FOOTBALL PREVIEW
PR ES EN
TS
2012
DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON
INSIDE Sea View Shakeup: Dolphins Enter New League
PHOTO BY STEVE BREAZEALE
Behind the Lines: A Look at the Opposition
Driven on Defense: Nine Veterans Anchor Solid Returning Group
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
DOLPHINS BRAVE NEW WATERS
team,” Betzler said. Another important member of the Dolphin defense will be senior defensive end Dalton du’Casse, who as a starting junior had a breakout season. He tallied six sacks, 75 total tackles and caused two fumbles at the line, making him one of the Dolphins’ most effective pass rushers. The senior also doubles as a wrestler on the Dolphins wrestling team and, according to Rusinkovich, he uses some of those skills to shed blocks coming from opposing lineman.
New league and a more seasoned roster have Dana Hills poised for success By Steve Breazeale Sometimes a little change of scenery can do wonders, even for a high school football team. In 2012 the Dana Hills Dolphins are moving out of the South Coast league, where they went 0-4 last season, and into the Sea View league, where they’ve had success in the past. The Dolphins have long been a South Coast league mainstay but have struggled recently, going a combined 1-7 the past two seasons. In the last eight years the Dolphins have gone 13-24 in South Coast league play. But by moving into the Sea View league, and by having the deepest, senior-heavy team yet under two-year head coach Todd Rusinkovich, the Dolphins are hoping to put the past behind them and become competitive come October and league play. Last season the Dolphins went 3-7 overall (0-4 league). Two of those wins, however, came against opponents that are now their in-league rivals, Capistrano Valley and San Juan Hills. In those two games the Dolphins outscored their opponents by a combined score of 67-13. “We’re excited (to be in the Sea View league). We really feel like we have a good shot this year at a league title and make a solid CIF run,” senior middle linebacker Cody Betzler said. “We’re excited to see what we can do with this team we have.” With his non-league scheduling, Rusinkovich has made sure that the Dolphins transition into the Sea View League won’t be an
DOLPHINS IN A
NUTSHELL 2011 Record: 3-7, 0-4 South Coast League (fourth) Playoffs: DNP Returning Starters: Offense 4; Defense 5; Special Teams 2 Offensive Set: Multiple Sets Defensive Set: 3-4 Head Coach: Todd Rusinkovich (Second year; 3-7, 0-4 league) Assistant Coaches: Phil Skinner (assistant head coach/offensive line/ strength coach); Jake Rusinkovich (offensive coordinator/wide receivers); Chad Rusinkovich (wide receivers/ co-special teams coordinator/speed coach); John Rusinkovich (football operations); Trent Henson (co-defensive coordinator/ defensive line); Stephen McCullough (running backs/fullbacks/ technology coordinator);
Dolphin players hone their tackling technique in a summer practice. Photo by Steve Breazeale
2012 DANA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date
Opponent
Location
Time
8/24 8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/1
Trabuco Hills Fountain Valley San Clemente Troy JSerra Irvine Aliso Niguel* Capistrano Valley* Laguna Hills* San Juan Hills*
Trabuco Hills Dana Hills San Clemente Troy Dana Hills Irvine Aliso Niguel Dana Hills Laguna Hills Dana Hills
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
*- Sea View League Game
easy one. The coach has set up a legitimate gauntlet for the Dolphins to run through, which includes games against Fountain Valley, defending Pac-5 finalists San Clemente, Troy (7-4, 3-2 Freeway league last season) and JSerra. Rusinkovich designed the tough non-league schedule in order to keep the Dolphins on their toes and to maintain old rivalries (San Clemente). The Dolphins have the luxury this year of a deep and talented roster, filled with 26 seniors. There are also some young guns that have stepped into prominent roles over the summer and will get to start and contribute immediately. “We went in the right direction last year and now we just need to continue to build off it and get better,” Rusinkovich said. “(The team) is excited to go after teams this year and be perfect on offense and perfect on defense and special teams…The expectation is to win the league championship and to do everything you can to be that champion.” Defensive State of Mind Rusinkovich’s specialty is defense and he has the chops to prove it. He was an All-South Coast league linebacker for San Clemente High, a defensive lineman at Cornell University and a defensive assistant at the University of San Diego, where he honed his coaching skills before landing the job at Dana Hills. Last season the team’s defensive strength was its big defensive line, where Garrett Guidotti and Matt Romano, who now plays college ball for South Dakota State, combined to pose a threat to any offensive line they faced. The defense had its good moments, like when they held El Toro’s record
setting offense to just 13 points in a 13-0 loss, and bad ones, like the 63-40 loss to Trabuco Hills. “Last season, defensively, we were pretty young. This year we have nine seniors on defense and a very mature defense,” Rusinkovich said. “I anticipate a few shutouts this year. I feel like we’re strong in every one of those defensive positions…They have that good physical swagger this year that’s for sure.” In the weeks following the Dolphins’ final game of the year in 2011, Rusinkovich and his staff set to the task of trying to find the key to unlocking the potential of the 2012 defense. Their answer came in the form of their strong linebacker corps. The Dolphins have seniors Devon Vise, Cody Betzler, Matthew Slade and Trevor Tribolet all returning, and all having played considerable minutes on varsity. Rusinkovich decided to switch out of last year’s 4-3 defense and into a 3-4 so he could have his four veteran linebackers patrol the field at once. “Playing linebacker myself, these four, as a group…I don’t think there’s a better high school group of linebackers than these guys. They’re all extremely physical, very wellbuilt guys,” Rusinkovich said. “They’re going to come down hard and tackle you hard. So we designed the defense around those four studs this year.” The linebackers, especially team captain Slade and middle linebacker Betzler, have embraced their new role as defensive centerpieces. “As the linebackers we have to basically be the core of the defense so we’re trying to make the plays and set the tempo for the
Dolphin Youth Movement Rusinkovich makes it a point to dress out underclassmen for varsity home games. It’s not uncommon to see upwards of 60 to 70 players standing on the sidelines at Dolphin Stadium on Friday nights. When he first got the job, Rusinkovich came in with the mindset of building a dynasty by getting younger guys involved and already, it seems to be paying dividends. The team may be filled with seniors with starting experience, but there are a handful of young guys who have stepped up and meshed immediately with the veterans. One of those younger players is starting junior quarterback Mac Vail, who last year led the Dolphin JV squad to a 6-4 overall record, going 2-2 in league. Vail threw for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a freshman, Vail started at quarterback for his old high school, Del Norte, in the San Diego area so he already has varsity experience. “We had a really solid JV year and built on a lot of things…So I kind of have a feel for it. I know how it feels to move the ball and get good drives,” Vail said. “It’s going to be fun trying to spread the ball around to everyone.” Vail’s experience proved useful in the Dolphins’ summer passing league schedule, which was highlighted by a 5-1 overall record at the San Diego State Passing Tournament. Two sophomores are going to be starting on varsity this year, one on each side of the ball. Wide receiver Connor Hill and nose tackle Adam Page will start alongside seniors when the Dolphins open their season on the road against Trabuco Hills August 24. Hill will join a veteran receiving corps and look to make a name for himself while Page, who stands at 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 220 pounds, will play in between du’Casse and senior Tanner Harrell on the defensive line. The Dolphins are stacked with seniors and a handful of high energy, impact-type underclassmen, which puts them in a position to better their record from last year and make some noise in their new league.
