SD Prep Sports:

2006 Prep Football Previews
Metro Conference

Best in Metro? Trojans seek perfect season
CHULA VISTA, Aug. 31, 2006 -- If the quality of high school football is supposed to be “down” across the San Diego Section this season, as some observers are predicting, that assessment may not necessarily apply to the Castle Park Trojans, who could very well fashion a perfect 10-0 season if they play up to their potential on paper.

But charting out games on paper and playing them on the field often produce contrasting results. Regardless, the Trojans may still rank as one of the best teams in the section that viewers will not see on the inaugural year of Channel 4 San Diego’s Thursday Night Prep Football Game of the Week telecasts.

But bigger things could await this season.

“We return a sound senior class with the hopes of repeating as league champions and obtaining a high seed in the playoffs,” Castle Park head coach Paul Van Nostrand said.

The Trojans finished 8-2 in regular season play last season, dropping contests to eventual Division I runner-up Torrey Pines and Eastlake. Castle Park went undefeated in South Bay League play, defeating runner-up Otay Ranch, 20-10, in what turned out to be the league championship game.

However, the Trojans were the object of a late season probe by both the Metro Conference and section offices that saw Castle Park initially banned from the playoffs because of use of an ineligible player and then reinstated through legal processes. There was a sour taste on both sides of the ruling and the on-again, off-again status of the team may have taken an edge off its post-season practice schedule.

The Trojans were eliminated in the Division II quarterfinals, 56-32, by an upstart El Cajon Valley team. The second half was largely forgettable if you were a Castle Park fan.

There appears to be renewed fortunes in 2006, however.

The Trojans are loaded with top returners, led by 2005 all-league picks Martin Bayless Jr. (First Team wide receiver), Tim Cruz (Second Team offensive lineman), Raymond “Boogie” Blossom (Second Team running back), Russell McGuire (Second Team quarterback), Ricardo Anzar (Second Team offensive lineman), Frank Rodriguez (Second Team defensive linebacker), David McGuire (Second Team defensive back), Joey Valencia (honorable mention tight end) and Jonathon Estrella (honorable mention offensive lineman).

Blossom, Cruz, both McGuires, Rodriguez, Valencia and Estrella comprise the Trojans’ very talented senior class along with lineman Max Odanga, running back/defensive back Victor Redd, tight end/linebacker Ricky Castro, wing back/defensive back Matthew Dunkle, offensive linemen/linebackers Andres Infante and A.J. Morones.

Anzar and Bayless are both juniors. Yes, Bayless is the son for former NFL player Martin Bayless, now an assistant coach with the Houston Texans.

Dunkle, a starter last season at defensive back, is the younger brother of CP alum Freddy Dunkle (a former South Bay League Player of the Year now playing linebacker at SDSU).

The younger Bayless entered this name in the school record book for receiving yards last season (628, seventh all-time), most pass receptions in one game (eight, tied for third all-time) and most pass receptions in one season (42, third all-time) while Russell McGuire set new school records for most touchdown passes in one season (14, sixth all-time), most career touchdown passes (20, tied for fifth all-time), most passing yards in one season (1,300, seventh all-time) and most passes completed in one season (86, fifth all-time).

Impact newcomers include junior Paul Sierra (lineman), sophomores Adam Tolbert (receiver) and Antonio Silva (fullback) and senior Henry Meza (lineman). Other players looking to move up with significant playing time include senior Jason Garber (receiver), senior Steven Lopez (lineman), senior George Bucio (fullback), senior Adam Montano (defensive end) and junior John Heiter (tight end).

Silva and Tolbert are both up from last year’s freshman team while Garber, Lopez, Sierra, Bucio, Montano and Heiter all played at the junior varsity level last season.

The Trojans kick off the season Friday, Sept. 1, with a 7 p.m. home game against longtime cross-town rival Chula Vista, followed by a marquee matchup the following week at Torrey Pines in a game that will likely determine whether a perfect season remains within sight.

Castle Park defeated Chula Vista, 35-8, last season and dropped a 20-6 decision against Torrey Pines in non-league action.

Eastlake Titans face new challenges:
Offense recharges but defense will be put to the test
CHULA VISTA, Aug. 31, 2006 -- If you are a high school football coach, how do you go about replacing not one but two First Team All-San Diego Section standouts? Well, the answer is that you don’t. You just develop weapons.

Such is the game plan this season at Eastlake High School where head coach John McFadden’s team faces the loss of receiver/defensive back Stephen Carr (Stanford) and linebacker Marcus Yarbrough (SDSU). Overall, the Titans lost 11 all-league players to graduation. Joining the ebb and flow were offensive lineman Cory Matheson, kicker Daniel Ortega, defensive backs Corey Moody and Victor Andujo, defensive linemen Charles Parker, Luc Ruiz and Abel Hurtado, and linebackers Jerrell Mitchell and Frank Velasquez.

“Last year, Carr had two people on him all the time. That opened up space for other guys,” McFadden said. “You can’t replace a guy like Marcus Yarbrough. As for the guys this year, I think we’ll have some other weapons.”

Eastlake, braced by the section’s top-scoring defense, finished 8-2 last season in regular season play with an eight-game winning streak book-ending season-opening and season-closing losses to Oceanside and Bonita Vista, respectively.

The Titans defeated Fallbrook in their opening playoff game before ending their season in the Division I quarterfinals against Mesa League champion Bonita Vista. The second loss to the Barons hurt: Eastlake was poised to score the go-ahead touchdown with time clicking down on the scoreboard before a fumble gave the ball back to Bonita Vista.

“It’s hard being the No. 1 defensive team in the county every year but we’ll strive for that,” McFadden said. “We have some kids who like to smack people around.”

