Ventura Prospects Strut Their Stuff for Talent Scouts : Football: College coaches get an early look at high school players during combine.

Football Coach Jon Mack screamed encouragement as though his St. Bonaventure High team was driving for a game-winning touchdown.

According to Mack, the stakes Wednesday at Rio Mesa High during Ventura County’s first football combine were even higher.

“For these kids, this is a $200,000 opportunity,” Mack said, referring to the value of a college scholarship.

Mack coached his contingent of five players as though a quarter of million bucks were on the line at each stop of the combine. As Sam Benner grunted his way through a bench-press, Mack crouched near him and in a booming voice begged the offensive tackle for just a few more repetitions.

“Push it, get another one, Sammy,” Mack said.

The coach was so intense, he even congratulated his players after they were simply weighed and measured. If recruiters from such Division I colleges as national champion Nebraska and UCLA, California, Kansas, Northwestern and Colorado State were present to evaluate 67 seniors-to be, then Mack was holding nothing back.

His team even practiced for the combine, running through the 40-yard dash, the shuttle agility test, the vertical leap and bench-press drills beforehand.

“We’re the type of school that can get overlooked by the colleges,” Mack said of the Seraphs, who play at the Southern Section Division IX level. “I wanted our guys to be prepared for this.”

Mack’s efforts might have been rewarded. Recruiters for numerous Division I colleges praised the combine, which was sponsored and run by the Ventura County Football Coaches Assn.

George Darlington of Nebraska, Mike Waufle of California and Tim Hundley of UCLA said they discovered players they might otherwise have overlooked.

“Very early on, I noticed a player and thought, ‘There’s a guy we’ll follow in the fall,’ ” Darlington said, withholding the name in keeping with NCAA regulations that forbid coaches from discussing recruits. “And there’s another one I don’t even know his name yet. If I hadn’t been here, we probably wouldn’t have followed him.”

Waufle voiced the same sentiments.

“Seeing the kids move in person is so important in evaluation,” he said. “From high school to major college the speed difference is so great. This gives us a chance to see that.”

Each recruiter was supplied a list of players with addresses, phone numbers and high school transcripts. In addition, dozens of other colleges which did not send recruiters have requested copies of the combine’s results.

While filing away names of players to pursue, recruiters said the size of Wednesday’s combine was just right.

“Some of the other combines have been so big with 700 or more athletes, we chose not to go,” Hundley said about UCLA. “But with 16 or 17 schools, this is really ideal. There’s time to follow the guys you want to see.”

Buena Coach Rick Scott, who helped coordinate the event with Rio Mesa Coach George Contreras, was gratified by those comments and predicted that other areas will follow suit.

The combine had something for everybody. Division I coaches checked out such top prospects as Ronney Jenkins, a running back at Hueneme whose 4.4-second time in the 40 was the fastest of the day, and Jamal Harris, a Westlake running back.

Recruiters from Division III colleges such as Cal Lutheran and Occidental searched for players who fit their qualifications.

“What’s great about this it gives kids all kinds of opportunities to have their horizons opened,” Darlington said.

Even if the event does raise the anxiety level of some players.

“I was sort of nervous, hoping I can do my best,” Harris said. “There are a lot of coaches who don’t know what I can do and this is sort of a showcase.”

Now, at least 67 players can say they’ve been seen.