September 2008 Archives

For three weeks the Chaffey football team found a way to compete despite all its injuries. It helped that all those games were against lower-tier teams.

The Panthers weren't so lucky this week, losing to former Foothill Conference foe Grossmont 51-16.

"We did it with smoke and mirrors I think," veteran coach Carl Beach said. "Those games were ones where we weren't physically challenged. We were beating teams we should beat but we don't have any more easy ones the rest of the way."

The Panthers (3-1) begin National Division Central Conference play next week. Grossmont is an upper-tier team, but is in the Southern Conference.

The biggest problems for the Panthers in the loss to the Griffins were special teams and turnovers. Beach spent most of Sunday watching tape of his next foe but will also be breaking down the film of his team's game to see where the problems occurred.

He didn't count out making personnel changes, including using some starters on special teams.

"You hate having to use starters there but we may not have a choice," he said. "You have to look and see who's killing you and get him out of there."

Then there were the turnovers -- four interceptions and two fumbles to be exact.

Beach used three quarterbacks, with starter Greg Sprowls throwing for 116 yards on 11 completions but tossing three interceptions. Backup A.J. Springer made a cameo appearance, followed by Mike Stirewalt, who threw the fourth interception with the game already out of hand.

The Panthers trailed 21-0 after the first quarter and were down 37-0 before they finally scored. The large deficit also hurt because they had to go away from their game plan of running the ball. Mark Chase has been the most consistent weapon but had 75 yards on just nine carries.

Beach said Grossmont took the game more seriously.

"They were up for us. It has been a rivalry when we were in the same conference but our kids could have cared less," he said.

"I'm thinking about cutting our practices from three hours to a half hour with a 15-minute ice cream break thrown in. We'd get the same amount of work done and everyone would be a lot happier."

The San Bernardino Valley College and Victor Valley College football teams were beat up and abused by foes from the stronger National Division for the last three weeks.

Now they get to take on opponents in the same boat. The two open American Division Mountain Conference play against each other at 1 p.m. in Victorville Saturday.

That means one team will stop the bleeding while the other will continue its freefall.

Both SBVC coach Pat Meech and Victor Valley coach Dave Hoover have been critical of the new scheduling and conference alignments that have the perceived weaker teams playing the power teams first in nonconference.

Overall the weaker teams went a cumulative of 6-42 against the big boys. The Rams are coming off a 73-13 shellacking by Mt. SAC while the Wolverines were thumped by Saddleback 69-14.

"It's like going out and playing USC every week when you're San Jose," Meech said. "You don't stand much of a chance."

"I don't see what good it does anyone," adds Hoover. "We didn't benefit by playing those teams and they certainly didn't get better by playing us."

Victor Valley started its season by playing Riverside, Palomar and Mt. SAC - teams ranked 25th, 11th and first in the state respectively.

SBVC also played Riverside but also faced No. 14 Desert and No. 17 Saddleback.
The Rams were more competitive, at least staying close for a half in their first two games.

SBVC has been manhandled by a cumulative score of 154-41 with most of its points coming at garbage time. It also has a losing streak of eight games that includes the last five games of 2007.

"We're definitely in need of something positive to build on," Meech said. "But I can't fault the effort. Our guys are showing up every single day and working hard. They just haven't had much to show for it."

The plight of the teams shows up in the statistics columns. In scoring offense Victor ranks 27th (14.7 ppg) while SBVC is 28th (13.7) of 37 teams. In scoring defense the Rams are 34th (47 ppg) while SBVC is 36th (51.3 ppg).

The Rams are a lofty sixth in passing offense (254.9 ypg) thanks to the effort of freshman quarterback O'Ryan Bradley but are just 29th in rushing (72.3 ypg).

SBVC is 27th in passing (158.7) and 35th in rushing (20.7).

The two teams are close defensively with the Rams 29th against the run (217.7) and 17th against the pass (195.3) while the Wolverines are 35th against the run (268.7) and 18th against the pass (198.3)

"In the past to win our conference you had to go undefeated so losing the first game really puts you behind the eight-ball," Hoover said. "It's a little different now. No one knows how this is going to play out but both of us really need a win."