McFadden’s troops have put in a summer of hard workouts in preparation for the upcoming challenge. The 2006 Titans look strong on offense — perhaps the weaker end of last year’s defensively top-heavy team. Back are quarterback Derek Witte, fullback Flynn Anderson, halfbacks Jeremiah Andujo and Jacinto Callu, receivers Sal Adame and Curtis Casey, tight end Marco Carr and offensive linemen Jose Baez, Jorge Covarrubias and Jeremy Quillon.

Anderson, Andujo and Baez all earned Second Team All-Mesa League honors last season.

Anderson rushed for a team-high 648 yards and six touchdowns last year as a junior while Andujo gained 587 yards and scored two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2005.

As a sophomore last year, Witte, an all-league honorable mention, passed for 929 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Among the returners, Baez, Covarrubias, Quillon, Callu and Casey are all seniors while Adame and Carr are juniors. Callu moves to the backfield this year as a ball-carrier after splitting quarterback duties last season.

McFadden is touting Baez as a legitimate Division I college recruit.

Junior offensive lineman Javier Lopez, a standout on last year’s junior varsity team, moves up to the varsity team this season.
“We have a lot of offensive experience. Most of our guys are returning,” McFadden said. “We’re going to be very balanced. Our running and passing games should be all solid. A year of experience makes a big difference.”

Without any returning all-league players on defense, the Titans will have to grow fast. In fact, McFadden said the group that starts out in training camp might not be the same group that takes the field.

Players being counted on to lead the defense include senior linebacker Marcus Perry and senior defensive lineman Andres Sanchez. Perry earned all-league honorable mention honors last season.

Others include senior linebacker Mike Cottingham, sophomore linebacker Patrick Jarin, Andujo (outside linebacker), junior strong safety Dyson Waddles, junior cornerbacks Adame and Mike Holt, senior safety John Arnold, junior safety Mike Kelley, Baez (defensive lineman) and junior defensive lineman Alex Johnson.

Last season, the Titan defense held opponents to an average of 6.0 points per game in regular season play.

Andujo ranked 12th on the team’s defensive chart in 2005 (17 first hits and eight assists) to show just how much the team lost to graduation. As a defender last season, Adame had four interceptions and two deflections.

“Being the No. 1 defense last year is difficult to live up to,” McFadden said. “Despite having players coming in and out of the lineup, we have some very good athletes and we expect them to perform at a very high level (this season). We have some great kids coming up from the JV. Everyone has worked hard. I expect everyone to get better. I expect us to have a balanced team.”
The desire to aspire appears to permeate the team.

“Even though we a lot of guys who were all-league like Marcus Yarbrough graduate, we have been working hard all summer to have the guys who will be able to step up and be all-league players like the ones we lost,” Perry said.

“We’ll go hard, 100 percent every play,” Sanchez said.

The 2006 Titans squad is rounded out by sophomore kicker Luis Nunez and Kelly at punter. The Titans lose all-league kicker Daniel Ortega, who is now a member of the SDSU soccer team. Ortega ranked second in the section last year in kick scoring with 60 points on 30 extra points and 10 field goals.

Despite the high profile talent drain, McFadden remains optimistic about the season and his team’s chances at winning the Mesa League championship. Solidarity, he suggested, was the key in filling any holes.

Signs hanging around the school’s weight room promote that attitude:

“Go hard or go home.”

“Lead by example.”

“No excuses, just results.”

“Expect to win.”

“Championships start here.”

“Teamwork: It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”

Said McFadden: “We had a great off-season workout program.The kids really bought into the program. That’s always a key. If hard work pays off, these kids should do really well this season.”

As one placard on the weight room wall reads: “The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.”

Coming attractions
Otay Ranch makes its long-anticipated move to the Mesa League this season and the Mustangs’ presence should add to Eastlake’s already heated eastside rivalry with Bonita Vista. Eastlake will host both Otay Ranch and Bonita Vista and face improved Chula Vista and Sweetwater teams on the road. San Ysidro also comes to the Mesa League this season.

Otay Ranch finished 9-2 last season and is coming off its first-ever CIF playoff appearance. Bonita Vista finished 10-2 and advanced as far as the Division I semifinals, losing to eventual champion Carlsbad. San Ysidro finished 5-6, also with a first-round playoff berth.

There does not seem to be a clear favorite to kick off the season. In fact, that seems to define the entire makeup of this year’s league: all the games will be important.

“It adds a new rivalry,” McFadden said of Otay Ranch’s jump to the Metro Conference’s large schools enrollment league. “It’s a neighborhood rivalry. A lot of kids grew up together. We’ve wanted to play their team for years. It should be a great rivalry over the next few years.”

Summed up McFadden: “It’s a great league.”

Clash of the Titans
Eastlake will kick off its 2006 season with a Sept. 1 home contest against Poway in what McFadden bills as “The Clash of the Titans.” Poway advanced to the Division I quarterfinals last season after handing Otay Ranch a first-round playoff loss in the Mustangs’ first-ever post-season game.

The North County version of the Titans, led by veteran quarterback Donny McKillop, is already being talked about in some circles as a preseason top 10 section team.“It should be a good matchup. We’ve never played them before,” McFadden said.

Eastlake Titans
2006 Varsity Schedule
September
1: Poway at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m.
8: Eastlake at Grossmont, 7:30 p.m.
15: Helix at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m. (Moms Night)
22: Marian Catholic at Eastlake, 7 p.m. (Youth Football Night)
29: Eastlake at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
October
6: Bye.
13: San Ysidro at Eastlake, 7 p.m. (Homecoming)
20: Otay Ranch at Eastlake, 7 p.m. (Teacher Night)
27: Eastlake at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
November
3: Eastlake at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
9: Bonita Vista at Eastlake, 7 p.m. (Dads Night)

2006 Junior Varsity Schedule
September
1: Poway at Eastlake, 5 p.m.
8: Eastlake at Grossmont, 5 p.m.
15: Helix at Eastlake, 5 p.m.
22: Marian Catholic at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
29: Eastlake at Castle Park, 3 p.m.
October
6: Bye.
13: San Ysidro at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
20: Otay Ranch at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
27: Eastlake at Chula Vista, 3 p.m.
November
3: Eastlake at Sweetwater, 3 p.m.
9: Bonita Vista at Eastlake, 3 p.m.