Coach Todd Rusinkovich looks on as the Dolphins linebackers run through drills. Photo by Steve Breazeale
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
SUMMER STRENGTH The Dolphins have been hitting the weight room this summer in preparation for the upcoming season. Here is a list of their accomplishments. Editors Note: The 800-1,100 pound club members listed below qualified by lifting X amount of weight in the bench press, power clean and squat combined. 1,100 Pound Club Kyle Strickland1,140 1,000 Pound Club Connor Logan- 1,045 Dalton du’Casse- 1,015 Matthew Slade- 1,015 Devon Vise- 1,005 Mason Cummings- 1,000 900 Pound Club Nigel Crosby- 980 Scott Aiello- 935 Marcus Hughes- 930 Cody Betzler- 930 Jacob Harbin- 925 Logan Warren- 905 800 Pound Club Andrew Dunn- 860 Blaine Wagstaff- 855 Christopher McDermott- 855 Jeffrey Ashton- 845 Henry (Hank) White- 840 Ryan Nagel- 830 Nash Parker- 825
Adam Page- 820 Tanner Harrell- 815 Trevor Tribolet- 815 Justin Scott- 815 Moises Aguirre- 810 George (Jacob) Hannah- 810 Justin Burns- 805 Nigel Ewing- 805 Timothy Alvarez- 800 Antonio Pangilinan- 800 Tyler Dickenson- 800 Best 11- Power Clean 1. Kyle Strickland- 320 2. Devon Vise- 280 3. Mason Cummings- 270 4. Jacob Harbin- 270 5. Dalton du’Casse- 250 6. Matthew Slade- 245 7. Marcus Hughes- 245 8. Logan Warren- 245 9. Andrew Dunn- 245 10. Christopher McDermott- 245 11. Scott Aiello- 235 Best 11 Bench 1. Nigel Crosby- 315 2. Kyle Strickland- 310 3. Connor Logan- 290 4. Dalton du’Casse- 290 5. Devon Vise- 290
Senior linebacker Devon Vise (left) and senior strong safety Nigel Crosby (right) are among the Dolphins’ strongest players. Photo by Steve Breazeale
6. Mason Cummings- 290 7. Blaine Wagstaff- 270 8. Matthew Slade- 265 9. Scott Aiello- 255 10. Marcus Hughes- 255 11. Logan Warren- 255 Best 11 Squat 1. Connor Logan- 540 2. Kyle Strickland- 510
3. Matthew Slade- 505 4. Dalton du’Casse- 475 5. Cody Betzler- 455 6. Nigel Crosby- 450 7. Scott Aiello- 445 8. Mason Cummings- 440 9. Devon Vise- 435 10. Adam Page- 435 11. Andrew Falk- 435
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW 5 TO 5 TO WATCH WATCH OFFENSE DEFENSE X-Wide Reciever
Marcus Hughes RB (No. 31), Sr. Hughes, one of the teams’ three captains, is a talented, versatile running back who led the Dolphins in carries (108) and yards (346) last season. Hughes is the type of back with good hands and is more than comfortable catching passes in the backfield, which makes him even more of an offensive threat.
Cody Betzler LB/FB (No. 44), Sr. As the middle linebacker Betzler will be a crucial part of the Dolphins’ defensive front seven. At 6 feet 1 inch and 235 pounds, Betzler is a physical specimen. Rusinkovich, a former linebacker himself, likes the way that Betzler times his blitzes and his ability to hit hard.
Dalton du’Casse DE (No. 34), Sr. Devin Rizzo-Foden du’Casse has WR (No. 10), Sr. established himself As a captain, Rizas one of the better zo-Foden will look pass rushers in the area after a to lead the Dolphin breakout junior season where he receiving corps, which is deep tallied six sacks, 75 total tackles and full of upper classmen. and caused two fumbles playing Rizzo-Foden led all Dolphins in defensive end. Now that he’s catches last season by a wide a senior, he’s looking to up his margin, pulling in 39. Coach totals from last year and lead Todd Rusinkovich expects him the defensive line. to have another solid year at Nigel Crosby the position. SS (No. 3), Sr. Elliot SutherlandCrosby will be in Dunning charge of patrolWR (No. 1), Sr. ling the Dolphins’ Sutherlandsecondary and brings a physical Dunning had a aspect to the position. Off the breakout spring last season field, he is a joker, but inside the and made a name for himself lines, he has a good combination in the Dolphins summer pass- of speed and physicality, acing league. He is a sprinter for cording to Rusinkovich. Crosby the Dolphins track and field will be another veteran in the team and his explosive speed Dolphin defense this year after has impressed the coaching getting a considerable amount staff. He also provides a big, of playing time last season. 6-foot-1-inch frame to throw to Devon Vise out on the field. LB/TE (No. 88), Sr. Mac Vail At 6 feet 5 inches, QB (No. 12), Jr. Vise is one of the Vail threw for tallest players on 1,341 yards and the Dolphins roster. Vise had 58 11 TDs as the JV total tackles and three sacks last starter last season and won season and will look to better the varsity spot outright over those numbers at the outside the summer. Vail started for linebacker position this year. the varsity squad at his old Vise has a rugby background high school, Del Norte, in San and isn’t afraid to get physical, Diego as a freshman before according to Rusinkovich. transferring to Dana Hills so Matthew Slade he does have experience and LB/TE (No. 2), Sr. seems to be meshing well with Slade, a team the offense. captain, will play Logan Warren outside linebacker WR/FS/K/P this season and lead a team that (No. 6), Sr. is in the middle of a defenWarren is likely sive scheme switch. With the the Dolphins most Dolphins abandoning last year’s versatile athlete and will be 4-2 formation, they will employ called upon to do it all this sea- a 3-4 in 2012 and Slade will be son. Warren possesses a huge called upon to anchor the Dolamount of speed and covers a phins’ strong linebacker corps. lot of ground at both receiver and free safety, according to Rusinkovich. He’s also a good kicker with 40+ yard range. By Steve Breazeale
Warren (6), Chambers (81), Falk (19
Tackle
Cummings (75), Hannah (64), Wilemon (71)
Guard
Center
Shirvan (78), Wagstaff (54), Montgomery (60)
Strickland (65), Logan (61), McDermott (62)
