Season Wasn’t a Total Loss : Covington One Prep Star Who Wasn’t Down and Out in Dana Hills

Scott Covington may have been the most-sacked high school quarterback in the Southland last season. In addition, he completed only 49% of his passes, and his team, Dana Hills, finished 1-9.

But none of that meant much to many of the top college football coaches. Notre Dame, Alabama, Miami, Wisconsin and USC were among the schools that came calling, each hoping to convince the 18-year-old senior that their program was the best.

The yearlong recruiting process was one of the few bright spots for Covington, who had to cope with the frustration of a weak supporting cast the last two seasons. His team won just five games during that time, and he took more than his share of hits.

“I kept worrying that if we didn’t win more games, the recruiters wouldn’t call,” he said. “To keep myself motivated, I just worked that much harder, figuring I had to prove that much more.”

His fears were unfounded. On Dec. 1, the first day college coaches could make home visits, Dennis Erickson of Miami flew into town. That was enough to convince Covington, who will sign a national letter of intent with the Hurricanes tonight at his home in Laguna Niguel.

“Coach Erickson could have gone anywhere in the country that day, and he chose to come here,” said Covington, who is 6 feet 4 and 180 pounds. “That told me that he really wanted me, and I think it is smart to go where you’re wanted.”

Despite rumors that Erickson might leave to become the coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, Covington said he is committed to Miami.

Such devotion does not surprise those who know Covington best. He is described by coaches and teammates as a humble leader who often burdens himself with too much responsibility.

Bill Cunerty, offensive coordinator at Saddleback College, has worked closely with Covington the last four years. He recalls several conversations in which the quarterback described his anguish over not doing more for his team.

“I told him he was taking the brunt of the failures and that wasn’t fair,” Cunerty said. “No one that age should try to carry the weight of an entire team on their shoulders, and I tried to point that out to him.”

Covington actually thrives on being an underdog. After living in Fresno, his family moved to Southern California before his freshman year. Although he could have attended a more high-profile football school, Covington chose Dana Hills, which has never won a league title. He said he was excited about trying to lead an unheralded team into the playoffs.

Dana Hills competes in the South Coast League, one of the toughest in Southern California. The league has produced many top quarterbacks, including former Raider Todd Marinovich, who played at Capistrano Valley. Two starting quarterbacks in the Pacific 10 played in the league: El Toro graduates Rob Johnson at USC and Steve Stenstrom at Stanford.

In his sophomore season, Covington won the starting job and led Dana Hills to its best season. The Dolphins advanced to the Southern Section Division II championship game, which they lost to Irvine, and finished 9-2-3.

The road got bumpier after that. Although Coach Don Douglass continued to take advantage of Covington’s skills by opening up the passing game, he could not do anything about heavy graduation losses and injuries. The Dolphins finished 4-5 in 1992 and failed to reach the playoffs. Douglass left and was replaced by Jack Murry, an assistant at San Clemente.

Under Murry, eight starters went down with injuries, and Covington was playing behind a young line. The team’s only victory was against Irvine University in a nonleague game during the third week of the season. The Dolphins lost their last three games by a combined score of 117-0 and Murry resigned in November.

“It was not easy going out there week after week with little hope of winning,” said Covington, who never considered transferring. “I really wanted everything to go perfectly my senior season, but I knew from the first game on it was going to be a long year. I didn’t have any protection and was getting sacked like eight times a game.”

Murry said: “Despite all that happened to our team, Scott always hung in there. He set several school passing records this season, and I figured he had over 500 yards in dropped receptions. Against Mater Dei, we lost, 41-0. But we still had 18 first downs. That game really impressed the scouts.”

Despite his frustrations on the field, Covington took solace in the college recruiters paying little attention to his won-lost record. He said several coaches even liked the adversity he had faced.

Covington, a mobile quarterback with a strong arm and a bright mind (3.4 grade-point average), narrowed his choices to Alabama, Miami and USC.

He attended all of USC’s home games last season. He also enjoyed his visit to Alabama, where he met the school’s president and was made to feel like a celebrity.

“Alabama is a football Disneyland,” Covington said. “They really care about football down there above everything else. But socially, I did not feel like I fit in.”

His fondness for Erickson, coupled with Miami’s history of sending quarterbacks to the NFL, made the Hurricanes his choice. Covington is expected to battle for the backup job with another top recruit, Ryan Clement of Denver Mullen. Junior Ryan Collins and senior Frank Costa are the top returnees and shared the job this season.

