Title Race May Be Two-Team Affair : Balance Swings in Favor of Los Alamitos and Esperanza

There is a certain sense of balance in the Empire League football title chase this season.

That’s not to say each of the six teams is capable of contending for the league championship.

But the teams seem to settle into distinct categories: Favorites, contenders and a pretender. Each team fits neatly into one.

The favorites: Los Alamitos and Esperanza high schools.

The contenders: El Dorado, Loara and Katella.

The pretender: Cypress.

That’s the consensus of the league’s coaches, anyway.

Los Alamitos has the top quarterback and the makings of yet another stubborn defense. Esperanza has its trademark huge offensive line.

El Dorado, Loara and Katella have some of the parts needed to win.

And Cypress? Well, the Centurions are too young and too inexperienced.

A year ago, Los Alamitos gave up 27 points in 10 regular-season games, went undefeated in league play to win the title and advance to the Southern Conference championship game before losing, 36-6, to El Toro.

“We went to the 12th game of the season before we gave up a touchdown pass,” said John Barnes, Los Alamitos coach. “When you can count the number of touchdowns your defense gave up on one hand, you’re pretty good.

“As far as accomplishments, I look at that team and they were just a bunch of good high school players.”

Though the Griffins lost most of that defense to graduation, Barnes figures they’ll still be a stingy bunch.

Add in a talented junior quarterback, Todd Gragnano, and a dose of championship tradition, and most coaches figure Los Alamitos will be in the running.

The same goes for Esperanza, where the Aztecs have moved up a spot in the standings each season under third-year Coach Gary Meek.

“We’ll be in the hunt,” Meek said. “It just depends if we jell with our younger kids.”

Katella made its first playoff appearance in 1987 after 17 consecutive losing seasons, and expectations are high.

“I would hope we would be good enough to make the playoffs this year,” Coach Larry Anderson said. “This team obviously wants to compete for the league championship. I think it’s a realistic goal. (But) let’s face it, we’re not all of a sudden going to change this program around in a year.”

CYPRESS--Having lost all but two starters from last year’s team, the Centurions don’t figure to make the playoffs. Cypress hasn’t made the playoffs since 1980.

Coach John Selbe remains optimistic, nevertheless.

“There’s real, real balance in the league,” he said. “On paper I know we don’t look really good. But we’ll surprise some people. The effort and the attitude is there.”

Chris Dangaran, a senior who was the backup quarterback last year, will be the starter. He has a strong arm and the potential to be a great passer, according to Selbe.

A key will be whether the offensive line can give Dangaran enough time to throw.

Chris Nomura, a defensive back, and Ramon Ibarra, a linebacker, are the only returning players from 1987.

EL DORADO--A large number of returning starters, a quarterback with a perfect record and the top-scoring field-goal kicker in Orange County are the Golden Hawks’ strengths.

El Dorado has 11 starters back from a team that missed the playoffs last season when it lost, 23-21, to Esperanza on the final weekend of the regular season. Six are back on defense, including Brian Tomazic, an all-league defensive tackle, and Scott Clausen, a linebacker. Lineman Tom Lemoine is a top newcomer.

Other veteran performers include Scott Sporrer, who plays tailback and rover, and Mac Cooper, a tight end and linebacker. Sporrer will replace the graduated Chris Olsen, who ran for more than 1,200 yards last season.

Dave Swearingen started three games at quarterback last season and was 3-0.

“He’s just that kind of kid,” said Carl Sweet, El Dorado coach. “He’s a scrambler and a scrapper. He’s going to be a really fine player.”

Phil Nevin kicked 11 field goals, made 50-yarders look easy and was the top-scoring kicker in the county last season.

“If there’s a better kicker in the county, I don’t know who he is,” Sweet said.

ESPERANZA--This season’s offensive line weighs in at an average of 250 pounds. Not surprisingly, Meek believes that will be the team’s strength, even though center Brian Harris is the only returning starter.