Hughes (31), Scott (22), Scott (26)
Burns (5), Torres (24), Williams (87)
Strong Safety Crosby (3), Vogeler (23), Falk (19)
Vise (88), Saguilan (11), Slade (2)
Fullback
Vail (12), Ashton (7), Burns (5)
Tailback
Y-Wide Reciever
Lawless (55), Dickenson (45), Harris (53) Tight End
Harbin (56), Page (70), Brady (73)
Hill (13), Saguilan (11), Williams (87)
Z-Wide Reciever
Sutherland-Dunning (1), Clendenen (80), Moslehi (17)
Betzler (44), Dunn (32), Pangilinan (90)
OFFENSE - MULTIPLE Cornerback
Tackle
Quarterback
H-Wide Reciever
Rizzo-Foden (10), Burns (5), Schuyler (14)
Guard
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker- Logan Warren (6) Punter- Logan Warren (6) LS- Matthew Slade (2) Holder- Jeffrey Ashton (7) Kick Return- Connor Hill (13)
End/LB
Nose Tackle
End
Harrell (77), Torbert (59), Harbin (56)
Page (70), Aiello (50), Strickland (65)
du’Casse (34), Pangilinan (90), Cummings (75)
Linebacker
Linebacker
Linebacker
Linebacker
Vise (88), Stafford (84), Hadley (91)
Betzler (44), White (8), Bill (35)
Tribolet (52), Scott (26), Sadeghi (57)
Slade (2), Boyack (33), Wagstaff (54)
Cornerback Scott (22), McCloud (15), Vogeler (4)
Free Safety Warren (6), Schuyler (14), Alvarez (20)
DEFENSE-3-4 DEFENSE 2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL VARSITY NUMERICAL ROSTER No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 39 42 43 44
Name Elliott Sutherland-Dunning/Senior Matthew Slade/Senior Nigel Crosby/Senior Evan Vogeler/Senior Justin Burns/Senior Logan Warren/Senior Jeffrey Ashton/Senior Henry (Hank) White/Junior Ted Fitzgerald/Sophomore Devin Rizzo-Foden/Senior Ivan Saguilan/Junior McClain (Mac) Vail/Junior Connor Hill/Sophomore Jay Schuyler/Sophomore Parker McCloud/Senior Rameen Moslehi/Sophomore Nigel Ewing/Senior Andrew Falk/Sophomore Timothy Alvarez/Senior Christopher Aguarin/Junior Justin Scott/Junior Michael Vogeler/Junior Brandon Torres/Junior Ethan Gard/Junior Brian Scott Sophomore Joseph Coppi/Junior Jesse Celaya/Junior Evan Altuzarra/Sophomore Marcus Hughes/Senior Andrew Dunn/Junior Boyack, Brody/Junior Dalton du’Casse/Senior Brett Bill/Sophomore Pierce Costello/Sophomore Harvey Williams/Junior Huang Jun Nan Zhao/Senior Brendan Villacreses/Sophomore Cody Betzler/Senior
Position WR LB/TE DB DB DB/WR/QB DB/WR/K/P QB LB/FB DB/WR/QB WR TE/K/P QB WR DB/WR/QB DB DB/WR DL DB/WR DB RB DB/RB DB DB DB LB/RB DB WR DB/RB RB FB LB DL LB/TE LB/FB DB WR LB/FB/K/P LB/FB
Height 6’1” 6’2” 5’9” 5’9” 5’10” 5’9” 6’1” 5’10” 5’10” 5’7” 6’3” 6’1” 5’11” 6’1” 5’10” 5’8” 6’1” 5’9” 5’11” 5’2” 5’10” 5’10” 5’7” 5’9” 5’11” 5’9” 6’1” 5’7” 5’11” 5’11 6’0” 6’0” 5’11” 5’10” 5’9” 5’9” 5’7” 6’1”
Weight 170 215 170 170 180 170 175 200 160 180 215 175 180 170 150 155 195 170 185 150 175 160 155 160 170 150 170 150 180 200 175 230 185 170 150 145 170 235
No. 45 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 76 77 78 80 81 84 87 88 90 91 95 96
Name Tyler Dickenson/Junior Gabriel Wahl/Sophomore Scott Aiello/Junior Luke Gallardo/Junior Trevor Tribolet/Senior Jake Harris/Sophomore Blaine Wagstaff/Junior Zachary Lawless/Senior Jacob Harbin/Junior Aria Sadeghi/Junior Jordan Swindell /Junior Michael Torbert/Senior Connor Logan/Senior Christopher McDermott/Sophomore George (Jacob)Hannah/Junior Kyle Strickland/Junior Alexander O’Brien/Senior Ryan Nagel/Senior Chris Kartchner/Junior Nash Parker/Sophomore Adam Page/Sophomore Kyle Wilemon/Sophomore Matthew Majd/Senior Alec Brady/Sophomore Mason Cummings/Senior Joshua Montgomery/Sophomore Tanner Harrell/Senior Connor Shirvan/Junior Jack Clendenen/Junior Corey Chambers/Senior Justin Stafford/Junior Lucas Williams/Sophomore Devon Galbraith (Vise)/Senior Antonio Pangilinan/Senior Carter Hadley/Sophomore Jonathan Fer/Sophomore Thomas Columbus/Sophomore
Position FB/OL LB/RB DL/OL DL LB DL/OL LB/OL OL DL/OL LB DL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL OL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL OL WR WR/P LB DB/WR LB/TE DL LB/TE LB/FB DL/OL
Height 6’0” 5’7” 5’10” 6’1” 6’0” 6’0” 6’1” 6’5” 6’2” 6’1” 6’3” 6’3” 5’8” 5’10” 6’3” 6’2” 5’10” 5’9” 6’0” 6’0” 5’10” 6’2” 6”3” 5’11” 6’2” 6’1” 6’2” 6’6” 6’5” 6’4” 6’4” 5’11” 6’5” 5’9” 6’0” 6’0” 5’11”
Weight 185 150 215 290 200 210 210 220 235 190 200 190 235 215 260 260 245 195 195 210 220 230 200 190 240 200 235 310 190 195 200 155 220 180 175 200 200
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
GAME PREVIEWS
By Darian Nourian
TRABUCO HILLS
FOUNTAIN VALLEY SAN CLEMENTE
TROY
JSERRA CATHOLIC
Location: Trabuco Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Scott Orloff League: South Coast 2011 record: 6-4 (1-3 league) 2011 vs. DH: Win 63-10 2012 Season Outlook: The Dolphins will open the season against former South Coast League opponent Trabuco Hills, who beat the Dolphins in league play last year. However, that was the Mustangs’ only league win, as they struggled to compete against their other in-league opponents. While the Dolphins made the transition to the Sea View League, the Mustangs stayed put and will seek a playoff berth this year after not receiving one in the past two seasons. The Mustangs will feature a deep, senior roster on defense, led by senior middle linebacker J.T Land, who led the team with 70 total tackles last season.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: John Shipp League: Sunset 2011 record: 4-6 (1-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: Like Trabuco Hills, the Barons come from a historically competitive league. The Sunset league is made up of football powerhouses Edison, Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach. Their tough, in-league schedule is why the Barons were only able to pull off a lone Sunset league victory in 2011. This will be the second game of the season for both teams so they will have some experience under their belts before going toe-to-toe in the Dolphin’s home opener and last game before school starts.
