ROLLING, WITH CONFIDENCE

First-year Coach Bob Gregorchuk figures the turning point was the game against Agoura.

A quality opponent, a strong performance by his team and a third consecutive victory for an Oxnard Rio Mesa football team that won only three games a year earlier.

“After we won that game,” said free safety Kevin Thomas, “we really started to believe in ourselves, that we could take this thing a long way.”

Thomas and his unbeaten teammates took another step toward completing that journey with a 36-13 win Friday over Santa Maria Righetti in the first round of the Southern Section Division IV playoffs.

In only its second winning season since the retirement in 1993 of Ventura County’s winningest coach, John Reardon (154-119-4), Rio Mesa (11-0) continues to get things done in this magical season with big plays and terrific defense.

For instance, the Spartans forced three turnovers, blocked an extra point and had a handful of big plays offensively against Righetti (5-6). Rio Mesa rolled up 414 yards of offense and held the Warriors to 251.

Although Rio Mesa’s 36-16 victory over Agoura in Week 3 was big, a critical moment in the maturation of the program took place away from the football field five months ago.

Gregorchuk had been chosen to replace Randy Block, and in June a starting sophomore defensive back got into trouble at school. In the past, such situations involving Spartan players often resulted in only a light reprimand.

Gregorchuk’s decision? Adios.

“Once he did that,” said two-way starter Robert McCowan, “we knew he was about business.”

Suddenly, a program that had been chaotic had discipline. A program that lacked structure had a foundation. Players were held accountable.

“We realized this is a game, but Coach is stressing the fact he’s not only going to teach us football, but coach us in life,” said Thomas, who’s trying to decide between USC and California as his next football junction. “We have to stay out of trouble.

“It goes past football. It teaches you life lessons.... That really helped us focus on and off the field.”

Gregorchuk, 30, brought in former head coaches as his lieutenants. Defensive coordinator George Contreras previously coached Westlake Village Westlake for 11 years and Rio Mesa for seven, and offensive coordinator Rick Scott had been at Newhall Hart for five years and Ventura Buena for 16.

Rio Mesa’s success came out of the blue. Its last winning season was 1996. Gregorchuk’s idea of goal-setting was six, maybe seven wins. But the team chemistry was good, cliques disappeared and friendships grew. Players started talking about 10-0 before it was realistic.

“We were tired of losing,” said McCowan, a senior with 1,383 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.

Linemen hit the weight room. Coaches filled the blitzing 3-5-3 defense with as many athletes as they could find, anchored by Thomas and linebackers Daniel Villasenor, who has 12 sacks, and Jeremy Ene, who has nine.

Playmakers, such as linebacker Ryan Fagan and McCowan, a cornerback, emerged. Fagan has four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, and has returned one each for a touchdown, accounting for two of the seven defensive touchdowns.

Against Righetti, more contributors stepped forward. Tight end Jacob Manual caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns and Malachi Lewis had touchdown runs of one and 25 yards. Chris Gagua completed 12 of 20 passes for 184 yards with no interceptions. The Spartans even executed a fake punt for a 17-yard pass play and first down.

One game at a time, they learned how to win, including a 46-17 defeat of Camarillo last week with the Pacific View League title on the line. The 17 points allowed in that game was a season high.

It was Rio Mesa’s first title since sharing the Channel League title in 1985. The last time it won a title outright was 1983. The last time it went unbeaten in the regular season it was 8-0-1 in 1974.

“We had to learn to win,” said Gregorchuk, who hopes to take the team to its first section title since 1971. “We had to learn to practice to win.”

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A Rio Comeback

Until Bob Gregorchuk righted things this season, Rio Mesa’s football program had struggled since the retirement of Ventura County’s winningest coach, John Reardon, who compiled a 154-119-4 record from 1968 to ’93.

*--* Year Rec. Coach Playoffs 1994 1-9 George Contreras Did not qualify 1995 2-8 George Contreras Did not qualify 1996 8-3 George Contreras 1st round loss 1997 4-6 George Contreras Did not qualify 1998 3-8 George Contreras 1st round loss 1999 3-7 George Contreras Did not qualify 2000 1-9 George Contreras Did not qualify 2001 5-6 Randy Block 1st round loss 2002 4-6 Randy Block Did not qualify 2003 3-7 Randy Block Did not qualify 2004 11-0 Bob Gregorchuk 1st round win

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