Lance Brown, a junior tailback, will be the chief beneficiary of the Aztecs’ line. Brown gained 700 yards as a sophomore, playing on alternate downs last season.

“We’re green at quarterback and wide receiver,” Meek said. Sophomore Keith MacDonald and junior Mike Aed will compete for the quarterback job.

“That’s our biggest problem right now. That and finding some depth.”

The Aztec secondary is made up of juniors except for Danny Mondragon, a senior safety who played extensively on the special teams and in certain defensive situations. Matt Werner, a defensive tackle, and Steve Melkerson, a linebacker, are veterans.

KATELLA--After 17 years of losing, Katella broke through with a 6-4-1 record and a playoff berth last season under Anderson, who was in his first year at the school.

“I think the kids are upbeat,” Anderson said. “It’s amazing what one year of winning can do. There’s a different frame of mind this year over last year to start the season. With this group of kids, all of a sudden they have the frame of mind that they can win.”

The Knights will rely on the running game with backs Joe Pastorello and Jeremy Sherman returning.

Dennis Briggs, a sophomore, is expected to start at quarterback.

“We’ll end up being as good as he gets,” Anderson said.

The defense is bigger and more experienced than a year ago, and Anderson said it will be the team’s strong suit.

Tackles Mike Crawford and Jeff Potter, each 6-2 and about 240 pounds, are two of five returning starters.

LOARA--Longtime Coach Herb Hill has only a handful of experienced players, but one, Coy Collins, may carry the Saxons to a playoff berth. Collins, a junior running back, rushed for 799 yards in only 8 games. He was brought up from the sophomore team for the Saxons’ third game.

“We’re looking forward to him picking up right where he left off,” Hill said. “If we can block a lick for him, he’ll be a very fine running back.”

Adrian Oliphant, a wide receiver and defensive back, is a returning starter as are linebacker Darren Van Zee and lineman Chris Snelling. Van Zee is a third-year varsity performer.

After that, the experience thins out.

However, the good news is that many of the young players led the Saxon sophomore team to a 9-1 record and the Empire League championship.

Among the newcomers are Chris Hoffman, a junior quarterback, and Greg Ramsey, a junior wide receiver and defensive back.

“If we mature a little bit, we’re going to be OK,” Hill said. “We’ve got to develop some linemen. We’ve got to nurture them or something. We have to have some young men grow up fast and start playing varsity-caliber football.”

LOS ALAMITOS--For once in Barnes’ 10 years at the school, the Griffins don’t have to worry about replacing a senior quarterback. Barnes said he expects Gragnano to complete 50% of his passes.

“I would think he’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks in the area,” Barnes said. “Gragnano hits the receivers in the hands on every pass.”

As a sophomore starter last season, Gragnano completed 57% for more than 1,300 yards.

“We have some holes to fill,” Barnes said. “Our offensive line is big but inexperienced. They have my full attention right now.”

Barnes hopes that running backs Chris Stewart, out with a hip problem, and La Quan Beckton, sidelined with a chipped ankle bone, will be ready before the season is too far along.

Beckton is the younger brother of Frank Beckton, Los Alamitos’ second-leading rusher as a senior last season.

The Griffins, Barnes believes, will be strong defensively again.

Brian Havens, a junior, and Eric Thompson give Los Alamitos strength at linebacker.

Winston Wolf, a four-year starter, and Bob Farrell are two veteran defensive backs.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEWS EMPIRE LEAGUE

1987 Overall, League Record in Parenthesis

SCHOOL ’88 COMMENT Los Alamitos (12-2, 5-0) Quarterback Todd Gragnano among county’s best Esperanza (6-4-1, 3-1-1) Offensive line averages 250 pounds Katella (6-4-1, 2-2-1) Had first winning season in 18 years in 1987 El Dorado (6-3-1, 1-3-1) Phil Nevin top field-goal kicker in county Cypress (1-8-1, 1-3-1) Haven’t made the playoffs since 1980 Loara (4-6, 1-4) Coy Collins is league’s top running back