A LITTLE HISTORY
1974--In an attempt to create a more regionalized lineup in Orange County, two leagues--Crestview and Irvine--were phased out, and three new leagues were created. One of those was the Century League, a home for central county schools that began play with Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, El Modena, Estancia, Magnolia, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park. El Modena won the first title, and won or shared six of the first 10.
1981--Foothill’s 21-17 victory over El Modena ended in controversy, when an apparent five-yard touchdown pass from Dave Money to Jim Fregosi was ruled an incomplete pass when Fregosi hit the ground and dropped the ball without controlling it. The teams would meet again in the Southern Conference title game, with Foothill again winning, 31-24. From 1980-85, the winner of the El Modena-Foothill game went on to win the Century League championship. The teams tied in 1982--and tied for the title.
1999 IN REVIEW
Villa Park won a showdown of league unbeatens in the final week, scoring 15 points in the final 6 1/2 minutes to defeat Santa Ana Valley, 50-48. Bryan Arguello capped the rally, scoring on a 62-yard pass play from John Henry Jackson with 3:42 to play. Marquis Colvin rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns for the Spartans. . . . Colvin rushed for 1,038 in five league games. . . . Arguello, a wide receiver and defensive back who had 51 receptions and six interceptions, was named the league’s most valuable player. . . . Skyler Champion rushed for a county-record 527 yards in a 46-12 victory over Orange, ending an eight-game losing streak for the Knights. Champion had five touchdowns, including scoring runs of 79, 76 and 63 yards. . . . Villa Park had the league’s lone playoff victory, a 38-28 decision over Santa Ana, before falling to eventual Division VI champion Newport Harbor, 35-16.
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League Overall STANDINGS W L T W L T TP PA Villa Park 5 0 0 9 3 0 419 273 Santa Ana Valley 4 1 0 8 3 0 294 225 Canyon 2 3 0 3 8 0 146 301 Foothill 2 3 0 2 8 0 173 329 El Modena 1 4 0 1 9 0 65 261 Orange 1 4 0 1 9 0 134 425
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Leaders
Statistics include regular-season games only
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PASSING Att CP TD Yds Guerrero, SA Valley 205 83 16 1,486 Castillo, Foothill 195 90 7 1,247 Jackson, Villa Park 134 79 9 1,146 Joiner, Orange 202 79 7 878
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RUSHING Att Yds Avg TD Colvin, Villa Park 217 1,816 8.4 26 Champion, Foothill 190 1486 7.8 13 Harvey, Canyon 202 1,231 6.1 12 Zepeda, SA Valley 176 928 5.3 8
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RECEIVING Rec Yds Avg TD Arguello, Villa Park 43 717 16.7 7 Potter, Orange 27 388 14.4 4 Barragan, SA Valley 26 347 13.3 2 Parker, Canyon 23 293 12.7 2
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SCORING TD FG XP TP Colvin, Villa Park 27 0 2 164 Arguello, Villa Park 8 3 33 90 Harvey, Canyon 14 0 2 86 Champion, Foothill 13 0 2 80
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NOTEBOOK
Villa Park’s Arguello isn’t just a star on the football field. His best sport may be soccer. And he’s earned varsity letters in basketball and baseball too. So does the 5-foot-9, 160-pound senior get run down? “No, he thrives on that,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said. “We call him the Energizer.” . . . Santa Ana Valley Coach Eddie Steward said he felt the Falcons turned a corner last season, finishing 8-2 and coming within three points of winning the Century League title outright after falling to Villa Park in the final regular-season game, 50-48. Interest is up at the school, and Steward said there were approximately 70 players on his varsity and junior varsity teams this summer. . . . Orange broke a 19-game losing streak by defeating Canyon, 14-7, in the final week of the regular season. C.J. Joiner’s 23-yard touchdown pass to John Potter with 2 1/2 minutes remaining gave the Panthers their first victory under Coach Kevin Capps. He hopes it’s a harbinger of things to come. “Before, we’ve just been outmanned,” Capps said. “But now we can compete a little bit.”