It is a relatively light schedule for the local colleges. Chaffey (3-0) heads to Grossmont (1-2) for a 1 p.m. contest against the former Foothill Conference juggernaut.

But the University of Redlands, which is ranked in three national polls, is idle along with Pomona-Pitzer (1-1) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-1).

La Verne (0-1) will host Willamette (Ore.) at 1 p.m.

The casualty list at Chaffey College is getting longer.

The Panthers chalked up a 31-14 win over Antelope Valley Saturday at Quartz Hill High School. Veteran coach Carl Beach is pleased to be 3-0, but he is wondering who he'll left with when his team goes to play Grossmont on Saturday.

The latest addition to the injury list is sophomore offensive lineman Baron Coffin banged up both a knee and a shoulder. He had played center and guard but moved to right tackle on Thursday when Addison Bachman went down with a knee injury. Bachman got hurt in the same practice in which kicker Jason Levy injured a knee practicing PATs.

Sophomore linebacker Aaron Plante got hurt against Southwestern a week ago.
Running backs Jahmel Rover and John Alejandro and defensive back Mike Fields were all gone with knee injuries before the season started.

"Now we're going to have to count on some guys that really haven't played a lot," Beach said. "There won't be many hard decisions, we don't have that many people left. But it is what it is. We have to try and piece something together."

Beach is satisfied with his team's showing but is frustrated with its inconsistency. He also knows that is not unexpected given the number of personnel changes that have been made.

"We'll have 10 minutes when we look like a million bucks, then we have a another stretch where we don't know what we're doing at all," he said.

Penalties are still a problem too. The Panthers were called for 16 totaling 148 yards.

Beach was most pleased with the play of sophomore Aaron Mays who caught five passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, one of those for 74 yards. He also returned a punt 86 yards for another score.

Beach also singled out the contributions from backs Tyler Thompson and Mark Chase.
Greg Sprowls and A.J. Springer split playing time with Sprowls throwing for 78 yards and Springer 77. The system has been working so Beach sees no need to change it.

"They are both a piece of the puzzle and bring a different dimension to what we're doing," he said. "But they both have limitations as well."

Beach added that he doesn't plan on backing off in practice to avoid injuries, especially since the replacements need the practice time.

"I don't think it's conditioning of something we're doing wrong. They're just fluke things," he said.

 After racking up 15 tackles (8 solo, 7 assisted), two tackles for a loss, and one quarterback hurry in Citrus' 20-30 loss to LA Harbor on Saturday, linebacker Bronze Withem was named the Southern California Football Association Central Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Withem, a  5'11, 200 pound freshman out of San Dimas High School, all ready leads the Fighting Owls with 21 tackles through Citrus' first two games. Withem's 15 tackle performance on Saturday, is the second most tackles in any community college game in Southern California over the first two weeks.

The Fighting Owls (0-2) will resume play this Saturday as they take on LA Southwest College. Saturday's game will be played in Culver City, CA at West LA College with a 1:00 PM kick-off time.

Dress rehearsals are over. The curtain on the new football season comes up for real Saturday with all area junior college teams in action.

The most notable game will take place in the neighboring county as Victor Valley travels to Riverside Community College's Wheelock Field for a 6 p.m. showdown for the first ever meeting between the schools.

Two other games that would have been Foothill Conference contests in the past are now just nonconference tuneups after a complete retooling of the playoff structure. Chaffey will host Mt. San Jacinto while San Bernardino Valley College travels to College of the Desert, both kick off at 6 p.m.

Riverside and Chaffey are both part of the tougher Central Conference of the National Division while SBVC and Victor Valley are both in the weaker Mountain Conference of the American Division.

The nonconference games loom large for SBVC and Victor Valley because just two of the eight playoff berths will come from the American Division so this gives them a chance to show they belong.

The team in the stronger conference need to win against what are considered lesser foes because of the competition they will see in conference later in the season. The National Division will have six teams in the playoffs, including a handful of wildcards.