2006 Freshman Schedule
August
31: Eastlake at Poway, 4 p.m.
September
7: Grossmont at Eastlake, 4 p.m. 14: Eastlake at Helix, 4 p.m. 21: Eastlake at Marian Catholic, 3 p.m. 28: Castle Park at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
October
5: Bye. 12: Eastlake at San Ysidro, 3 p.m. 19: Eastlake at Otay Ranch, 3 p.m. 26: Chula Vista at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
November
2: Sweetwater at Eastlake, 3 p.m. 8: Eastlake at Bonita Vista, 3 p.m.

Aztecs seek upper echelon finish in move to South Bay League
CHULA VISTA, Aug. 31, 2006 -- The Montgomery Aztecs qualified for last year’s Division II playoffs and return 14 impact players from that roster as the team makes the jump to the South Bay League.

Leading the corps of returners are senior quarterback Chris Pizarro, junior running back Brandon Meredith, junior halfback Juan Moriel, senior halfback James King, junior wide receiver Eugene Afalla, senior offensive lineman Raul Avila, junior offensive linemen Ryan Carrera and Manny Hernandez, senior free safety David Cruz, senior linebacker Allan Borja, junior cornerback Donovan Myers, senior linebacker Felix Espino, junior defensive lineman Bobby Cota and senior kicker/ punter Jonathan Alcala.

Pizarro, Meredeith, Borja and Carrera are all-league returners.

Pizarro, who is considered a college prospect at the Division I-AA level, passed for 1,184 yards last season.

Top newcomers include senior wide receiver Onil Vallecillo, senior linebacker John Thammakhot, junior offensive lineman Daniel Judge and senior defensive lineman Michael Martinez.

The Aztecs, who could challenge for an upper echelon finish in the South Bay League standings this season, boast 14 returning starters but head coach Julio Alcala said his team’s biggest obstacle will be its lack of depth, especially on the offensive and defensive line.

“Our strength will be our passing game and Brandon Meredith at running back and defensive end,” Alcala said. “Good senior leadership by linebacker Allan Borja is expected to get the defense going.”

Montgomery kicks off its season Friday, Sept. 1 against University City at Mar Vista High School.

Red Devils have designs on moving up in standings
NATIONAL CITY, Aug. 31, 2006 -- What may be one of the longest high school football rivalries in San Diego County — Chula Vista versus Sweetwater — is scheduled for a prime time telecast on Oct. 19 on Channel 4 San Diego’s inaugural Thursday Night Prep Football Game of the Week schedule. Sweetwater head coach Tony Garcia believes his team is improved enough this season to warrant additional prime time appearances when it comes post-season play.

“We had a great off-season weight-lifting program,” said Garcia, who has pointed his team toward winning league and CIF titles. “We have great team speed.”

Garcia’s words are filled with optimism and enthusiasm — two qualities that reign supreme at the start of the season for every program. But everyone believes the 2006 Red Devils should be improved and should contend for the Mesa League title in a new-look league alignment that welcomes Otay Ranch and San Ysidro in the place of departing Montgomery and Southwest.
The realigned Mesa League should be balanced from top to bottom with no clear favorite to start the season. Sweetwater will get a first-look at its fortunes when it kicks off regular season play with a non-league game against visiting El Cajon Valley on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m.

The Braves advanced to last year’s San Diego Section Division II championship game. However, many of the heroes of that ECV squad — led by CIF Player of the Year Abraham Muheize — have graduated, making Friday’s matchup a very interesting one in terms of how each team has either rebuilt (in the case of El Cajon Valley) or rebounded (in the case of Sweetwater) from last season.

The Red Devils finished 1-8-1 last season, 1-3-1 in league play. Sweetwater last qualified for the CIF playoffs in 2004, dropping a hard-fought first-round Division I matchup against Eastlake.

The Devils definitely have some climbing up the standings to do but this year’s group could be ready to do just that.
Top returners include and seniors Angel Garcia and Lafo Kaapana and junior Fred Fells. Garcia, an offensive lineman, and Kaapana, a defensive lineman, both earned Second Team All-Mesa League honors last season while Fells is projected to be a two-way starter this season.

At 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Kaapana, in particular, is being groomed as one of the section’s top college recruits.
Impact newcomers, according to the Red Devils head coach, include junior quarterback Michael Sumabat, sophomore tight end/defensive tackle Bryan Charles and senior linebacker Marco Gonzalez.

Quick hits:
Mesa League
Otay Ranch Mustangs
The Mustangs finished 9-2 overall last season, placing runner-up to Castle Park in the South Bay League standings and later dropping a first-round Division I playoff game to Poway in the team’s first-ever foray into post-season competition. Otay Ranch moves to the Mesa League this season and should contend for that league title as well. Running back Robert McCurdy (6-2, 200) is being touted as one of the section’s top college recruits after rushing for 1,127 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns as a junior last season.

Bonita Vista: Barons
The Barons defeated Eastlake for last year’s Mesa League title and topped the Titans a second time in the Division I quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals against eventual division champion Carlsbad. Like many of its rivals, Bonita Vista lost heavily to graduation but feels it has additional weapons to help fill the void.

