Western’s Howell Lauds His Players : Coach of the year: He credits team for undefeated regular season and reaching the Southern Section semifinals.

Two stories about Western Coach Jim Howell.

In one, a reporter is doing a story on David Bell, the team’s outstanding kicker/punter. The reporter is interviewing Howell.

“Who works with Bell,” Howell is asked.

“He’s pretty much on his own,” Howell says.

Reporter goes over to Bell.

“Who’s works with you on your kicking?”

“Coach Howell.”

Second story: Western is undefeated, a week away from going to the playoffs, and retirement has crept into Howell’s vocabulary after 36 years teaching and 32 coaching--the last 17 at Western. He is asked if this is finally it.

He says he’s not sure.

“Why not announce it and use it as a motivational tool?”

“I’m not that self-centered to think they’re playing for me,” Howell says. “They should be playing for themselves.”

How can you not like this model of humility?

Throw into the mix that Western was the only Orange County team to go undefeated during the regular season, that it got the most out of its talent, and that the Pioneers reached the Southern Section semifinals for the second time in three seasons and you have The Times Orange County coach of the year.

Whether he returns next year, Howell has saved the best for the twilight of his career. He is 99-83-5 at Western, but 35-11-2 the last four years. The Pioneers have been to the playoffs 11 of the last 14 seasons--after Howell got the program turned around--and have won four league titles.

He is a man of perspective. Though it wasn’t until Week 8 that the Pioneers were finally ranked among the county’s top 10, Howell wasn’t complaining (or campaigning) to reporters about how his team wasn’t getting any respect.

He simply acknowledged that his team had played a weaker schedule. But when Western’s weaknesses were supposed to be exploited by a decent Savanna team, the Pioneers responded with a 31-0 victory.

They finished 10-0--same as the junior varsity and freshman programs--and won a couple of games in the playoffs before a 41-23 semifinal loss to El Toro.

A disappointing finish, certainly, but not a disappointing season.

Western ended up 12-1, the best record by an Orange County team. Howell, true to form, deferred credit to his players and coaches.

The players were coachable, he said, and the coaches--Joe Giovannini, Steve McJilton, Sua Matua and former players Toby Howell (his son) and Corey Manliguis--made the most of their time despite Jim Howell being the only on-campus coach in the bunch.

“The thing that made me most proud was that we had a good bunch of kids to work with who always made me feel they were representing the school and themselves real well. We didn’t have a lot of bad sportsmanship,” Howell said. “I got a note from an alumnus, he graduated in 1965, who watched the [loss to El Toro]. The note said how proud he was that the team never gave up and that he was proud to be an alumnus of Western. We were pretty much out of it, but the kids never did quit.”

A final story. Howell is apologizing about not being able to say what he has decided about his future, but he’s dead-set on not announcing anything until after the team’s banquet next week.

“I didn’t want the kids playing the season because it’s my last season, and I don’t want it to be a retirement banquet,” he said. “It’s for the kids. Afterward, I’ll let everyone know what I’m going to do.

“It’s most important to reward [the kids] for what they’ve done this season.”