Location: Dana Hills high Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jim Burton League: Freeway 2011 record: 7-4 (3-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Warriors come from the Freeway league, which is typically dominated by the La Habra Highlanders. Troy finished third in league play last year and look to go deeper than their early first round playoff exit, when they lost to Yorba Linda, 28-21. Troy has a strong line/ backing core this year, led by senior Nate Fleming, who finished with 63 tackles and 12 sacks last year. Troy came in second to La Habra in the Freeway league’s preseason coaches’ poll.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jim Hartigan League: Trinity 2011 record: 4-6 (1-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Lions play in one of the toughest leagues in the nation, the Trinity league, and have historically never been able to make much noise in league play. This so-called “league of death” includes three of the top 10 teams in the state in Santa Margarita, last year’s CIF Pac-5 division and state champions, Servite, who won back-to-back titles two years prior, and football powerhouse Mater Dei. An interesting quarterback battle has been taking shape in the Lions’ summer camp between two juniors, Jacob Gibson and Blake Robinson, and it will be interesting to see who Hartigan hands the ball to on opening day.
LAGUNA HILLS
SAN JUAN HILLS
Location: Laguna Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Bruce Ingalls League: Sea View 2011 record: 7-3 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: Last year was a disappointing year for the Hawks, considering their past success. 2011 was the first time since the 2004 season that Laguna Hills did not claim either a Sea View or Pacific Coast League title. Before last season, the Hawks were almost always a lock to win the Sea View league crown, boasting an undefeated record in league for multiple years. They look to restore that dominance this year with a strong core of experienced upperclassmen. With El Toro gone, the Hawks could be the early pick to win the Sea View League.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Aaron Flowers League: Sea View 2011 record: 0-10 (0-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: Loss 36-0 2012 Season Outlook: If the Stallions need to do one thing going into this year’s season, it’s to forget about last year’s results. The Stallions went winless in both non-league and league play, with an 0-10 overall record. But the Stallions are hoping that a new stadium and returning starting senior depth will help propel them up from the cellar of the Sea View League standings.
August 24 * Opening Day *
August 31
IRVINE
ALISO NIGUEL
Location: Irvine High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Erik Terry League: Pacific Coast 2011 record: 4-6 (2-3 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Vaqueros have never really been known to have football prowess, and they are coming off a sub .500 season. Last year, the Vaquero’s offense was fueled by a strong rushing attack, averaging 144.3 yards from scrimmage per game. Led by senior running back and linebacker Tanner Moore, the running game is where the Vaqueros can pose a problem for other teams in 2012.
Location: Aliso Niguel High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Kurt Westling League: Sea View 2011 record: 7-4 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: This will be the first game of Sea View League play for both the Wolverines and the Dolphins, and it could be an early indicator of which one is going to clinch an automatic berth to the CIF playoffs. The Wolverines, led by third year coach Jeff Westling, are coming off a very good 7-4 season, which ended with a first round playoff loss to eventual CIF Southwest division champion Tustin High School. Senior quarterback Nathan Cole and his leading receiver, junior Ryan Walker, will be a deadly combo to watch this season.
September 28
October 5
September 7
Location: San Clemente High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jamie Ortiz League: South Coast 2011 record: 12-2 (3-1 league) 2011 vs. DH: Win 35-10 2012 Season Outlook: The Tritons are coming off possibly their most successful season in the history of the program. Led by interim coach Jon Hamro, the Tritons made a run to the Pac-5 CIF championship game, where they lost to Santa Margarita, 28-14. This season, the Tritons will be without 16 starters due to graduation and are looking to continue last year’s success under new head coach Jamie Ortiz, the teams’ long-time defensive coordinator. Key returners for the Tritons include senior offensive tackle and Washington commit Sean Harlow, senior free safety Christian Bailey and senior quarterback Sean Donnelly.
CAPISTRANO VALLEY October 12
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Matt Poston League: Sea View 2011 record: 3-8 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: Loss 31-13 2012 Season Outlook: The Cougars are looking to have a nice bounce back season after winning only one game in league play last year. Capo scored 22.4 points per game last year while giving up 26, causing the Cougars to play a lot of close games. Capo was able to stay competitive in these close games and went through an unlucky stretch where they lost three games by a combined total of three points. Senior quarterback Mason Dossey, who threw for 2,038 yards last season, should be even more prolific this time around with another varsity season under his belt.