Chula Vista Spartans
Last year marked the start of a new era in Spartan football under coach Judd Rachow. The team sported a new coaching staff and a large cast of players making their varsity debut. Chula Vista finished 2-2-1 in league play, 2-7-1 overall. Rachow understood the situation and patience prevailed. The Spartans should be improved this season behind returning all-leaguers Josh Goldilla (quarterback), Avan Ariy (linebacker) and Johnathan Martinez (defensive lineman).

Quick hits:
South Bay League
Hilltop Lancers
Quarterback Craig Rasmussen, a preseason All-CIF pick, returns but who will he throw to this season? A new cast must emerge to replace some very talented graduated receivers. The Lancers must also develop a ground game if they have aspirations of returning to the section playoffs.

Marian Catholic Crusaders
The Crusaders once boasted one of the longest unbeaten streaks in San Diego Section history but last year failed to make the playoffs after playing one of the section’s toughest schedules. Marian Catholic (2-3 in league, 2-8 overall) finished fourth in the league standings behind Castle Park, Otay Ranch and Hilltop. Back are all-league QB Michael Fajardo, LB Jose Chig and DB Frank Paredes.

San Ysidro Cougars
The Cougars had their best year in school history in 2005, finishing 5-6 after a first-round Division II playoff loss at San Pasqual. San Ysidro regroups under new head coach Gary Pugh. The Cougars looked decent, according to opposing coaches, during summer passing leagues.

Barons to host Louisiana team in hurricane relief fundraiser
On Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m., the football team from Bogalusa, La., will play a benefit game at Southwestern College against Bonita Vista. The purpose of this interstate matchup is to raise funds for the public schools of Washington Parish to rebuild and replace school facilities damaged last year by hurricane Katrina.

Besides being telecast live on Channel 4 San Diego’s Thursday Night Prep Football Game of the Week, the game will also feature several prize giveaways for those in attendance, including four tickets for one lucky fan to attend this year’s Pacific Life Holiday Bowl and the grand prize of a trip to Hawaii to attend the NFL Pro Bowl.

Donations by companies or individuals are tax deductible through the Bonita Vista Football Boosters, a 501c California organization.

The Louisiana team will be in the San Diego area Sept. 4-8.

JC football
Southwestern College kicks off its 2006 season with a Saturday, Sept. 2, home game against Glendale (5 p.m. kickoff). The Jaguars finished 5-5 last season, including 4-4 in Foothill Conference play.

Grossmont College, which earned the nation’s No. 1 preseason ranking, kicks off its season with a pair of dramatic encounters. The Griffins play at 1997 national champion Mt. San Antonio on Saturday, Sept. 2, and host 2004 national champion College of the Canyons on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m.

Scrimmages aside, 2K6 prep season ready to kick off
CHULA VISTA, Aug. 31, 2006 -- A scrimmage is a scrimmage is a scrimmage, right? Well, it can still sting if you’re on the losing end. Coaches use the games to look at different combinations, and even plays that may never make it to the regular season play book, and , to give first-time varsity players a taste of on-field action, thus easing jitters and promoting confidence. Motivation to perform better is the likely outcome.

Eight San Diego Section teams participated in the Fourth Annual Kick-Off Classic last weekend. The two double-headers served as a launch pad for the 2006 season and were officially listed as scrimmages (but played under game-like conditions). The event served as a fund-raiser for the San Diego Section’s transportation fund.

In the opening two games last Friday at Mira Mesa High School, Mount Miguel topped Coronado, 40-21, while host Mira Mesa shut out Hilltop by a 52-0 score.

The scene then shifted to East County for the concluding pair of games the next day at Grossmont High School. In the opener, El Capitan defeated Palo Verde, 37-14, while Ramona blanked host Grossmont by a 27-0 score.

Senior receiver Laron Rush helped lead the Matadors past the Islanders while the Vaqueros got first-half touchdowns from Michael Holz and Garrett Jarvis to jump-start their victory against the Yellow Jackets (a swarm of bees traversing the field added to the first-half excitement for the several hundred fans in attendance).

The games themselves were scrappy affairs with more of an emphasis on scrimmages than games. A lot of “bugs” remain to be worked out for all the teams as new players are integrated into the system and returning players step up to fill new roles left by departed players. Expect much more polished efforts when the regular season officially kicks off Aug. 31.

Preseason rankings
Who will win it all in 2006? According to the San Diego Hall of Champions’ sportswriters/sportscasters preseason poll, defending Division III champion St. Augustine leads the pack, followed by reigning Division I champion Carlsbad (second), 2005 Division II champion Oceanside (third), Mira Mesa (fourth), Poway (fifth), 2005 Division I runner-up Torrey Pines (sixth), Escondido (seventh), Castle Park (eighth), Grossmont (ninth) and Mission Hills (10th).

Poway, Escondido, Castle Park, Grossmont and Mission Hills ended last season unranked. Mission Hills was excluded from post-season play because of excessive forfeitures.

The Trojans earned the fourth seed in the Division II playoffs but were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Four San Diego Section schools are included in Cal-Hi Sports preseason top 50 rankings, inclusive of all divisions. Oceanside is ranked 18th, followed by St. Augustine (30th), Carlsbad (38th) and Mira Mesa (50th).

The San Diego Hall of Champions has released its preseason All-San Diego Section team. Included was just one South County player: Hilltop senior quarterback Craig Rasmussen.

Rasmussen, a two-time South Bay League Player of the Year in baseball and last year’s South Bay League Offensive Player of the Year in football, passed for 2,365 yards and 18 touchdowns to help lead the Lancers to last year’s CIF playoffs. A versatile performer, as exemplified by his baseball heroics, the 6-2, 180-pounder can also play in the defensive backfield.

