Taking Stock in Bonds

“I’m on my way, I’m making it

Big time”

--Peter Gabriel

*

First-year Coach Jim Bonds envisions great things for the Alemany High football program.

He sees the Indians competing at the level as Catholic powerhouses Loyola and Bishop Amat.

He sees blue-chip athletes lining up at Alemany’s door.

He sees a campus with first-class athletic facilities.

But those pictures can only be viewed in the mind’s eye.

When Bonds focuses on the task before him this season, he sees a team that was 1-9 last year, a program lacking credibility and a campus without showers, a gymnasium or a proper locker room.

Yet Bonds, 28, makes no concessions or excuses. The former Hart High and UCLA quarterback approaches his first head coaching job with a youthful optimism accompanied by a sense of urgency. He expects to win. Now.

“I feel like I owe that to the seniors,” he said. “If I were to say, ‘I’ve got a five-year plan,’ if I were a senior, I’d probably walk off the field tomorrow.

“I’d like to compete right away. I’m not going to put a number on how many games I expect to win. But if we can go out and earn some respect from some of our opponents, I’ll be happy.”

For starters, Bonds would like to earn the respect of one of the Valley’s top teams. Alemany opens the season Sept. 11 against Notre Dame and All-American running back Justin Fargas.

The only-game-in-town aura surrounding the Thursday night game and its airing on Fox Sports West 2 promise to make it a media event. The hype isn’t what Bonds would have chosen for his debut but he’s not shying away, either.

“It’s a heck of an opener for me,” he said. “I’m not nervous now but I know I’ll be losing sleep all week getting ready.”

Bonds seemingly has prepared for this moment since his days at Hart. In his senior yearbook in 1987, he said his career goals were to “teach history and coach football.”

Bonds did precisely that the last four years at St. Francis High, where he impressed colleagues with his innovative play-calling as offensive coordinator under Bill Redell. Bonds now teaches math, which he likes better than history, but it’s obvious he knew from a young age which path he would take.

“I was fortunate to be around some great coaches and teachers at Hart,” he said. “The impact they had . . . put it in my mind that this is what I wanted to do eventually. I always had dreams of being an NFL quarterback or a major league baseball player, but I knew when I was done playing, I was going to come back to coaching and teaching high school kids.”

With his boyish face and close-cropped blond hair, it’s easy to see why Bonds has been mistaken for an Alemany student by some faculty members. The sight of his wife, Tricia, and two children--James Jr., 4, and Katie Lynn, 18 months--at Alemany games this season will probably clear up those misconceptions.

Bonds comes across as pleasant and easy-going, but underneath the persona burns a fierce determination to succeed.

“I want to prove that I’m ready for this job,” he said. “I’m sure there is some skepticism out there about a 28-year-old becoming a head high school coach. . . . I’m sure there are some people out there who want to see me fail. I want to be ready.”

Bonds’ mentors have little doubt he will accomplish his goals.

“He’s very well-qualified to be a head coach,” Redell said. “He brings so much to the table as far as leadership and character. He takes a genuine interest in the kids. Alemany is very fortunate to have him.”

Redell became impressed with Bonds when he coached the quarterback in the 1987 Shrine all-star game.

The coach said Bonds’ game preparation and creativity on offense were keys to St. Francis’ steady improvement.

The Golden Knights posted their first playoff victory in 13 years last season, beating Dos Pueblos.

“We hated to lose him,” Redell said. “He’ll probably turn that Alemany program around. I hope he waits three games, though.”

Alemany plays at St. Francis in the third week, on Sept. 26.

Buena Coach Rick Scott, who coached Bonds at Hart, said he couldn’t wait to recommend Bonds for the Alemany job.

“The kids at that school are lucky,” Scott said. “I would be shocked if he is not successful real quick, either this year or next.”

Alemany’s best player, USC-bound running back Miguel Fletcher, says he can sense the Indians are more confident since Bonds took over for Pat Degnan, who resigned after last season.

“It feels different than all the other years,” Fletcher said. “It feels like we’re a winning team now.”

Bonds intends to apply the teachings of his mentors to help reverse Alemany’s fortunes.

At Hart, he learned from Scott and the Herrington brothers--Mike, Rick and Dean--who run one of the region’s most successful programs. At UCLA, Bonds was schooled by Terry Donahue, Rick Neuheisel and offensive guru Homer Smith. At St. Francis, Redell provided the practical experience Bonds needed.