But coaches are focusing on the task right in front of them.

"Every game is as important as the next," said Riverside coach Bill Brown, starting his seventh year. "We haven't talked about any other team but Victor Valley."

Riverside was 4-5 a year ago. Sophomore quarterback Coy Glass, a Redlands High School product, leads the offense after sharing duty there last season. Brown indicated he would probably use several running backs and receivers to see who emerges.

The Rams, coming off a 3-7 season, scrimmaged Antelope Valley and Pomona-Pitzer last week and coach Dave Hoover was pleased, especially with his offense. He went through four quarterbacks last year and the offense never did click.

"We churned out some big plays and that's something we were lacking last year. We couldn't move the ball to save our life," he said. "Defensively we're quite young so I'm not quite sure what we have there. But that's something most coaches are probably saying this time of year."

Riverside will be the first of three tough nonconference games for the Rams. Next up is Palomar, then juggernaut Mt. SAC. Hoover is hoping his team survives the tough nonconference grind.

"Health is my biggest concern, playing the teams we're playing to start out," he said. Do I think we can win all three? No. But we're going to compete and I think we can play with anyone in our conference. But one or two injuries and we become very average very fast."

Both SBVC coach Pat Meech and Chaffey coach Carl Beach said right now there is not much of a different feel to the season since they are playing familiar foes, although in a different situation.

"I don't think it's much different for us as coaches because we're still playing teams we know and have played in the past," Meech said. "You're getting player turnover every couple of years so there isn't much familiary with any opponent."

SATURDAY GAMES

MT. SAN JACINTO at CHAFFEY

Time: 6 p.m.

About MSJ: The Eagles are looking to erase the memory of a 1-8 season in which the lone win came over San Diego Mesa. Second-year coach Casey Mazzotta returns QB Colin Wigley and inherited a transfer from SBVC in RB DeShaun Smith. The offensive line they have to work should be much improved led by Jose Acuna and center Sol Sagaio. Top defenders are OLB Ezra Latu, DE Zack Van Deusen and MLB Cole Moseley.

About Chaffey: The Panthers defeated the Eagles 28-10 last season in what was then a conferfence game. It is now a non-conference showdown. Greg Sprowls will run the offense called by new coordinator Matt Bechtel. Leading rusher Jahmel Rover (knee) is out so the Panthers will rely on backfield-by-committee with Tyler Thompson, John Alejandro and Matt Chase sharing the workload. Top cover man Mike Fields (knee) is also out but the Panthers should create pressure up front which is where their experience should be a factor. The biggest question mark will be Chaffey's kicking teams.

VICTOR VALLEY at RIVERSIDE

Time: 6 p.m.

About Victor: Coach Dave Hoover is excited about the potential of his offense led by quarterbacks Elisah Filipili and O'Ryan Bradley, both of whom should see playing time. Bradley is a transfer from UNLV where he tried to walk on. Hoover likes also likes the progress of his offensive line which consists of Alex Mitchell, Beau Humphrey, Louis Morales, Ramon Sandoval and Andrew Gomez - all High Desrt natives. WR Jarrett Partman will be out this week. Eric Brinkley, who has moved from linebacker to safety, and Aaron Mosley key the defense.

About Riverside: Redlands product Coy Glass directs the Tigers offense. Coach Bill Brown will use a stable of running backs in the early going with Cedric Foster, Ben Irwin, Ivan Lopez and Tanner Paes among those seeing action. Travis Carter, Corey Ham (Redlands) and Tommy Curry will be the key receivers. T.J. Tuigamala is the most experienced lineman. Jamell Murry and Andrew Smith (Redlands) lead the defense.

SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY at DESERT

Time: 6 p.m.

About Valley: Sophomore QB Mike Stadler returns but he will be surrounded by mostly newcomers - the most notable being San Bernardino High School alumn Dewayne Booker. He will backed up Devan Libran. Thad Quist and Terrance Humes anchor the offensive line with Humes coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him most of last season. Leaders on defense are S James Hutchins and LB Cordelle Nugent.

