Everything Is Starting to Come Together for...

Everything Is Starting to Come Together for Saddleback Football

When the football season started in early September, Saddleback Coach Bill Cunerty believed it was going to take some time--maybe even the whole season--for the Gauchos’ freshman-dominated offense to put it together.

But a recent move to a five-receiver formation and the continued improvement of freshman quarterback Justin Vedder have made things come together quicker.

Saddleback averaged 14 points in the first three games that included a 28-0 loss to Palomar and a 1-2 record. But the Gauchos have averaged 27 points and gone 3-1 in the last four games that included a 21-16 upset of El Camino, which was ranked second in the nation at the time. Saddleback beat Riverside, 30-17, Saturday. The Gauchos are 4-3, 2-1 in the Central Division and a game behind Rancho Santiago (5-2, 3-0).

“The offense has finally started to grow up,” Cunerty said. “But we still start nine freshmen. The defense has been really good all year.”

Saddleback’s defense is the best in the 14-team Mission Conference. The Gauchos are giving up 250 yards per game. Rancho Santiago is second at 287.

Vedder, a transfer from Boston University, took some hard hits this season, including one that knocked him out of a season-opening, 35-31 loss to Long Beach. He also was sick much of the week leading up to the Palomar game.

But he turned in his finest performance Saturday. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters. His yardage total is the seventh-best in a single game at Saddleback.

Jackie Conners had seven catches for 193 yards against Riverside and leads the team with 34 catches for 725 yards. His 21.3 yards per catch average is the best in Orange County. Greg Payne, a running back, has also benefited from the five-receiver formation where he plays in the slot.

Payne has 18 catches for 224 yards on the season but 11 of the catches and 149 of the yards have come in the last two games.

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Women’s soccer update: Orange Coast and Cypress, tied for first place in the Orange Empire Conference, meet at 2:30 p.m. today at Cypress in the final game of the first round.

Cypress (12-0-2, 4-0) has outscored opponents, 47-2, this season. Orange Coast (8-1-2, 4-0) holds a 39-9 advantage.

Colby Morgan has 10 goals, Mandi Lashmett eight and Mandy Wheeler seven for Cypress. Orange Coast’s leading scorer is Renee Armstrong with eight goals. Suzanne Abrams has six for OCC but got two yellow cards Friday against Fullerton and will have to sit out against Cypress under conference rules.

The teams meet again Nov. 17 at OCC in the final conference game of the year.

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Temper, temper: There were four ejections when first-place Rancho Santiago (11-1-1, 6-0-1) and second-place Orange Coast (4-5-5, 3-1-3) played to a 1-1 tie Friday at OCC in a men’s soccer game.

Rancho Santiago Coach J.P. Frutos (red card), assistant coach Frank Rea (red card) and player Fernando Castellanos (two yellow cards) will all sit out today’s 3 p.m. game at Golden West.

Jose Vasquez, also an assistant at Rancho Santiago, and Athletic Director Dave Dobos will coach the Dons. Frutos and Rea were ejected for remarks made to officials.

Orange Coast lost Bret Taylor, who also got a red card, and he will have to sit out OCC’s game today at Riverside.

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Football poll: Los Angeles Valley (8-0) is the top-ranked team in the weekly Southland poll. Long Beach (8-0) is second, San Bernardino Valley (7-0) third, Bakersfield (6-1) fourth, Citrus (7-0) fifth, Mt. San Antonio (6-1) sixth, Moorpark (7-1) seventh, Rancho Santiago (5-2) eighth, Palomar (4-3) ninth and Hancock (6-1) 10th.

In Saturday’s 7 p.m. games: Rancho Santiago takes its four-game winning streak to Southwestern (2-5, 0-4). Saddleback plays host to Golden West (4-4, 2-2), which has won two in a row, and Orange Coast (3-4, 2-1) plays Fullerton (2-4-1, 2-1) at Cal State Fullerton.