“Jim’s knowledge of the game at his age is tremendous,” Scott said. “This is not the level [of coaching] he’s going to end up at.”

Bonds cherishes his relationships with Neuheisel, the Colorado coach, and other influential figures in the college game but he denies he is biding his time at Alemany until a better position comes along.

“I have visions and goals, and hopefully I’ll end up at the next level some day,” he said. “But I’m here for now. My brother, Tom, keeps telling me to get this book, ‘Make The Big Time Where You Are.’ That’s what I’m going to try to do--make the big time right here at Alemany.

“If I get a break somehow and end up coaching with Bob Toledo at UCLA or Rick Neuheisel at Colorado, I’ll probably take that opportunity if it happens. But I want to prove that I’m worthy of moving to the next level.”

It didn’t take Bonds long to prove himself to Alemany. Only days after he interviewed for the job, he was hired. Bonds also interviewed for the opening at Saugus but lost interest when it appeared the selection process would drag on for weeks.

Before this year, Bonds interviewed for coaching jobs at Granada Hills and Temple City, where he was a finalist. He wanted to see what the interview process was like and still doesn’t know if he would have taken either job.

The desire to strike out on his own became stronger as Bonds began to feel constrained in his apprenticeship with Redell.

“I learned from Bill,” Bonds said. “He’s an offensive mind, too. One of the reasons I had to get out of St. Francis is [because] we kept clashing. He wanted to run the ball 80 times a game and I wanted to throw the ball 80 times a game.”

Bonds may get his wish this season. He says he favors a single-back set employing four wide receivers, similar to the offense the Herringtons use at Hart.

Unlike his alma mater, Bonds says he won’t hesitate to employ a tight end and fullback if the situation calls for it.

“I want to be able to play power football if we have to, or if we need to run out the clock,” he said.

Bonds’ first order of business after he was hired was to assemble a staff. He’s happy with the one he put together.

Scott Marshall, a former assistant at Alemany and Canyon, will share offensive responsibilities with Bonds. Drew Casani, a former assistant at Loyola, is defensive coordinator. Dave LaMarre, a childhood friend of Bonds’ and former Hart lineman, is the line coach. Another youthful assistant is former UCLA running back Shawn Wills.

“I’m very comfortable and confident in our staff,” Bonds said. “Of course, we haven’t had our first game yet. Nobody is tearing off anybody’s head yet.”

After working with Alemany’s players for three weeks in the spring and six weeks in the summer, Bonds feels confident they have a good grasp of his basic concepts. His primary concern is a lack of unity, an issue he tried to address by holding a retreat at Alemany last weekend.

“We need to come together as a team,” Bonds said. “There are a lot of cliques--seniors versus juniors and juniors versus sophomores. That’s my main obstacle right now.”

Scott says if anyone can bring a team together, it’s Bonds.

“His teammates [at Hart] always really liked him and I think his players are really going to like him,” Scott said. “He’s going to get them to listen and do things his way. He’s still got that boyish grin. There are a few more pounds on those cheeks but he’s still a likable kid.”

The 6-foot Bonds says he weighs in the “250 range,” about 40 pounds heavier than he did at UCLA. He started briefly for the Bruins as a junior before an emerging Tommy Maddox sent him back to the bench.

A two-year starter at Hart, Bonds passed for more than 3,000 yards in each season and led the Indians to a 13-1 record and a Southern Section championship as a senior in 1986.

Considering his background as a passer, it’s not surprising Bonds was able to attract a promising quarterback to Alemany. Casey Clausen, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, transferred from La Canada after his father, Jim, resigned as coach after last season. Alemany also picked up junior Chad Dyslin, a 6-2, 265-pound lineman, from La Canada.

“Coach Bonds is the main reason I came over here,” said Clausen, who is expected to start. “At first I was leaning toward transferring to Notre Dame, but my dad told me to come over here and check it out. They’re going to throw the ball a lot and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me.”

Getting a top player to choose Alemany over Notre Dame, last season’s Division III runner-up, is an encouraging sign for Bonds. But he realizes success on the field is the best way to turn around a program.

“We have to win some football games,” he said. “We have to beat the guys from across town--the Crespis and the Notre Dames--and get some of the kids that were maybe thinking about going to Notre Dame.

“That hasn’t been happening in the last few years. The kids on the bubble are going to Notre Dame. That’s one of the reasons they’re up here and Alemany is down here.”

Bonds’ mission is to close the gap. Big time.