About Desert: The Roadrunners were conference champion last year in what was the Foothill Conference. They defeated the Wolverines 27-14 in that run. QB Brent Rausch (Hawaii) has departed but Desert inherited its usual boatload of out-of-state transfers with almost 50 from outside California.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

San Bernardino Valley College football coach Pat Meech knows his school lacks the resources to compete weekly against the more traditional powers in Southern California. Now he doesn't have to do so.

The junior college season will kick off this week and the entire conference structure and playoff format has been reworked. The Foothill Conference no longer exists. Adios Mission Conference. Sayonara Western State Conference.

The sport will now be governed under the umbrella of the Southern California Football Association.

Teams are separated into two divisions - the National and American. The National is subdivided into three seven-team conferences (Northern, Central, Southern) while the American has two eight-team conferences (Mountain, Pacific).

The National Division, the power conference, includes perennial title contenders such as Mt. SAC, Bakersfield and former Foothill Conference juggernaut Grossmont. Chaffey, Riverside and Citrus are among the other entrants.

SBVC and Victor Valley factor into the weaker American Divsion. But Meech doesn't mind being lumped into the also-ran category.

"Am I afraid of those schools? No. I would like to play them," he said. "But it would be crazy to think we can go head-to-head with those teams week after week after week."

Veteran Chaffey coach Carl Beach, who was on the committee that developed the new alignment, isn't quite sure his team is ready to battle the big boys, citing resources and enrollment but admits past success is the reason his school has been put in with the stronger teams.

"It's more about what we have done in the past. I'm not so sure we belong there but we'll see," he said.

The alignments will be reviewed every two years with some teams moving up or down depending on competitive balance.

A similar format has been used in the Northern part of the state for several years and received a favorable review.

When it comes to picking a field for the playoffs, eight teams will be chosen. Each of the three National Division conference will be given two spots for a total of six teams.
The American Division would qualify the winner of each conference for the final two spots, provided those teams finish with winning records. If a conference winner is not above .500, a wild-card would be chosen based on state power ranking.

There will be three additional bowl games for teams not making the playoffs to be awarded based on state ranking.

The original plan called for four teams to make the playoffs with all of those coming from the power division. The lesser schools balked at that idea so the current format was a compromise.

Beach said the committee wanted to get the new system in place. This one primarily divided teams based on their competitive history.

When the alignment is addressed again in two years he said more emphasis will be placed on enrollment, particularly a school's ability to draw out-of-state athletes. Resources and facilities will also be issues.

"I think it's fair," Meech added. "It will be good for us to play teams more like us."

Teams in the American Division will have seven conference games, then fill out their schedule with three games against the National Division, giving them a chance to boost their power ranking and see if they are competitive against those teams.

SBVC's nonconference foes will be Riverside, College of the Desert and Saddleback. The Wolverines have played Riverside 68 times, the first coming in 1926 but haven't faced the Tigers since 2002.

Victor Valley's opponents will be Riverside, Palomar and Mt. SAC.
Rams coach Dave Hoover was alright with the division of the teams but isn't happy with his brutal nonconference schedule.

"Not only are we probably playing the three best teams, we're playing the three most physical teams," he said. "It was a nice idea having the big dogs play the big dogs. It all makes sense. But their nonconference games should be against the teams in their divison in the other conferences."

Chaffey and the other teams in the National Division have six conference games and four non-conference contests.

The Panthers will square off against Mt. San Jacinto, Southwestern, Antelope Valley and Grossmont - all significantly longer trips than treking 20 minutes to SBVC.

While SBVC is excited about renewing its rivalry with Riverside, it is mystified why Chaffey wasn't included on the non-conference schedule since rivalries were also supposed to be kept in tact. That also baffles Beach.

Coaches were allowed to submit a list of three teams they wanted to keep games with and both SBVC and Chaffey listed the other as their top choice.

"It doesn't make sense. We have to pass them by to go to all out other games," Beach said.
Hoover asked to keep Antelope Valley, Desert and Chaffey and got none of those.