Rounding out this year’s Hall of Champions’ preseason All-CIF team are St. Augustine senior quarterback Chris Forcier, St. Augustine senior running back James Leitch, Mount Miguel senior offensive lineman Juan Bolanos, El Capitan senior defensive lineman Tommie Draheim, West Hills junior running back Raleigh Sevier, Grossmont senior running back/defensive back Augie Williams, Francis Parker senior running back Gino Gordon, Mira Mesa senior receiver Markques Simas, La Costa Canyon senior receiver Stanley Paul, Mira Mesa senior tight end Nate Chandler, Francis Parker senior offensive lineman Tyler Mabry, Coronado senior offensive lineman Ben Thorne, Rancho Bernardo senior offensive lineman Winston Wilkinson, Mission Hills senior offensive lineman Brad Johnson, Poway senior defensive lineman Nick Wood, Rancho Bernardo junior defensive lineman Nick Pascarella, El Camino senior defensive lineman Mark Weber, Mission Hills senior linebacker Tyler Seau-Sparks (son for former Chargers great Junior Seau), Mission Bay senior linebacker Deonte Green, Carlsbad senior linebacker Brock Butler, Hoover senior defensive back Todd Doxey, Escondido defensive back Darryl Williams (son of former NFL player Dokie Williams), Hoover senior defensive back Gary Lee, Point Loma senior defensive back Lester Arnold, Hilltop senior quarterback/defensive back Craig Rasmussen, St. Augustine senior receiver/kick returner Larry Parker, Escondido receiver/defensive back Darrell Catchings, Santa Fe Christian senior running back Mac Zimdars, Torrey Pines senior kicker Bill Bennett and San Pasqual senior punter Kyle Albini.

Forcier, who beat out Hilltop’s Rasmussen, El Capitan’s Ryan Lindley and Palo Verde’s David Ortega for the Hall of Champions’ preseason All-CIF quarterback honor, already is slated to attend UCLA next fall.

Williams, a First Team offensive and defensive All-Grossmont North League pick last season, rushed for 989 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Foothillers. Last spring, the six-foot, 195-pound standout added a Division II baseball championship to his collection.

Metro Conference Varstiy Schedule
Friday, Sept. 1
Hilltop at Hoover, 4:30 p.m.
Central Union at Otay Ranch, 7 p.m.
Chula Vista at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
El Cajon Valley at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
University City vs. Montgomery at Mar Vista High School, 7 p.m.
Calexico at Southwest, 7 p.m.
San Ysidro at Valhalla, 7 p.m.
Poway at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m.
Bonita Vista at Georgetown University (Alberta Grand Prarie), TBA
Byes:Mar Vista, Marian Catholic

Thursday, Sept. 7
Bogalusa (Louisiana) vs. Bonita Vista, 7:05 p.m. (Southwestern College)

Friday, Sept. 8
Kearny at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
El Camino at Sweetwater, 7:30 p.m.
Montgomery at El Cajon Valley, 6:30 p.m.
Hilltop at Monte Vista, 7 p.m.
Chula Vista at Valhalla, 7 p.m.
Marian Catholic at St. Augustine, 7 p.m.
Eastlake at Grossmont, 7:30 p.m.
Castle Park at Torrey Pines, 7:30 p.m.
Southwest at Orange Glen, 7:30 p.m.
Otay Ranch (bye)

Saturday, Sept. 9
St. Genevieve at San Ysidro, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15
Sweetwater at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
West Hills at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
Mt. Miguel vs. Bonita Vista, 7 p.m. (Southwestern College)
Hoover at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Valley Center at Marian Catholic, 7 p.m.
Francis Parker at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
Madison at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Vista Murrieta at San Ysidro, 7 p.m.
Chula Vista at Carlsbad, 7 p.m.
Helix at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m.
Otay Ranch at Rancho Buena Vista, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 22
Castle Park at Morse , 3 p.m.
Point Loma at Otay Ranch, 7 p.m.
Marian Catholic at Eastlake, 7 p.m.
Granite Hills at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
Santana at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
Kearny at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
San Ysidro at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Mar Vista at Scripps Ranch, 7 p.m.
Bonita Vista (bye)
Hilltop (bye)

Thursday Night
Game of the Week
All games 7:05 p.m.
Channel 4 San Diego
Regular Season Schedule

August
31: Oceanside at Helix.

September
7: Bogalusa (Louisiana)vs. Bonita Vista at Southwestern College.
14: Poway at El Capitan.
21: Monte Vista at West Hills.
28: Valley Center at Mission Hills.

October
5: Ramona at Escondido.
12: Steele Canyon at Valhalla.
19: Chula Vista at Sweetwater
26: Mar Vista at Hilltop.

November
2: Carlsbad at Rancho Buena Vista.
9: Cathedral Catholic vs. St. Augustine.

San Diego Section
Kick-Off Classic
(Scrimmage games)
Friday, Aug. 25
Mira Mesa High School
Mt. Miguel 40, Coronado 21
Mira Mesa 52, Hilltop 0

Saturday, Aug. 26
Grossmont High School
El Capitan 37, Palo Verde 14
Ramona 27, Grossmont 0

San Diego Rankings
San Diego Hall Of Champions
2006 Preseason Poll
School/2005 Record
1. St. Augustine 10-3
2. Carlsbad 11-2
3. Oceanside 10-3
4. Mira Mesa 9-2-1
5. Poway 6-6
6. Torrey Pines 11-2
7. Escondido 7-4
8. Castle Park 9-3
9. Grossmont 7-3-1
10. Mission Hills 4-6

CAL-HI STATE RANKINGS
(All Divisions)
18. Oceanside
30. St. Augustine
38. Carlsbad
50. Mira Mesa

Olympian Eagles to face Olympic challenges in first year
CHULA VISTA, Aug. 24, 2006 -- The official name is Olympian High School. For the first half of their first season of high school sports at least, they will be known as the traveling Eagles.

Everything at Olympian High School is new. So new, in fact, that the athletic fields and facilities have yet to be fully installed. A target date for completion is December. In the meantime, all the school’s fall athletic contests will be played off campus.

