New-Look Brea-Olinda Might Push Valencia

Valencia High School has won or shared six consecutive Orange League championships. And there’s no reason to think this season will be any different.

The Tigers again are favored to win the league title, according to the league’s coaches.

Tradition is certainly on their side. In addition to the six consecutive league titles, Valencia has been to three consecutive Southern Section championship games. The Tigers are 32-4-2 with two of the losses coming in championship games.

Last season, they lost to Corona del Mar, 17-7, in the Division VI championship.

The biggest question in the league is how much Brea-Olinda has improved and whether the Wildcats can stop Valencia.

Brea has finally escaped its ancient campus on Birch Street and moved to a sparkling new campus on, get this, Wildcat Way. That means the Wildcats actually have their own stadium, so there will be no more “home” games against Western at Western.

There are other changes in the league.

Anaheim and Savanna have new coaches. Raul Victores takes over for Ted Mullen, who had led the Colonists to a Southern Section championship game in 1987. Fred DiPalma takes over at Savanna for Dana Coleman.

Magnolia is trying to turn its fortunes around after a 3-6-1 season. And Western will have another hard-hitting, aggressive team.

But it figures to be another championship season for Valencia.

“It’s Valencia because of the tradition,” Western Coach Jim Howell said. “And the coaching.”

“I’ve been at Valencia (as an assistant coach) the last two years and they’re always going to be good,” DiPalma said. “They’ve got to be picked to be somewhere at the top.”

The other coaches agree.

Brea appears to be the best of the rest with Anaheim and Western not far behind.

A look at the teams:

ANAHEIM--No team has undergone as many significant changes as Anaheim. Mullen left to seek semi-retirement as an assistant coach at Palm Desert. Johnny Mountain, the Colonists’ leading rusher last season, and quarterback Dan Pacillas, who passed for more than 1,000 yards, have graduated.

The good news is that Victores has nine starters back from last season’s 7-5 team that reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

Linebacker Jason Gold, a 6-2, 215 senior, returns to anchor the Colonists’ defense, which Victores said is the team’s strength. Gold was second-team all-league as a junior.

BREA-OLINDA--Why is Brea likely to be the most improved team in the league? The Wildcats have 15 starters back. Nine have started for three seasons.

Chad Marlow, a two-time all-league performer, returns at quarterback. Last season, Marlow completed 100 of 178 passes for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Tight end Jon Kobz, offensive lineman Joe Mogarte and defensive end Dean Snyder were first-team all-league performers last season. Snyder was the Wildcats’ leading tackler.

Ed Stewart, who was a second team all-league running back in 1988, will counted on to lead the rushing attack.

Contending for the league championship and securing a playoff berth are Brea Coach Jon Looney’s chief goals this season. With the cast he has, neither goal is unrealistic.

MAGNOLIA--Tony DiThomas instilled some needed discipline last season. He kicked 18 players off the team after they refused to sign a letter acknowledging their part in a postgame fight with Valencia.

The remaining players and DiThomas have formed a united front to improve upon a 3-6-1 record.

There are positive signs. The junior varsity had a 7-3 record last season. Seniors Elliot Parker, at quarterback, Trent Comer, at receiver/defensive back, and Pat McNeil, at tailback/linebacker, are the Sentinels’ top players. Grantt Rowan, a lineman, and Jernique Mitchell, a running back/linebacker, are juniors to watch.

Lack of experience--only four starters are back from last season--and lack of size--only a handful of players weigh more than 200 pounds--will be the team’s weaknesses.

SAVANNA--The school has suffered through one agonizing season after another recently. The Rebels have won six games in the past five seasons. Last season, they were outscored, 334-55, and defeated only Garden Grove.

Into this bleak picture steps DiPalma, a former assistant at league power Valencia. Whether he can do anything to change Savanna’s fortunes remains to be seen.

“You have to attempt to change the attitude of the players,” DiPalma said. “They have to believe in themselves, which they’re starting to do. They have to believe that they can win, that they’re not losers.”

He does have one of the league’s top running backs in senior Kenison PoChing. Also a linebacker, PoChing is a bruising runner, who was a second-team all-league selection last season.

Carlos Robledo returns at quarterback, giving the team added experience in the backfield.

Linemen Michael George, 6-4, 285, and Robert Landis, 6-3, 260, have size and should open holes for PoChing and give Robledo time to throw.

VALENCIA--The Tigers have lost the top players in the league last season to graduation: Guy Sheppard, the league MVP who caught 34 passes and had eight interceptions; Keef Leasure, the back of the year; Steve Rangel, the lineman of the year, and Tracy Garrett, an all-league quarterback.

Why then are the Tigers favored to win another league title?

Coaching, a solid group of newcomers and tradition. Mike Marrujo is in his ninth season as coach. Quarterback Richard Wells leads a run-dominanted offense. A 32-4-2 record in the last three seasons ranks as one of the top marks in Orange County.

Valencia is fourth ranked in the the Southern Section Division VI preseason poll.

Scott Wilson, a receiver/defensive back, Jose Castillo, a nose guard, Paul Jaramillo, a defensive lineman, and Kim Young, an offensive lineman, are among the Tigers’ top veteran players.

WESTERN--The Pioneers limped through a 4-7 season in 1988, but were able to grab third place and qualify for the playoffs.

Howell said he would be disappointed if the Pioneers finished any lower than third this season.

“The big thing right now for us is for some of the younger kids to develop,” Howell said. “We’ve got to get them to come along to get some depth. We want to get our juniors to be a little better looking players.”

The Pioneers’ have a solid group of seniors, including Tommy Cowen, a tackle who was a first-team all-league defensive lineman. Robert Southern, at center and defensive end, Corey Manlinguis, at linebacker, Gilbert Brito, at receiver, and Gabriel Ramirez, at receiver, also were all-league performers.

Brito and Erik Dowell, who was a starting defensive end last season, will compete for the quarterback spot.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW ORANGE LEAGUE

1988 Overall, League Records in Parentheses

SCHOOL: COMMENT Valencia (12-1-1, 5-0): The Tigers are 32-4-2 in the past three seasons.

Anaheim (7-5, 4-1): Raul Victores takes over for Ted Mullen as coach. Western (4-7, 3-2): Ten starters back, including LB Corey Manliguis. Brea-Olinda (3-7, 2-3): Could be the most improved team in the league. Magnolia (3-6-1, 1-4): Much improved; JV team was 7-3 in ’88. Savanna (1-9, 0-5): Fred DiPalma is new coach. Sunday: Pacific Coast League