LIVING LARGE

These are heady times for Orange Lutheran High, a small school that emphasizes life’s big picture.

Today is the opening of the school’s $4-million Alexandra Nechita Performing Arts Center, named after the world-renowned artist who graduated from Lutheran last spring. Nechita burst on the art scene nearly a decade ago when, as a 10-year-old, her abstract paintings sold for as much as $80,000.

The auditorium’s opening comes a week after the Lutheran football team opened the season with its own masterpiece, stunning perennial powerhouse Santa Ana Mater Dei, 35-14, at Santa Ana Stadium.

For many, the victory signaled the big-time arrival of the Lutheran program, which had enjoyed success in the Southern Section’s lower divisions but had never beaten a team the caliber of Mater Dei, winner of five Division I titles since 1991.

“There were a lot of congratulations,” said Brad Wagner, a senior linebacker. “Some people couldn’t believe it -- a little Lutheran school beating Mater Dei, a national power.”

Said senior receiver Brendan Circle: “It was sheer excitement from most people.”

Principal Gregg Pinick encountered similar reactions. “Whether it’s at church or at a mall, everybody is always giving me the thumbs-up,” he said.

For Coach Jim Kunau, the celebration was short-lived. A day after the biggest victory of his career, he was back at work preparing for Lutheran’s next game. The Lancers, ranked No. 9 in the Southland by The Times, improved to 2-0 Friday night with a 51-6 victory over Long Beach Millikan.

“It’s just another indicator of how far our school has come as a whole,” Kunau said of defeating Mater Dei, which escaped with a 21-20 victory over Lutheran in the 2002 opener. “The rise of our school in football mirrors the school’s growth.”

Lutheran, though small compared to many high schools, will never be confused with the little schoolhouse on the prairie.

With about 1,100 students, more than double the enrollment of 10 years ago, it is the largest Lutheran high school in the nation and boasts state-of-the-art facilities throughout its 13-acre campus, the result of $12 million in improvements made in the last two years.

Kunau can appreciate how far Lutheran has come because he was there when the Lancers struggled in obscurity. He recalled his first season as coach in 1993, when Lutheran played Saturday afternoon home games on a patchy field before 150 fans.

“And that’s only if we called all the aunts and uncles and begged them to come,” he said.

Lutheran finished 5-5 in Kunau’s first season with a varsity team of 22 players, necessitating that coaches occasionally join practice to fill out two 11-man platoons. There were about 50 players in the entire program.

Today, the Lancers have nearly 150 players divided among three teams. They practice on Field Turf, an artificial surface that looks and feels like grass and cost $750,000 to install. Home games are played at Brea Olinda High.

The Lancers have a 25-game winning streak in league play dating to 1998 and have won at least nine games every year since 1994, reaching four division finals but never winning a title.

More than the wins and losses, Kunau measures his program’s success by the personal growth of the players. The permanent theme of “Champions for Life” reflects the Lancers’ hierarchy of values: faith, Christian character, education and competitive excellence.

“We have one simple expectation: be a champion every day in everything you do,” Kunau said. “Being a champion means you always do your homework, you always go to class prepared, you’re kind to people, you do the right things in preparation on the field.”

Commitment to those values cost Lutheran its starting quarterback last season. He transferred to another school before the Lancers’ playoff opener after learning he was being benched because of disciplinary reasons.

Kunau said his decision on punishment was affirmed a few months later when he heard John Wooden speak at a clinic. Wooden was asked the best way to handle an undisciplined player.

“Without hesitating, he said, ‘The bench,’ ” Kunau recalled. “The whole place erupted.”

Players looking for football glory but unwilling to accept Lutheran’s strict code of conduct are steered to other schools.

“We’re up front,” Kunau said. “We tell them how disciplined it’s going to be. You’re not going to be allowed to use any bad language, whether it’s in practice or in the hallways or in the game.

“We just don’t preach about values, we’re going to do our best to live by them.”

Plenty of families embrace the school’s agenda. Lutheran, with a yearly tuition of $6,500, has a waiting list for new students; enrollment is at capacity.

Circle, who scored the Lancers’ first touchdown against Mater Dei on a 49-yard pass play from junior quarterback Seth Blackamore, has thrived in such an environment. He has a 4.3 grade-point average and hopes to continue his education and football career at Princeton, Harvard or Yale.

Other impact players include Anthony Vernaglia, a senior receiver and linebacker who has committed to Notre Dame, and team captain John Ausmus, a senior tailback and linebacker.

Wagner, the Lancers’ leading tackler, credits the coaching staff for keeping the players working toward goals.

“That’s why we have such a good program, because the coaches keep us focused from the day we step on this campus to the day we graduate,” Wagner said. “Everything from our habits to manners [is covered]. It’s an experience.”

Kunau, 45, learned the lessons of hard work growing up in Bakersfield, where he played football at Bakersfield High. A bachelor, he considers his students an extended family and tries to maintain relationships with former players.

His emphasis on family was demonstrated before the Mater Dei game when he summoned the players’ fathers into the locker room at Santa Ana Stadium. After addressing the fathers, Kunau had the sons join them in an emotional moment.

“It was something I’ll never forget,” Wagner said. “To have my dad there definitely made you want to go out and play better.”

Wagner said the Lancers -- who last year moved up from the Division XI Olympic League to the Division VI Empire League -- are united in their goal of winning the school’s first section title for Kunau. Lutheran lost in Division X finals to Van Nuys Montclair Prep in 1994 and to Cerritos Valley Christian in 1995, and in Division XI finals to Ventura St. Bonaventure in 2000 and 2001.

Kunau, though, said winning a trophy is not his ultimate goal.

“Developing kids’ faith, sharing Christ and developing great character, those are the things that I’m going to end up being judged on,” he said. “That’s where our focus remains.”

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Rise of the Lancers

Orange Lutheran’s record under Coach Jim Kunau:

*--* Year Rec. League Div. Sec Playoffs 1993 5-5 Olympic X Did’nt qualify 1994 11-3 Olympic X l. to Montclair Prep, 53-13 in fin 1995 10-4 Olympic X l. to Cerritos Val Christian, 21-17 in final 1996 11-2 Olympic X l. to St. Bonaventure, 21-7 in semifnl 1997 9-3-1 Olympic X l. to St. Monica, 33-7 in semifinl 1998 9-2 Olympic XI l. to Carpinteria, 42-41 in quartrfnl 1999 11-1 Olympic XI l. to Banning, 46-36, in quartrfnl 2000 11-3 Olympic XI l. to St. Bonaventure, 34-16 in fin 2001 10-2-2 Olympic XI l. to St. Bonaventure, 49-14 in fin 2002 9-3 Empire VI l. to El Modena, 24-0 in quatrfinals

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