It might not be the debut that some expected but it appears time to duly welcome on board the Sweetwater Union High School District’s 13th high school: the Olympian Eagles.

Olympian High School athletic director Jorge Mancillas had one sentence to adequately sum up the situation.

“You can only start from scratch; you can only get better,” he said.

That statement may, in fact, turn out to be an understatement where the Eagles are concerned.

The district’s newest high school, which is expected to cost $120 million at buildout next spring, is opening with an enrollment between 450-485 students its first year of operation and is limited to freshman and sophomore classes. All sports will be contested at either the freshman or sophomore levels this first season, according to Mancillas, who also serves as an assistant coach (offensive-defensive coordinator) for the football team.

Olympian High School will offer four sports at the JV level this fall: football, cross country, girls tennis and girls volleyball. There was enough interest from students to field a boys water polo team but Mancillas said a suitable coach had not yet been found as the start of the school’s inaugural sports season began to draw closer.

The football and girls tennis teams are practicing at Eastlake Middle School while the girls volleyball team is practicing at Salt Creek gymnasium. The cross country team is running wherever it won’t fall into an open trench.

According to Mancillas, the school is about half built.

“We’re the traveling Eagles,” he said.

On a more serious note, Mancillas said he welcomed the challenge of opening a new school.

“I’d always wanted to open up a new school,” said Mancillas, who had taught and/or coached at Castle Park, Chula Vista, Eastlake and Southwest high schools before joining the inaugural staff at Olympian High School. “I always wanted to work with (principal) John DeVore. I always wanted to work with (head football coach) Gil Warren.”

Warren, a coaching legend in the South Bay, officially took over the reins of the program on Wednesday.

Lynn More (girls) and Rene Ortiz (boys) are the school’s first cross country coaches. Ortiz will also coach soccer during the winter season. Lisa Hernandez is coaching girls tennis while Valerie Sapara is the school’s first girls volleyball coach.

Despite the current lack of on-campus practice facilities, Mancillas said he believes the school’s athletic programs show promise, given enough time.

“With only 450 or 480 students, it’s hard with the numbers. We just don’t have that many students right now to draw from for our athletic teams,” Mancillas said. “It’s no one’s fault. That’s just how it is. It’s going to take some time.”

Patience, it appears, will have to be one of the Eagles’ strongest virtues.

“Our biggest class is our freshman class,” Mancillas said. “A lot of the players on our JV teams will be freshmen. But we have a good group of kids. Again, this is going to take some time.”

Besides Mancillas, Warren is being assisted in the football program by freshman head coach Mike Kohler, freshman assistants Rudy Hernandez, Derrick Dudley and Anthony Treko and JV assistant coaches Ray Howard (running backs and defensive backs), David Urbina (linebackers), Paul Chilson (wide receivers) and Mike Hulin (defensive backs).

The first freshman game in school history is scheduled Aug. 31 at Sweetwater High School. Kick-off is 3 p.m. The first JV game is scheduled Saturday, Sept. 2, at Clairemont High School, starting at noon.

The Eagles will get their first taste of gridiron action Saturday in a scrimmage at Mar Vista High School. The freshmen are set to take the field at 9 a.m., followed by the JV at 10:30 a.m.

Two designated regular season “home” games will be played at San Ysidro High School.

Warren is enthusiastic about building a program from the ground up — something he had never done in more than 30 years of coaching at Southwestern College and Castle Park and Southwest high schools.

Warren won three San Diego Section championships in 19 years as a head coach at Castle Park (1968, 1994 and 1996) and helped revitalize a long-underachieving program at Southwest (where he coached three years). He coached at Southwestern College “on and off,” as he put it, for 10 years.

Warren, who had retired in June 2005 after 39 years of teaching, said he was motivated to return to the active coaching ranks by two primary reasons: the chance to work alongside DeVore and the opportunity to build a program from scratch.

“The number one reason was John DeVore,” Warren said. “I’ve known him for years. I think he’s the top administrator in education. I admire his foresight and his desire to be the best and perform. He feels every kid can go to college. He sets the bar really high. We try to do that in athletics. The number two reason was to build something from the ground up. We’re excited.”

Training camp standouts on the football team have included sophomore tight end/outside linebacker Martin Cuiriz, sophomore inside linebackers/offensive linemen Jon Razo and Christian Munoz, sophomore running back Julius Miller and freshman quarterback Ryan Van Nostrand.

Warren spoke about the potential of the new school, both in reference to its student-athletes and its facilities. The turf field that will be installed, he said, will have a special cooling system installed underneath it that should make it unique in the county.

Warren said the school should add about 1,000 students each year.

“We have to be varsity in our second year, playing with freshmen, sophomores and juniors,” Warren said. “We’re just trying this year to set up a team situation. We’re trying to be as good as we can be this year and work ’em hard. We’ve got some good attitudes. The good part of being a first-year program is that you get to start tradition. We don’t have that many kids yet but we’re going to grow.”

“Right now, we’re looking for the kids to improve,” Mancillas said. “We want them to do what we ask them to do. It’s going to take a while.”

When those first victories do come, however, expect them to be defining moments in the school’s history.

2006 CIF Preview:
Who will step forward in 2006?

CHULA VISTA, Aug. 24, 2006 -- Who are the top high school football players in San Diego County this season? That’s a good question considering the number of seniors who dominated last year’s All-San Diego Section team. Of the 61 roster spots available on the first and second offensive and defensive teams, only four underclassmen were selected.

A new class of gridiron heroes thus appears to be in the making for 2006.

Thirty-two players were named to the 2005 first and second offensive all-section teams, just four of them juniors. Twenty-nine players were named to the 2005 first and second defensive all-section teams, all of them seniors.