September 14
October 26
September 21
November 1
TS
2012
DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON
INSIDE Sea View Shakeup: Dolphins Enter New League
PHOTO BY STEVE BREAZEALE
Behind the Lines: A Look at the Opposition
Driven on Defense: Nine Veterans Anchor Solid Returning Group
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
DOLPHINS BRAVE NEW WATERS
team,” Betzler said. Another important member of the Dolphin defense will be senior defensive end Dalton du’Casse, who as a starting junior had a breakout season. He tallied six sacks, 75 total tackles and caused two fumbles at the line, making him one of the Dolphins’ most effective pass rushers. The senior also doubles as a wrestler on the Dolphins wrestling team and, according to Rusinkovich, he uses some of those skills to shed blocks coming from opposing lineman.
New league and a more seasoned roster have Dana Hills poised for success By Steve Breazeale Sometimes a little change of scenery can do wonders, even for a high school football team. In 2012 the Dana Hills Dolphins are moving out of the South Coast league, where they went 0-4 last season, and into the Sea View league, where they’ve had success in the past. The Dolphins have long been a South Coast league mainstay but have struggled recently, going a combined 1-7 the past two seasons. In the last eight years the Dolphins have gone 13-24 in South Coast league play. But by moving into the Sea View league, and by having the deepest, senior-heavy team yet under two-year head coach Todd Rusinkovich, the Dolphins are hoping to put the past behind them and become competitive come October and league play. Last season the Dolphins went 3-7 overall (0-4 league). Two of those wins, however, came against opponents that are now their in-league rivals, Capistrano Valley and San Juan Hills. In those two games the Dolphins outscored their opponents by a combined score of 67-13. “We’re excited (to be in the Sea View league). We really feel like we have a good shot this year at a league title and make a solid CIF run,” senior middle linebacker Cody Betzler said. “We’re excited to see what we can do with this team we have.” With his non-league scheduling, Rusinkovich has made sure that the Dolphins transition into the Sea View League won’t be an
DOLPHINS IN A
NUTSHELL 2011 Record: 3-7, 0-4 South Coast League (fourth) Playoffs: DNP Returning Starters: Offense 4; Defense 5; Special Teams 2 Offensive Set: Multiple Sets Defensive Set: 3-4 Head Coach: Todd Rusinkovich (Second year; 3-7, 0-4 league) Assistant Coaches: Phil Skinner (assistant head coach/offensive line/ strength coach); Jake Rusinkovich (offensive coordinator/wide receivers); Chad Rusinkovich (wide receivers/ co-special teams coordinator/speed coach); John Rusinkovich (football operations); Trent Henson (co-defensive coordinator/ defensive line); Stephen McCullough (running backs/fullbacks/ technology coordinator);
Dolphin players hone their tackling technique in a summer practice. Photo by Steve Breazeale
2012 DANA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date
Opponent
Location
Time
8/24 8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/1
Trabuco Hills Fountain Valley San Clemente Troy JSerra Irvine Aliso Niguel* Capistrano Valley* Laguna Hills* San Juan Hills*
Trabuco Hills Dana Hills San Clemente Troy Dana Hills Irvine Aliso Niguel Dana Hills Laguna Hills Dana Hills
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
*- Sea View League Game
easy one. The coach has set up a legitimate gauntlet for the Dolphins to run through, which includes games against Fountain Valley, defending Pac-5 finalists San Clemente, Troy (7-4, 3-2 Freeway league last season) and JSerra. Rusinkovich designed the tough non-league schedule in order to keep the Dolphins on their toes and to maintain old rivalries (San Clemente). The Dolphins have the luxury this year of a deep and talented roster, filled with 26 seniors. There are also some young guns that have stepped into prominent roles over the summer and will get to start and contribute immediately. “We went in the right direction last year and now we just need to continue to build off it and get better,” Rusinkovich said. “(The team) is excited to go after teams this year and be perfect on offense and perfect on defense and special teams…The expectation is to win the league championship and to do everything you can to be that champion.” Defensive State of Mind Rusinkovich’s specialty is defense and he has the chops to prove it. He was an All-South Coast league linebacker for San Clemente High, a defensive lineman at Cornell University and a defensive assistant at the University of San Diego, where he honed his coaching skills before landing the job at Dana Hills. Last season the team’s defensive strength was its big defensive line, where Garrett Guidotti and Matt Romano, who now plays college ball for South Dakota State, combined to pose a threat to any offensive line they faced. The defense had its good moments, like when they held El Toro’s record
setting offense to just 13 points in a 13-0 loss, and bad ones, like the 63-40 loss to Trabuco Hills. “Last season, defensively, we were pretty young. This year we have nine seniors on defense and a very mature defense,” Rusinkovich said. “I anticipate a few shutouts this year. I feel like we’re strong in every one of those defensive positions…They have that good physical swagger this year that’s for sure.” In the weeks following the Dolphins’ final game of the year in 2011, Rusinkovich and his staff set to the task of trying to find the key to unlocking the potential of the 2012 defense. Their answer came in the form of their strong linebacker corps. The Dolphins have seniors Devon Vise, Cody Betzler, Matthew Slade and Trevor Tribolet all returning, and all having played considerable minutes on varsity. Rusinkovich decided to switch out of last year’s 4-3 defense and into a 3-4 so he could have his four veteran linebackers patrol the field at once. “Playing linebacker myself, these four, as a group…I don’t think there’s a better high school group of linebackers than these guys. They’re all extremely physical, very wellbuilt guys,” Rusinkovich said. “They’re going to come down hard and tackle you hard. So we designed the defense around those four studs this year.” The linebackers, especially team captain Slade and middle linebacker Betzler, have embraced their new role as defensive centerpieces. “As the linebackers we have to basically be the core of the defense so we’re trying to make the plays and set the tempo for the
Dolphin Youth Movement Rusinkovich makes it a point to dress out underclassmen for varsity home games. It’s not uncommon to see upwards of 60 to 70 players standing on the sidelines at Dolphin Stadium on Friday nights. When he first got the job, Rusinkovich came in with the mindset of building a dynasty by getting younger guys involved and already, it seems to be paying dividends. The team may be filled with seniors with starting experience, but there are a handful of young guys who have stepped up and meshed immediately with the veterans. One of those younger players is starting junior quarterback Mac Vail, who last year led the Dolphin JV squad to a 6-4 overall record, going 2-2 in league. Vail threw for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a freshman, Vail started at quarterback for his old high school, Del Norte, in the San Diego area so he already has varsity experience. “We had a really solid JV year and built on a lot of things…So I kind of have a feel for it. I know how it feels to move the ball and get good drives,” Vail said. “It’s going to be fun trying to spread the ball around to everyone.” Vail’s experience proved useful in the Dolphins’ summer passing league schedule, which was highlighted by a 5-1 overall record at the San Diego State Passing Tournament. Two sophomores are going to be starting on varsity this year, one on each side of the ball. Wide receiver Connor Hill and nose tackle Adam Page will start alongside seniors when the Dolphins open their season on the road against Trabuco Hills August 24. Hill will join a veteran receiving corps and look to make a name for himself while Page, who stands at 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 220 pounds, will play in between du’Casse and senior Tanner Harrell on the defensive line. The Dolphins are stacked with seniors and a handful of high energy, impact-type underclassmen, which puts them in a position to better their record from last year and make some noise in their new league.
