IRVINE

1996 RECORD: 6-5 overall, 3-2 in league

COACH: Terry Henigan (103-60-3 at school)

RETURNING STARTERS: 3 on offense, 1 on defense

TOP RETURNERS

Victor Flores, DL, 5-11, 215, Sr.; Ray Kang, WR, 5-10, 170, Jr.; Jason Kim, OL, 6-1, 235, Sr.; Al Williams, RB, 6-2, 190, Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS

Nick Alcaraz, DL, 5-7, 230, Jr.; Alec Alessi, DL, 6-1, 265, Jr.; Shawn Dickie, OL, 6-3, 280, Jr.; Emilio Espinosa, C, 6-2, 250, Sr.; Terence Felix, RB, 5-11, 180, Sr.; Jacob Francis, DL, 5-10, 200, Sr.; Doug Johnson, OL, 6-4, 250, Sr.; Andrew Howard, QB, 6-1, 185, Sr.; Chris Lee, DB, 6-0, 180, Jr.; Darren Matthews, LB, 5-8, 170, Jr; Bryan Nieruhalski, LB, 6-1, 195, Sr.; Sam Paik, RB, 6-0, 160, Jr.; Dave Rice, LB, 6-1, 215, Jr.; Derek Yee, OL, 6-1, 240, Sr.

OUTLOOK

Williams, Kim, Kang and Flores are the only players on the team with any meaningful playing time. The Vaqueros defeated El Toro in the final week of the season, 37-28, to reach the playoffs, then lost one of the year’s most thrilling games, 34-31, to Loara in the first round of the Division V playoffs. Williams is the only known quantity on the offense and will be the go-to player unless someone displaces him. The most likely candidate to emerge is Felix, a transfer from Newport Harbor. The running game should dominate the offensive attack behind the competent line of Kim, Dickie, Johnson, Espinosa and Yee. Howard, a receiver last year without much training behind center, is not the typical Irvine dropback quarterback. Inexperience is a concern, especially with as many as nine juniors on defense; they’ll be tested in nonleague games against Servite, Mater Dei and San Clemente. “If the group will hang in there and not get beat up too bad, it could be a competitive group,” Henigan said. “I think there are some good football players there, but there are going to be some growing pains, I think.”

SCHEDULE

Sept. 12 vs. University; 19 vs. Servite; 25 vs. Anaheim.

Oct. 3 vs. Mater Dei; 10 at San Clemente; 16 vs. El Toro at Trabuco Hills HS; 23 vs. Corona del Mar; 31 vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College.

Nov. 7 at Newport Harbor; 14 vs. Woodbridge.