Returning all-section players include Ramona kicker Stanley Shurson, the only underclassman named on the all-section first offensive team, as well as St. Augustine quarterback Chris Forcier, Mira Mesa wide receiver Marquis Simas and Torrey Pines kicker Bill Bennett, all second-team offensive picks.

Forcier, who has already accepted a scholarship at UCLA, ranked ninth in the section last season with 1,625 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 10 regular season games.

Simas, at 6-2 and 190 pounds, joined Forcier as the section’s two athletes named to the national top 50 high school football players by Street and Smith magazine.

Five Metrto Conference seniors were represented on last year’s all-section team, led by first team running back Stephen Carr and linebacker Marcus Yarbrough, both from Eastlake.

Carr, a top basketball player as well, is headed to Stanford this fall while Yarbrough, who won a league championship during this past spring track and field season in the shot put, will be contending for a starting spot at SDSU.

Other Metro Conference all-section standouts in 2005 included Bonita Vista running back Starr Fuimaono, Bonita Vista defensive lineman Meir Maya and Castle Park linebacker Joaquin Guerra, all second team selections.

Guerra will suit up for USD this fall while Fuimaono had been recruited to play at UNLV beside his older brother Howie.
Fuimaono scored 20 touchdowns last season while racking up more than 1,000 rushing yards while helping lead the Mesa League champion Barons to the Division I semifinals for the first time in the school’s 40-year history. Carr (661 receiving yards) led the Titans, a quarterfinal-round opponent of the Barons, with 11 touchdowns. Yarbrough keyed Eastlake with 66 solo hits, 48 assists, 18 tackles for losses and 437 defensive points.

Guerra made life miserable for quarterbacks by virtue of his astute rush-the-passer ability while also contributing on offense as a ball-carrier late in the season. He will be a key addition for the Toreros, who are coming off a school-best 11-1 record and Pioneer League title. The winner of this year’s Pioneer League championship will play the Northeast Conference champion in the Nov. 18 Gridiron Classic.

Prep kick-off 2006
Carlsbad won the Division I title, defeating Torrey Pines, while Oceanside defeated El Cajon Valley to claim last year’s Division II title. Valley Center won the Division IV title, Francis Parker downed Christian for the Division V banner and San Pasqual Academy won the eight-man championship.

Carlsbad finished the 2005 season as the top-ranked team in the section according to the San Diego Sportswriters/Sportscasters poll, followed by Oceanside, Torrey Pines, St. Augustine, Vista, El Cajon Valley, Mira Mesa, Valley Center, Rancho Bernardo and Point Loma. Other teams not included in the top 10 but receiving votes were La Costa Canyon, Santa Fe Christian, Valhalla, San Pasqual, Brawley and Bonita Vista.

Mira Mesa topped the final regular season top 10 poll, followed by Torrey Pines, Carlsbad, Vista, Rancho Bernardo, Point Loma, La Costa Canyon, Valhalla and Bonita Vista (tie) and Brawley and Eastlake (tied).

The 2006 season kicks off in prime time as Oceanside visits Helix in the first of Channel 4 San Diego’s inaugural Thursday night CIF-San Diego Section High School Football Game of the Week telecasts.

Games featuring South County squads include Los Angeles Bogolusa at Bonita Vista (Sept. 7), Chula Vista at Sweetwater (Oct. 19), Mar Vista at Hilltop (Oct. 26). Cathedral Catholic will play St. Augustine Nov. 9 at Southwestern College in those two schools’ annual “Holy Bowl.”

The rest of the schedule includes Poway at El Capitan (Sept. 14), Monte Vista at West Hills (Sept. 21), Valley Center at Mission Hills (Sept. 28), Ramona at Escondido (Oct. 5), Steele Canyon at Valhalla (Oct. 12) and Carlsbad at Rancho Buena Vista (Nov. 2).

All games kick off at 7:05 p.m.

Moving up
So who will step up this season? Seventeen underclassmen were named to the 2005 Mesa League first and second all-league teams while 13 players return from the 2005 South Bay League first and second all-league teams.

The Mesa League’s returning all-league picks include Eastlake running back Flynn Anderson, Bonita Vista running back Ramses Ramirez, Chula Vista quarterback Josh Goldilla, Montgomery quarterback Chris Pizarro, Eastlake offensive lineman Jose Baez, Southwest offensive lineman Robert Hughes, Chula Vista offensive lineman Austin Childress, Sweetwater offensive lineman Angel Garcia, Montgomery running back Brandon Meredith, Bonita Vista defensive back Alberto Padilla, Montgomery offensive lineman Tusi Jennings (currently not eligible), Chula Vista linebacker Avan Ariy, Sweetwater linebacker Edgar Martinez, Montgomery linebacker Allan Borja, Southwest linebacker Rene Padilla, Chula Vista defensive lineman Johnathan Maritnez and Sweetwater defensive lineman Lafo Kaapana.

Anderson rushed for 648 yards and six touchdowns last season to lead the Titans on the ground while Pizarro, Meredith, Jennings and Borja were members of last year’s Aztec playoff team.

The South Bay League’s returning all-league picks include Hilltop quarterback Craig Rasmussen, Castle Park wide receiver Martin Bayless Jr., Castle Park offensive lineman Tim Cruz, Marian Catholic offensive lineman Karim Chaul, Castle Park running back Boogie Blossom, Otay Ranch junior running back Robert McCurdy, San Ysidro wide receiver Emiliano Chavez, Castle Park quarterback Russell McGuire, Marian Catholic quarterback Michael Fajardo, Castle Park defensive lineman Ricky Anzar, Hilltop defensive lineman Michael Tupuola, Castle Park linebacker Frank Rodriguez and Castle Park defensive back David McGuire.

Rasmussen passed for 2,109 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games last season while McCurdy rushed for 1,127 yards and 12 TDs.

