PREP FOOTBALL ’94 / GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE : Takahashi’s Timing Is Perfect at Los Amigos : Football: Offensive coordinator, now coach, takes over a winning program that he knows inside and out.

If timing is everything, then the timing of new Los Amigos football Coach Roger Takahashi is comparable to Barry Switzer’s. Takahashi, like Switzer in Dallas, is walking into a winning program with winning attitudes and loads of talent.

“I’m extremely fortunate,” Takahashi said. “Very few coaches would ever leave this type of situation.”

But Steve Bolton is like very few coaches. His family was much more important to him than winning football games. So after three years, just when his program had turned the corner, Bolton walked away from Los Amigos.

And in walked Takahashi, who had been Bolton’s offensive coordinator the past two years. Takahashi had coached La Quinta to a 40-27 record and three playoff appearances from 1986-1991, but left the school when his teaching position was eliminated.

Now, Takahashi has a full-time teaching job and an experienced and talented football team.

“I couldn’t be in a better position than I am now,” he said.

Takahashi knows the school, knows the kids and he definitely knows offense.

“He’s always put together a great little package,” said Rancho Alamitos Coach Doug Case, who was Rancho Alamitos’ defensive coordinator when Takahashi coached La Quinta. “He mixes the ball up well and he’s not very predictable. He’s a great asset to the Garden Grove League.”

Takahashi thought he could be an asset to the South Coast and Sea View leagues, too. So he applied for the El Toro and Tustin head coaching jobs after leaving La Quinta. He was a finalist for the El Toro job and took himself out of consideration for the Tustin position because he didn’t feel it was right for him.

Finally, Takahashi landed at Los Amigos when a driver’s education and health position opened up. And two years later, the head coaching job opened up.

“At La Quinta I was losing my staff, but here I’ve got a well-rounded staff,” he said. “But the most important thing here is the direction of the kids. Steve has done a tremendous job of turning around the work ethic. Things are really rolling here now.”

Takahashi said he expects to have 40 players on varsity this season--more than he ever had at La Quinta and eight more than Bolton had last year.

“We had a great summer,” Takahashi said. “The kids don’t know any better now. They’re expected to work hard.”

And Takahashi plans to continue with his aggressive offensive style.

“We’ll try to score as soon as possible,” he said. “The longer you’ve got the ball, there are more bad things that can happen. I like to do my business and get off the field.”

With two-year letterman Ape Tuato returning at quarterback and breakaway threat Greg Fausto at tailback, expect Los Amigos’ defenders to get the bulk of playing time.

Takahashi said Tuato should be one of the top quarterbacks in the county.

“He knows the game,” Takahashi said. “He’s like a fifth coach.”

The more Takahashi talks, the more excited he gets. And the more excited he gets, the more he realizes just how fortunate he is.