Houston Rockets Right to the Top

Football coaches trying to stop Ocean View’s football team do not need to pore over hours of game film to figure out what the Seahawks are doing.

There’s no big secret to their method of attack.

Line up in a four-receiver, one-back set. Send out the receivers (and sometimes the running back as well) while your blockers give the quarterback enough time to find an open receiver and get him the ball.

To make it work, you need a tough, elusive quarterback who has a good arm, good vision and a willingness to spread the ball around.

Ocean View has just such a quarterback in Deshai Houston.

Houston, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior, has the Seahawks off to a 4-0 start and averaging 44.3 points. They haven’t won this many games in a season since 1990, the last year they appeared in the Southern Section playoffs. Four games into the season, Houston leads the county in completions (70), passing yardage (1,025) and touchdown passes (17). In his worst game, he still passed for 171 yards in a 37-14 victory over Century.

Though somewhat shy--he answers most questions with “Yes, sir” or “No, sir”--Houston, 17, said neither he nor his teammates are surprised by their success.

“We’re doing what we expected to do,” Houston said. “The coaches have been working with us very hard, and we had a lot of returning players. I feel we’re real disciplined right now, executing the game plans real well.”

Granted, Ocean View hasn’t played the strongest schedule. Aside from 3-1 Laguna Beach, the Seahawks’ other three opponents (Twentynine Palms, Garden Grove and Century) have a combined record of 3-9.

But that doesn’t diminish the accomplishments of Houston, who earned All-Golden West League first-team honors at defensive back last season, when he played behind senior Scott McMahan at quarterback. Houston started the final five games after McMahan was injured.

Last season was Harold Eggers’ first as Ocean View’s coach. He installed the four-receiver, one-back set he used at Cerritos High. But he did not arrive at Ocean View until July, so he and his staff did not have much time to teach the system.

Still, Houston quickly showed promise. In five games he passed for 829 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.

And after “studying the plays all summer and getting them down,” Houston has been even better this season. He already has more than doubled his touchdown total and has had only three passes intercepted.

Houston gives the credit to the offensive line, “which is blocking great,” he said, and to the receivers, four of whom--Pat Campbell, Brett Crevda, Luka Levu and Phillip Smith--have combined for 64 receptions and 993 yards.

“Deshai is good at getting us an equal share of the ball,” said Campbell, a sophomore playing his first varsity season. “It keeps everyone’s interest [no matter what] play is called.”

Houston would enjoy the season even more if his father, Bill Houston, were around to watch it. Bill Houston, who was a member of Eggers’ coaching staff, died last November. “When I lost him it made me grow up,” said Deshai. “I dedicated the season to him. I feel he is with me every game, watching. If he were here, he’d tell me to keep doing what we’re doing. Play hard and try to win.”

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Featured Game

OCEAN VIEW VS. TROY

When: 7 tonight

Where: Fullerton High

Records: Ocean View (4-0); Troy (3-1)

Rankings: Ocean View is ranked eighth in Southern Section Division VI; Troy is unranked.

Noteworthy: A victory over Troy would do much to legitimize Ocean View’s best start since 1990, which, not coincidentally, is the last time the Seahawks made the playoffs. Troy was embarrassed two weeks ago by Orange Lutheran’s high-octane offense and the Warriors don’t want it to happen again. But Ocean View quarterback Deshai Houston (1,025 yards, 17 touchdowns) has passed opponents silly for four games. Troy will need its ball-control offense, led by running back Bret Murray (701 yards, eight touchdowns), to keep Houston and his receivers off the field.