SAVANNA

1995 RECORD: 7-4 overall, 3-2 in league.

COACH: Fred DiPalma (51-26-4 at school)

RETURNING STARTERS: 7 on offense, 4 on defense

TOP RETURNERS

Leon Kellum, RB/DB, 5-10, 190, Jr.; Alfred Pene, RB/TE/LB, 6-2, 235, Jr.; Robert Hoium, RB/DB, 5-9, 155, Sr.; Jerome Williams RB/LB, 5-9, 190, Sr.; Wesley Woolsey, OL/DL, 5-11, 210, Sr.; Eric Stipes, TE, 6-2, 195, Sr.; Alger Alama, OL/DL, 5-10, 225, Sr.; David Kendrick OL/DL, 6-5, 280, Sr., Rocky Warren, OL/DL, 5-9, 190, S., Ben Tedeschi, OL/DE, 190, Sr.

TOP NEWCOMER

Cameron King, RB/DB, 5-9, 165, Jr.

OUTLOOK

Savanna was a bit of a disappointment last season. The Rebels had the leading scorer and second best rusher in the county, Eric Shine, who gained 2,130 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. But the best the team could do after dropping two of its last three games was to finish third behind Western and Brea Olinda. Then it was off to the playoffs, where the Rebels were beaten by eventual Division V champion El Toro, 24-14. As usual, DiPalma is keeping things close to the vest this season. He has 11 starters and 18 lettermen returning. Replacing Shine will be difficult. “We have some size in the backfield,” he said. If history is any barometer, the Rebels will have good quickness at all positions. They also appear to have more size than a year ago, particularly at the skill positions. Also gone are wideout Brandon Bird, who caught 26 passes for 286 yards, and quarterback Brandon Warden, who passed for nearly 1,000 yards in a Wing-T offense that only passed when it had too. Look for more of the same this season. “It’s a competitive league,” DiPalma said. “If we can fill some of the holes we have, we feel that we, too, can be competitive this season.”