“In the end, I did not want to be at a school that stockpiled quarterbacks,” Covington said. “I want to have an opportunity to start for two or three years. I also want to be in a situation where I’m competing for a national championship.”

Covington is having a party at his house tonight for family and friends. He wants to celebrate what has been a difficult four years.

“I told every recruiter that I’ll value a win and a supporting cast more than anyone else they’ll sign,” Covington said. “I know how important both are.”

Where They Say They’re Headed

This is a partial list of top local football players who have given unwritten commitments. Today is the start of the national signing period.

Player High School Pos. College Ben Adams La Mirada OL Texas Mike Armendariz Alta Loma DL Oregon Leo Asoau Covina LB Washington St. Larry Atkins Venice DB UCLA Bob Aubrey St. Francis LB USC Ricky Austin Eisenhower OL Washington St. Mike Barnes Norco OL Arizona St. Scott Bertoni Fountain Valley QB Nevada Melvin Blue Banning FB Utah State Leon Blunt San Fernando DB Notre Dame Brandon Brennan Western QB Fresno State Steve Buck Alta Loma QB UCLA Steve Campbell Norco QB Arizona St. Brad Cervantes Trabuco Hills LB USC Scott Covington Dana Hills QB Miami Tyrone Crenshaw Sylmar RB Michigan St. Kevin Crook Westlake QB UNLV David Cruickshank Dana Hills OL Washington Reggie Davis Brethren Chr. DB Washington Troy Davis Norco OL Arizona St. Kevin Doherty Atascadero OL California Rome Douglas Claremont TE USC Chris Draft Valencia FB Stanford Tyrone Evans Fairfax RBL San Diego St. Ken Foersch Fountain Valley OL Fresno State Dennis Fomond Crenshaw FB California Tony Gonzalez Huntington Beach TE California Damon Griffin Monrovia WR Oregon Javelin Guidry Gahr DB UCLA Az-Zahir Hakim Fairfax DB San Diego St. Soren Halladay Hart DB Brigham Young Kadar Hamilton Loyola FB Stanford Jason Harris Bishop Amat FB Washington Chris Hoke Foothill DL Brigham Young Damien Howard Carson OL UNLV Michael Jackson Santa Monica TE Washington St. Sheldon Jackson Damien TE Nebraska Coleman Johnson Riv. Poly OL Colorado John Johnson Jefferson LB Kansas Larry Johnson Etiwanda DL Arizona St. Brendan Jones Crescenta Valley RB Washington Darryl Jones Brethren Chr. OL Washington St. Ben Kadletz St. Francis OL Washington George Keiaho Buena RB Washington Bruce Kelly Atascadero OL California Ryan Klaasen San Clemente LB Oregon Mike Kocicka Hart QB UNLV Tod McBride Walnut WR UCLA Tate McCallister Mira Costa OL California

Player High School Pos. College Julius McChristian Eisenhower DB San Diego St. George McDonald Buena Park RB Illinois Jim McElroy Washington WR UCLA John McLaughlin Hart LB Notre Dame Danjuan Magee Long Beach Poly DL UCLA Kelly Malveaux Long Beach Poly DB Arizona Lamont Morgan Long Beach Poly DB Arizona St. Grant Pearsall Villa Park DB USC George Perry San Bernardino DL USC Willie Perryman Burbank LB USC Mike Phelps Irvine QB Oregon David Pratchard CC Canyon OL USC Matt Redman Peninsula OL Iowa Jason Reynolds St. Paul LB Arizona St. Jim Romero L.A. Baptist WR Arizona Dorrick Roy Montclair Prep TE Nebraska Matt Schuetz Dana Hills LB Oregon Rodney Sermons Bishop Amat RB USC Jason Sharp Leuzinger WR California Wali Sibrie Buena Park DL Arizona St. Jason Simmons Leuzinger DB Arizona St. Thomas Simmons Diamond Bar RB Arizona St. Keith Smith Newbury Park QB Arizona Wilbert Smith Montclair Prep RB Illinois Justin Stallings Hawthorne DB Washington State Mike Tetzlaff Westlake LB Arizona Glenn Thompkins Eisenhower DB UCLA Trevor Thompson Thousand Oaks QB California Anthony Tucker Los Alamitos WR Fresno State Leodes Van Buren Newbury Park WR Colorado Jarvis Watson Warren FB UCLA John Welbourn Peninsula OL California Brandon Whiting Long Beach Poly OL California Brian Williams Buena OL Arizona St. Shaun Williams Crespi RB UCLA Terry Williams El Dorado OL UCLA Nick Ziegler Huntington Beach LB Colorado