Blossom had three touchdowns in the Trojans’ 48-14 first-round Division II playoff victory against Montgomery while Bayless caught two scoring passes from McGuire in that game for South Bay League champion Castle Park.

College bound
Former El Cajon Valley Braves teammates Clifton Thomas and Nate Schad will join San Diego Section Offensive Player of the Year and 2005 KUSI-TV Silver Pigskin award-winner Abraham Muheize at Grossmont College, which has received the preseason nod as the No. 1 community college team in the nation.

The Griffins finished as national champions last year as voted by JC Grid Wire after finishing with a 41-38 victory against San Francisco City College in the state championship game. The Griffins are 64-9 the past six seasons with three consecutive Foothill Conference titles and appearances in the state championship game in two of the past three seasons to their credit.

As for Muheize, the talented two-way player will concentrate on defense at Grossmont, according to early reports. The ECV graduate set state records and earned post-season honors as a member of the EA Sports All-America team, but received little recruiting interest from Division I schools, which came as a personal disappointment.

Muheize finished the Braves’ magical 2005 season with a staggering 4,050 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 1,153 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and 10 interceptions on defense. El Cajon Valley, which finished a half-game behind league champion Grossmont, advanced to the Division II championship game where the Braves finished runner-up to two-time defending champion Oceanside.

It’s a classic! Prep sports kick off this weekend

At the tail end of last season, the El Capitan High School football team could not wait for the 2006 campaign to start. The Vaqueros were making their appearance in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs after suffering through one of the most miserable seasons in school history the year before.

The 2004 El Capitan team finished 1-9. The 2005 Vaqueros were 3-7-1.

The 2006 El Capitan edition appears full of optimism — and returning talent. How high up the standings can the Vaqueros climb this season? A preview will be offered Saturday, Aug. 26, in the fourth annual Kick-Off Football Classic at Grossmont High School.

El Capitan is scheduled to face the Palo Verde Yellow Jackets at 5 p.m., followed by a second scrimmage game pitting the Ramona Bulldogs and host Grossmont Foothillers at 7:30 p.m.

Though the contests count as scrimmages, they will be played under game-like conditions. Proceeds benefit the section’s transportation fund.

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

Both El Capitan and Grossmont — based on the number of all-league returners — look to be solid contenders for this year’s Grossmont North League championship title. The Foothillers won last year’s league title on the strength of a last-second dramatic 23-23 tie at El Capitan.

In the ensuing playoffs, El Capitan dropped a 20-16 first-round matchup to eighth-seeded Central Union in Division III while Grossmont received the third-seeded position in Division II, falling 13-10 to sixth-seeded San Pasqual in the quarterfinals.

Grossmont finished 7-2-1 in regular season play last season. The Foothillers nailed down their post-season berth by securing sole possession of the Grossmont North League championship. In the season-ending tie at El Capitan, Grossmont’s Augie Williams scored on a one-yard run with 40 seconds left in the game to rescue the Foothillers from defeat. With the tie, Grossmont finished 3-0-1 in league play, thus averting sharing the title with El Cajon Valley, which finished 3-1-0 in league play.

During the regular season, the Foothillers fashioned an eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) in their final eight games.

Both El Capitan and Grossmont boast returning all-league quarterbacks. Ryan Lindley ranked third in the section last season with 2,220 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Grossmont’s Charlie Piro passed for 984 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

Both teams should also exhibit strong running games this season. Williams rushed for 989 yards last season for the Foothillers.

Ramona finished 7-3 in regular season play last season, sharing the Valley League championship with Escondido.

The East County double-header actually concludes this year’s Kick-Off Classic. The first two games are scheduled Friday, Aug. 25, at Mira Mesa High School. In the first game, Mt. Miguel tackles Coronado at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Hilltop-Mira Mesa matchup at 8 p.m.

Mira Mesa owned the No.1 ranking at the end of regular season play last year before being upset by El Cajon Valley in the semifinals.

El Capitan officially kicks off 2006 regular season play with a 7 p.m. home game against Serra on Sept. 1 while Grossmont will host Horizon Christian, also at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1.

The regular season officially kicks off with an Aug. 31 Thursday night televised game pitting defending Division II champion Oceanside at Helix. Kick off is 7:05 p.m. on Channel 4 San Diego.

Boys water polo
The inaugural Coach Draz CIF Water Polo Classic is being held Saturday, Aug. 26, at La Jolla High School. The event honors the contributions made by Dick Draz, a former coach at Crawford High Schools (where he led the Colts to five consecutive boys swim titles between 1968 and 1972 and back-to-back boys water polo titles in 1970-71) and longtime aquatics official.

The schedule features seven games, starting with Hilltop against Mira Mesa at 8:50 a.m. and followed by Cathedral Catholic against Santa Fe Christian at 10 a.m., Westview against Grossmont at 11:10 a.m., Santana against Patrick Henry at 12:20 p.m., Coronado against Vista at 1:30 p.m., Bishop’s against Carlsbad at 2:40 p.m. and Poway against La Jolla at 3:50 p.m.

Grossmont and Santana both qualified for last year’s section playoffs. Santana reached the Division II quarterfinals while Grossmont dropped a first-round decision to third-seeded Bonita Vista in the Division I playoffs.

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

Girls volleyball
The third annual CIF Volleyball Classic will take place Monday, Aug. 28, at Escondido High School. As with both the football and water polo events, the Volleyball Classic pairs teams from around the section in a preseason showcase.

This year’s participating teams include Carlsbad and Scripps Ranch (4:45 p.,.), Eastlake and Bishop’s (5:55 p.m.), Grossmont and Brawley (7:05 p.m.) and Valhalla and Escondido (8:15 p.m.)

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

For more information, call the San Diego Section office at (858) 292-8165 or visit the Web site at www.cifsds.org.