Coach Todd Rusinkovich looks on as the Dolphins linebackers run through drills. Photo by Steve Breazeale
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
SUMMER STRENGTH The Dolphins have been hitting the weight room this summer in preparation for the upcoming season. Here is a list of their accomplishments. Editors Note: The 800-1,100 pound club members listed below qualified by lifting X amount of weight in the bench press, power clean and squat combined. 1,100 Pound Club Kyle Strickland1,140 1,000 Pound Club Connor Logan- 1,045 Dalton du’Casse- 1,015 Matthew Slade- 1,015 Devon Vise- 1,005 Mason Cummings- 1,000 900 Pound Club Nigel Crosby- 980 Scott Aiello- 935 Marcus Hughes- 930 Cody Betzler- 930 Jacob Harbin- 925 Logan Warren- 905 800 Pound Club Andrew Dunn- 860 Blaine Wagstaff- 855 Christopher McDermott- 855 Jeffrey Ashton- 845 Henry (Hank) White- 840 Ryan Nagel- 830 Nash Parker- 825
Adam Page- 820 Tanner Harrell- 815 Trevor Tribolet- 815 Justin Scott- 815 Moises Aguirre- 810 George (Jacob) Hannah- 810 Justin Burns- 805 Nigel Ewing- 805 Timothy Alvarez- 800 Antonio Pangilinan- 800 Tyler Dickenson- 800 Best 11- Power Clean 1. Kyle Strickland- 320 2. Devon Vise- 280 3. Mason Cummings- 270 4. Jacob Harbin- 270 5. Dalton du’Casse- 250 6. Matthew Slade- 245 7. Marcus Hughes- 245 8. Logan Warren- 245 9. Andrew Dunn- 245 10. Christopher McDermott- 245 11. Scott Aiello- 235 Best 11 Bench 1. Nigel Crosby- 315 2. Kyle Strickland- 310 3. Connor Logan- 290 4. Dalton du’Casse- 290 5. Devon Vise- 290
Senior linebacker Devon Vise (left) and senior strong safety Nigel Crosby (right) are among the Dolphins’ strongest players. Photo by Steve Breazeale
6. Mason Cummings- 290 7. Blaine Wagstaff- 270 8. Matthew Slade- 265 9. Scott Aiello- 255 10. Marcus Hughes- 255 11. Logan Warren- 255 Best 11 Squat 1. Connor Logan- 540 2. Kyle Strickland- 510
3. Matthew Slade- 505 4. Dalton du’Casse- 475 5. Cody Betzler- 455 6. Nigel Crosby- 450 7. Scott Aiello- 445 8. Mason Cummings- 440 9. Devon Vise- 435 10. Adam Page- 435 11. Andrew Falk- 435
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW 5 TO 5 TO WATCH WATCH OFFENSE DEFENSE X-Wide Reciever
Marcus Hughes RB (No. 31), Sr. Hughes, one of the teams’ three captains, is a talented, versatile running back who led the Dolphins in carries (108) and yards (346) last season. Hughes is the type of back with good hands and is more than comfortable catching passes in the backfield, which makes him even more of an offensive threat.
Cody Betzler LB/FB (No. 44), Sr. As the middle linebacker Betzler will be a crucial part of the Dolphins’ defensive front seven. At 6 feet 1 inch and 235 pounds, Betzler is a physical specimen. Rusinkovich, a former linebacker himself, likes the way that Betzler times his blitzes and his ability to hit hard.
Dalton du’Casse DE (No. 34), Sr. Devin Rizzo-Foden du’Casse has WR (No. 10), Sr. established himself As a captain, Rizas one of the better zo-Foden will look pass rushers in the area after a to lead the Dolphin breakout junior season where he receiving corps, which is deep tallied six sacks, 75 total tackles and full of upper classmen. and caused two fumbles playing Rizzo-Foden led all Dolphins in defensive end. Now that he’s catches last season by a wide a senior, he’s looking to up his margin, pulling in 39. Coach totals from last year and lead Todd Rusinkovich expects him the defensive line. to have another solid year at Nigel Crosby the position. SS (No. 3), Sr. Elliot SutherlandCrosby will be in Dunning charge of patrolWR (No. 1), Sr. ling the Dolphins’ Sutherlandsecondary and brings a physical Dunning had a aspect to the position. Off the breakout spring last season field, he is a joker, but inside the and made a name for himself lines, he has a good combination in the Dolphins summer pass- of speed and physicality, acing league. He is a sprinter for cording to Rusinkovich. Crosby the Dolphins track and field will be another veteran in the team and his explosive speed Dolphin defense this year after has impressed the coaching getting a considerable amount staff. He also provides a big, of playing time last season. 6-foot-1-inch frame to throw to Devon Vise out on the field. LB/TE (No. 88), Sr. Mac Vail At 6 feet 5 inches, QB (No. 12), Jr. Vise is one of the Vail threw for tallest players on 1,341 yards and the Dolphins roster. Vise had 58 11 TDs as the JV total tackles and three sacks last starter last season and won season and will look to better the varsity spot outright over those numbers at the outside the summer. Vail started for linebacker position this year. the varsity squad at his old Vise has a rugby background high school, Del Norte, in San and isn’t afraid to get physical, Diego as a freshman before according to Rusinkovich. transferring to Dana Hills so Matthew Slade he does have experience and LB/TE (No. 2), Sr. seems to be meshing well with Slade, a team the offense. captain, will play Logan Warren outside linebacker WR/FS/K/P this season and lead a team that (No. 6), Sr. is in the middle of a defenWarren is likely sive scheme switch. With the the Dolphins most Dolphins abandoning last year’s versatile athlete and will be 4-2 formation, they will employ called upon to do it all this sea- a 3-4 in 2012 and Slade will be son. Warren possesses a huge called upon to anchor the Dolamount of speed and covers a phins’ strong linebacker corps. lot of ground at both receiver and free safety, according to Rusinkovich. He’s also a good kicker with 40+ yard range. By Steve Breazeale
Warren (6), Chambers (81), Falk (19
Tackle
Cummings (75), Hannah (64), Wilemon (71)
Guard
Center
Shirvan (78), Wagstaff (54), Montgomery (60)
Strickland (65), Logan (61), McDermott (62)
Hughes (31), Scott (22), Scott (26)
Burns (5), Torres (24), Williams (87)