NATIONAL DIVISION

Northern Conference: Allan Hancock, Bakersfield, College of the Canyons, Glendale, Moopark, Pasadena City, Ventura

Central Conference: Cerritos,Chaffey, Citrus, College of the Desert, El Camino, Mt. SAC, Riverside

Southern Conference: Fullerton, Grossmont, Long Beach City, Orange Coast, Palomar, Saddleback, Santa Ana

AMERICAN DIVISION

Mountain Conference: Compton, Golden West, L.A. Harbor, Mt. San Jacinto, San Bernardino Valley,San Diego Mesa, Southwestern, Victor Valley

Pacific Conference: Antelope Valley, East Los Angeles, L.A. Pierce, L.A. Southwest, L.A. Valley,Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO -- When sophomore James Hutchins, sitting in the office of head San Bernardino Valley College football coach Pat Meech, responded to an inquiry about his height, the Wolverines defensive back responded 5-foot-7.

That answer brought a chuckle from offensive coordinator Ric Lucore.

Whether he is really 5-7, or something close to that, Hutchins is indeed a small athlete playing a big man's game and welcomes the chance to challenge his doubters wrong. He has two tattoos etched on his stomach -- one of Mighty Mouse and the other of Underdog.

"I'm always trying to prove people wrong," said Hutchins, a 2007 graduate of Colony High School. "I have always thought of myself as the underdog. That's what drives me to succeed."

Hutchins and his SBVC teammates open a new season Saturday, traveling to San Jacinto and College of the Desert for a 6 p.m. showdown. They are looking to improve on a 3-7 campaign that included five straight losses at the end of the season.

Not only has Hutchins, 19, thrived despite his lack of size, he has also overcome a heart murmur that prevented him from competing in the sport until he was 12. He played baseball as a youngster but watching younger brother Keith (a junior at Colony) compete in football made him want to try that sport even more.

Mother Eugenia was understandably concerned so James pestered his father, James Sr. until he  finally relented. He was cleared by a doctor and has gotten a passing review in several checkups since then.

"I always wanted to play but I never thought I could be as good as everyone else," he said. "But I got the hang of it pretty fast."

Hutchins got his first taste of the game in the Ontario Outlaws Junior All-American program where he excelled both at running back and at defensive back.

He learned so quickly that he earned a spot on the Colony varsity as a freshman. As a senior three years later he helped the Titans to their first CIF title in the sport.
Hutchins gave much of the credit for his progress to former Colony defensive coordinator Brian Gold.

"He took me under his wing," Hutchins said. "I would go to his house and we would spend a lot of time breaking down film. He was a small guy when he played too so he knew what I was dealing with."

Despite being on a title-winning team, Hutchins didn't have a lot of options coming out of high school. He carries a lofty 3.5 grade-point average so that goes back to his size.
Several four-year schools including Idaho and UNLV wanted him to walk on but he knew his chance of getting significant playing time was slim.

He decided to stay close to home and first looked at Mt. SAC. He liked the atmosphere at SBVC better.

His coaches are happy he made that decision.

"He has a great work ethic and knowledge of the game," defensive line coach Ernie Madrigal said. "He knows he isn't big enough to battle a bigger guy going up for the ball so it comes down to how he positions himself."

"He's just a solid person and a solid football player," added new defensive coordinator Ted Clarke. "Any superlative you want to use, it fits him perfectly."

Last season as a freshman Hutchins played in nine games, totaling 24 solo tackles, 11 assists, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and blocked two kicks.

He is hoping another strong season will give him a shot with a four-year program. Meech said the reality is that his size will limit him to playing at the Division I-AA level at best.
But he adds that Hutchins boasts all the intangibles that make for a quality player and team leader. Hutchins plans to major in secondary education so he can teach and coach when his playing days are over.

"He's very well-respected by everyone on this team," said Meech, starting his sixth year at the helm. "He goes about his business, never complains and always puts in a workmanlike effort. And he plays bigger than his size."