense.

KEY TO THE GAME--Whether anyone can slow Kevin Allen. No team has been able to yet. Mira Costa Coach Don Morrow, who saw Allen last week, has his doubts. “We’re not particularly fast,” he said. “I don’t think we have anyone near as fast as Kevin Allen.”

CONSENSUS--Mira Costa may not be fast, but the Mustangs aren’t slow either and they might be the biggest team Rancho Alamitos has faced. Still, Rancho Alamitos’ balance of run and pass should be too much for Mira Costa to deal with. Rancho Alamitos in a thriller, 24-21.