Strong Safety Crosby (3), Vogeler (23), Falk (19)
Vise (88), Saguilan (11), Slade (2)
Fullback
Vail (12), Ashton (7), Burns (5)
Tailback
Y-Wide Reciever
Lawless (55), Dickenson (45), Harris (53) Tight End
Harbin (56), Page (70), Brady (73)
Hill (13), Saguilan (11), Williams (87)
Z-Wide Reciever
Sutherland-Dunning (1), Clendenen (80), Moslehi (17)
Betzler (44), Dunn (32), Pangilinan (90)
OFFENSE - MULTIPLE Cornerback
Tackle
Quarterback
H-Wide Reciever
Rizzo-Foden (10), Burns (5), Schuyler (14)
Guard
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker- Logan Warren (6) Punter- Logan Warren (6) LS- Matthew Slade (2) Holder- Jeffrey Ashton (7) Kick Return- Connor Hill (13)
End/LB
Nose Tackle
End
Harrell (77), Torbert (59), Harbin (56)
Page (70), Aiello (50), Strickland (65)
du’Casse (34), Pangilinan (90), Cummings (75)
Linebacker
Linebacker
Linebacker
Linebacker
Vise (88), Stafford (84), Hadley (91)
Betzler (44), White (8), Bill (35)
Tribolet (52), Scott (26), Sadeghi (57)
Slade (2), Boyack (33), Wagstaff (54)
Cornerback Scott (22), McCloud (15), Vogeler (4)
Free Safety Warren (6), Schuyler (14), Alvarez (20)
DEFENSE-3-4 DEFENSE 2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL VARSITY NUMERICAL ROSTER No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 39 42 43 44
Name Elliott Sutherland-Dunning/Senior Matthew Slade/Senior Nigel Crosby/Senior Evan Vogeler/Senior Justin Burns/Senior Logan Warren/Senior Jeffrey Ashton/Senior Henry (Hank) White/Junior Ted Fitzgerald/Sophomore Devin Rizzo-Foden/Senior Ivan Saguilan/Junior McClain (Mac) Vail/Junior Connor Hill/Sophomore Jay Schuyler/Sophomore Parker McCloud/Senior Rameen Moslehi/Sophomore Nigel Ewing/Senior Andrew Falk/Sophomore Timothy Alvarez/Senior Christopher Aguarin/Junior Justin Scott/Junior Michael Vogeler/Junior Brandon Torres/Junior Ethan Gard/Junior Brian Scott Sophomore Joseph Coppi/Junior Jesse Celaya/Junior Evan Altuzarra/Sophomore Marcus Hughes/Senior Andrew Dunn/Junior Boyack, Brody/Junior Dalton du’Casse/Senior Brett Bill/Sophomore Pierce Costello/Sophomore Harvey Williams/Junior Huang Jun Nan Zhao/Senior Brendan Villacreses/Sophomore Cody Betzler/Senior
Position WR LB/TE DB DB DB/WR/QB DB/WR/K/P QB LB/FB DB/WR/QB WR TE/K/P QB WR DB/WR/QB DB DB/WR DL DB/WR DB RB DB/RB DB DB DB LB/RB DB WR DB/RB RB FB LB DL LB/TE LB/FB DB WR LB/FB/K/P LB/FB
Height 6’1” 6’2” 5’9” 5’9” 5’10” 5’9” 6’1” 5’10” 5’10” 5’7” 6’3” 6’1” 5’11” 6’1” 5’10” 5’8” 6’1” 5’9” 5’11” 5’2” 5’10” 5’10” 5’7” 5’9” 5’11” 5’9” 6’1” 5’7” 5’11” 5’11 6’0” 6’0” 5’11” 5’10” 5’9” 5’9” 5’7” 6’1”
Weight 170 215 170 170 180 170 175 200 160 180 215 175 180 170 150 155 195 170 185 150 175 160 155 160 170 150 170 150 180 200 175 230 185 170 150 145 170 235
No. 45 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 76 77 78 80 81 84 87 88 90 91 95 96
Name Tyler Dickenson/Junior Gabriel Wahl/Sophomore Scott Aiello/Junior Luke Gallardo/Junior Trevor Tribolet/Senior Jake Harris/Sophomore Blaine Wagstaff/Junior Zachary Lawless/Senior Jacob Harbin/Junior Aria Sadeghi/Junior Jordan Swindell /Junior Michael Torbert/Senior Connor Logan/Senior Christopher McDermott/Sophomore George (Jacob)Hannah/Junior Kyle Strickland/Junior Alexander O’Brien/Senior Ryan Nagel/Senior Chris Kartchner/Junior Nash Parker/Sophomore Adam Page/Sophomore Kyle Wilemon/Sophomore Matthew Majd/Senior Alec Brady/Sophomore Mason Cummings/Senior Joshua Montgomery/Sophomore Tanner Harrell/Senior Connor Shirvan/Junior Jack Clendenen/Junior Corey Chambers/Senior Justin Stafford/Junior Lucas Williams/Sophomore Devon Galbraith (Vise)/Senior Antonio Pangilinan/Senior Carter Hadley/Sophomore Jonathan Fer/Sophomore Thomas Columbus/Sophomore
Position FB/OL LB/RB DL/OL DL LB DL/OL LB/OL OL DL/OL LB DL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL OL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL OL WR WR/P LB DB/WR LB/TE DL LB/TE LB/FB DL/OL
Height 6’0” 5’7” 5’10” 6’1” 6’0” 6’0” 6’1” 6’5” 6’2” 6’1” 6’3” 6’3” 5’8” 5’10” 6’3” 6’2” 5’10” 5’9” 6’0” 6’0” 5’10” 6’2” 6”3” 5’11” 6’2” 6’1” 6’2” 6’6” 6’5” 6’4” 6’4” 5’11” 6’5” 5’9” 6’0” 6’0” 5’11”
Weight 185 150 215 290 200 210 210 220 235 190 200 190 235 215 260 260 245 195 195 210 220 230 200 190 240 200 235 310 190 195 200 155 220 180 175 200 200
2012 DOLPHIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
GAME PREVIEWS
By Darian Nourian
TRABUCO HILLS
FOUNTAIN VALLEY SAN CLEMENTE
TROY
JSERRA CATHOLIC
Location: Trabuco Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Scott Orloff League: South Coast 2011 record: 6-4 (1-3 league) 2011 vs. DH: Win 63-10 2012 Season Outlook: The Dolphins will open the season against former South Coast League opponent Trabuco Hills, who beat the Dolphins in league play last year. However, that was the Mustangs’ only league win, as they struggled to compete against their other in-league opponents. While the Dolphins made the transition to the Sea View League, the Mustangs stayed put and will seek a playoff berth this year after not receiving one in the past two seasons. The Mustangs will feature a deep, senior roster on defense, led by senior middle linebacker J.T Land, who led the team with 70 total tackles last season.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: John Shipp League: Sunset 2011 record: 4-6 (1-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: Like Trabuco Hills, the Barons come from a historically competitive league. The Sunset league is made up of football powerhouses Edison, Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach. Their tough, in-league schedule is why the Barons were only able to pull off a lone Sunset league victory in 2011. This will be the second game of the season for both teams so they will have some experience under their belts before going toe-to-toe in the Dolphin’s home opener and last game before school starts.
