El Camino Appears to Be the Real Thing

Move over Taft and Sylmar. Here comes. . . . El Camino Real football?

For real? Maybe.

The Conquistadores made quite a showing in last week’s 40-team seven-on-seven passing tournament at Cal State Northridge.

El Camino Real, under the tutelage of first-year Coach Rick Hayashida, upset Notre Dame in overtime and Hart en route to the championship game against Westlake.

Although Westlake prevailed, five touchdowns to three, El Camino Real made a statement. If nothing else, the Conquistadores gained a ton of confidence.

“To be honest, I really don’t think they thought they could beat Notre Dame,” Hayashida said.

The idea of facing Notre Dame’s Justin Fargas--one of the nation’s top recruits--overwhelmed most of the Conquistadores. But when Fargas was kept mostly in the background, El Camino Real took advantage.

“Up until Notre Dame, [the feeling of the team] was they were just glad to have gone this far,” Hayashida said. “Then after we beat Notre Dame, the feeling I got from the kids was they were actually looking forward to beating Hart and getting into the championship game.”

With their entire backfield intact from last season--including quarterback Aaron Fredette and running back Quincy Wright--the Conquistadores could challenge Taft for the Northwest Valley Conference title.

Hayashida, 35, who was an assistant at El Camino Real and at Chaminade before being named head coach in the spring, didn’t expect to get to the tournament final. El Camino Real traditionally does not spend a lot of time in passing tournaments and is entered in only two this summer.

“We really don’t focus on passing [leagues or tournaments] because we’re a running team,” Hayashida said.

Wright, who rushed for 1,306 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, might be the equation to balance out the Conquistadores’ offensive scheme.

Recruiters have told Hayashida that they think Wright would make a better wide receiver in college.

“And I want to do whatever I can to give [scouts] a look at him [at wide receiver],” Hayashida said.

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Westlake hopes it has found a capable quarterback to carry on its passing tradition. Sophomore-to-be Zac Wasserman has experience only on the freshman team.

It seems doubtful that Wasserman can duplicate the kind of season Casey Preston turned in last year, when he passed for 3,565 yards and a Marmonte League-high 37 touchdowns as a senior.

Wasserman has a long way to go to attain those kind of numbers. But, he’s certainly off to a good start.

The Warriors were undefeated in eight games and won the tournament championship at Northridge last weekend. In victories over Chaminade, Artesia, Gahr, St. Bonaventure, Hueneme, Birmingham, Calabasas and El Camino Real, Wasserman made a favorable impression on some, but not all onlookers.

One opposing coach thought Westlake’s receivers made Wasserman look good, laying out to catch passes that were over and under thrown.

Joey Cuppari, Westlake’s top receiver who caught 79 passes and a Marmonte League-best 16 touchdowns, doesn’t see it that way.

“I would have to disagree with that,” he said. “I think he makes us look good.

“He had his problems, [but] as soon as the game gets up to a different level, he plays up to it. He’s come a long way.”

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Sylmar tight end Jose Ochoa is headed to Colorado State for college practice in two weeks, and he’s bringing a load.

He is 15 pounds over his playing weight of 255, a number Colorado State coaches prescribed.

But Ochoa, who said he has tried to lose the weight for weeks, doesn’t appear too worried.

For starters, the 6-foot-4 18-year-old is hoping to shed some pounds the moment he arrives.

“I figured with the altitude and everything I might lose another five pounds when I get there,” Ochoa cracked.