Location: Dana Hills high Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jim Burton League: Freeway 2011 record: 7-4 (3-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Warriors come from the Freeway league, which is typically dominated by the La Habra Highlanders. Troy finished third in league play last year and look to go deeper than their early first round playoff exit, when they lost to Yorba Linda, 28-21. Troy has a strong line/ backing core this year, led by senior Nate Fleming, who finished with 63 tackles and 12 sacks last year. Troy came in second to La Habra in the Freeway league’s preseason coaches’ poll.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jim Hartigan League: Trinity 2011 record: 4-6 (1-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Lions play in one of the toughest leagues in the nation, the Trinity league, and have historically never been able to make much noise in league play. This so-called “league of death” includes three of the top 10 teams in the state in Santa Margarita, last year’s CIF Pac-5 division and state champions, Servite, who won back-to-back titles two years prior, and football powerhouse Mater Dei. An interesting quarterback battle has been taking shape in the Lions’ summer camp between two juniors, Jacob Gibson and Blake Robinson, and it will be interesting to see who Hartigan hands the ball to on opening day.
LAGUNA HILLS
SAN JUAN HILLS
Location: Laguna Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Bruce Ingalls League: Sea View 2011 record: 7-3 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: Last year was a disappointing year for the Hawks, considering their past success. 2011 was the first time since the 2004 season that Laguna Hills did not claim either a Sea View or Pacific Coast League title. Before last season, the Hawks were almost always a lock to win the Sea View league crown, boasting an undefeated record in league for multiple years. They look to restore that dominance this year with a strong core of experienced upperclassmen. With El Toro gone, the Hawks could be the early pick to win the Sea View League.
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Aaron Flowers League: Sea View 2011 record: 0-10 (0-4 league) 2011 vs. DH: Loss 36-0 2012 Season Outlook: If the Stallions need to do one thing going into this year’s season, it’s to forget about last year’s results. The Stallions went winless in both non-league and league play, with an 0-10 overall record. But the Stallions are hoping that a new stadium and returning starting senior depth will help propel them up from the cellar of the Sea View League standings.
August 24 * Opening Day *
August 31
IRVINE
ALISO NIGUEL
Location: Irvine High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Erik Terry League: Pacific Coast 2011 record: 4-6 (2-3 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: The Vaqueros have never really been known to have football prowess, and they are coming off a sub .500 season. Last year, the Vaquero’s offense was fueled by a strong rushing attack, averaging 144.3 yards from scrimmage per game. Led by senior running back and linebacker Tanner Moore, the running game is where the Vaqueros can pose a problem for other teams in 2012.
Location: Aliso Niguel High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Kurt Westling League: Sea View 2011 record: 7-4 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: DNP 2012 Season Outlook: This will be the first game of Sea View League play for both the Wolverines and the Dolphins, and it could be an early indicator of which one is going to clinch an automatic berth to the CIF playoffs. The Wolverines, led by third year coach Jeff Westling, are coming off a very good 7-4 season, which ended with a first round playoff loss to eventual CIF Southwest division champion Tustin High School. Senior quarterback Nathan Cole and his leading receiver, junior Ryan Walker, will be a deadly combo to watch this season.
September 28
October 5
September 7
Location: San Clemente High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Jamie Ortiz League: South Coast 2011 record: 12-2 (3-1 league) 2011 vs. DH: Win 35-10 2012 Season Outlook: The Tritons are coming off possibly their most successful season in the history of the program. Led by interim coach Jon Hamro, the Tritons made a run to the Pac-5 CIF championship game, where they lost to Santa Margarita, 28-14. This season, the Tritons will be without 16 starters due to graduation and are looking to continue last year’s success under new head coach Jamie Ortiz, the teams’ long-time defensive coordinator. Key returners for the Tritons include senior offensive tackle and Washington commit Sean Harlow, senior free safety Christian Bailey and senior quarterback Sean Donnelly.
CAPISTRANO VALLEY October 12
Location: Dana Hills High Time: 7 p.m. Coach: Matt Poston League: Sea View 2011 record: 3-8 (2-2 league) 2011 vs. DH: Loss 31-13 2012 Season Outlook: The Cougars are looking to have a nice bounce back season after winning only one game in league play last year. Capo scored 22.4 points per game last year while giving up 26, causing the Cougars to play a lot of close games. Capo was able to stay competitive in these close games and went through an unlucky stretch where they lost three games by a combined total of three points. Senior quarterback Mason Dossey, who threw for 2,038 yards last season, should be even more prolific this time around with another varsity season under his belt.
September 14
October 26
September 21
November 1
