Top Football Programs Reap a Limited Bounty From County

Orange County had its share of football players sign letters of intent to Division I-A schools Wednesday. But the quantity didn’t match the quality.

Last year, 31 players signed Division I-A letters of intent, but only 15 signed Wednesday when the signing period for football began. The period ends April 1.

“The players who did sign were very good,” said Dick Lascola, owner of the Fallbrook-based Scouting Evaluation Assn. “They just weren’t there in big numbers. But that happens. It runs in cycles.”

The Times Orange County’s lineman and back of the year landed scholarships from major universities. Mater Dei’s Matt Motherway signed with Stanford and Los Alamitos’ Brad Melsby signed with UCLA. And it was another solid year for county linemen with San Clemente’s Brett Samperi (USC), Sonora’s Jason Grain (USC), Santa Margarita’s Kris Farris (UCLA) and Josh Beckett (Oregon) also signing.

But several county coaches were left scratching their heads, wondering why more players were not signed.

Newport Harbor won the Southern Section Division V championship with a 14-0 record, the most successful season in the school’s 64-year varsity football history.

But 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker Dan McDonough, who signed with St. Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., was the only Newport Harbor player to sign a letter of intent Wednesday. St. Mary’s plays as a Division I-AA independent.

“I guess schools aren’t interested in guys who know how to win,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “They’re all looking for that prototype athlete.”

Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson agreed.

Motherway, a 6-4, 264-pound offensive lineman, and kicker Patrick Shinnefield signed with Stanford, but those were the Monarchs’ only signings.

According to Rollinson, here are the college options for some of the Monarchs:

--Quarterback John Flynn, the South Coast League’s most valuable player, is considering some Ivy League schools and possibly Air Force or Army.

--Running back Steve Bodnar, who rushed for 1,791 yards and scored 28 touchdowns, will take a trip to Weber State but hasn’t received a firm offer.

--Offensive lineman John Faulkner (6-4, 275) is waiting for a scholarship offer from Brigham Young, but nothing has been guaranteed.

--Joey Trampush, a 6-3, 225-pound bruising fullback who averaged 7.4 yards per carry, and defensive lineman Kevin Donahue and defensive back Robbie Tritz, both first-team all-league selections, were among those who received little or no recruiting attention.

“I’m mystified,” Rollinson said.

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Orange County king: Two of Motherway’s future teammates--quarterback Tim Carey of Los Alamitos and lineman Bryan Werner of Esperanza--tried to make him feel welcome during his visit to Palo Alto, reminiscing about their Orange County glory days.

But Motherway already seemed pretty comfortable. He has bragging rights.

“They still talk about that 14-14 tie they had (in the Southern Section Division II title game in 1992),” Motherway said. “So I told Tim, ‘Hey, didn’t my team just break that unbeaten streak your school had?’ ”

Motherway and the Monarchs, who finished 14-0 and won the Division I title, defeated Los Alamitos, 28-24, in the semifinals this season to break the Griffins’ 47-game unbeaten streak. Mater Dei also defeated Esperanza, 38-28, in a nonleague game.

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Right place, right time: Los Alamitos defensive back Damon Houston, a second-team all-league selection, had a knack for making the big play. The Griffins’ high-visibility playoff charge helped the 5-9, 170-pound senior earn a scholarship to Eastern Washington, a Division I-AA school.

Although everyone knew about his teammate, Brad Melsby, the county record-holder in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions, Houston benefited from the team’s playoff run, which included a heartbreaking loss to Mater Dei in front of 30,065 at Anaheim Stadium.

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Wrong place, wrong time, but . . . Quarterback Bobby Masters signed a letter of intent with San Jose State Wednesday although he apparently had everything stacked against him this season.

He played eight-man football for St. Margaret’s, in the nearly invisible Prep League, and the Tartans finished 2-5. Coach Brady Lock also asked Masters to play nose guard, linebacker, tailback and just about everywhere else.

Still, the Spartans found Masters and signed him, along with Woodbridge punter Jason Chapple.

But Masters, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 185-pound senior who was named Prep League MVP, isn’t the only big wheel at St. Margaret’s, a private school of 170 students in San Juan Capistrano.

Damian Raibon, one of Masters’ teammates on the basketball team, has signed a basketball letter of intent with the University of San Francisco. Raibon and Masters are the first St. Margaret’s athletes to receive Division I scholarships.

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Eight-man eye: Colorado assistant coach Brian Cabral recruited Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam when he was breaking records playing eight-man football at La Jolla Country Day High.

Cabral also recruited Santa Ana Valley’s Dwayne Cherrington. He helped persuade Coach Rick Neuheisel to sign the 5-10, 185-pound running back although Santa Ana Valley went 11-18-1 and missed the playoffs the past three seasons.

Cherrington rushed for nearly 3,300 yards in his career and was a three-time All-Century League selection, Orloff said.

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Pair of ducks: Oregon’s trip to the Rose Bowl this season helped the Ducks land Rancho Alamitos’ Chris Young and Beckett, keeping its Orange County pipeline open.

Young, a 6-0, 190-pound running back who was a first-team Times all-county selection, rushed for 1,645 yards and scored 22 touchdowns this season. Beckett, 6-5 and 305 pounds, was a first-team All-Sea View League selection.

Last season, Oregon Coach Rich Brooks enticed four county players, including all-county linebacker Ryan Klaasen of San Clemente, to sign with the Ducks. Oregon’s quarterback in the Rose Bowl, Danny O’Neil, started at Mater Dei in 1988-89.

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Transfer man: Quarterback Pat Wood (5-10, 170) from Saddleback College and Laguna Beach High signed with Northeastern, a Division I-AA school.

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Not just football: The signing period for women’s volleyball, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and water polo begins Feb. 8 and continues through Aug. 1.

The late signing period for all sports begins April 12 and runs through May 15 for men’s and women’s basketball and through Aug. 1 for all other sports.

Related stories, Page C10

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Local High School Signings

FOOTBALL

Player School Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Josh Beckett Santa Margarita OL 6-5 305 Jason Chapple Woodbridge P 6-1 170 D. Cherrington Santa Ana Valley RB 5-10 185 Kareem Clark Esperanza DB 5-9 162 Kris Farris Santa Margarita OL 6-8 270 Dahrin Footman Esperanza RB 5-8 185 Jason Grain Sonora OL 6-5 270 Anton Hector Esperanza DB 6-1 172 Damon Houston Los Alamitos DB 5-9 170 Bobby Masters St. Margaret’s QB 6-3 1/2 185 Dan McDonough Newport Harbor LB 6-1 210 Brendan McGraw Laguna Hills RB 6-1 190 Brad Melsby Los Alamitos WR 6-1 183 Matt Motherway Mater Dei OL 6-4 264 Jason Purvis Capistrano Valley DL 6-5 220 Brett Samperi San Clemente OL 6-4 270 Patrick Shinnefield Mater Dei K 6-2 183 Chris Young Rancho Alamitos RB 6-0 190

Player College Josh Beckett Oregon Jason Chapple San Jose State D. Cherrington Colorado Kareem Clark Arizona State Kris Farris UCLA Dahrin Footman Nevada Las Vegas Jason Grain USC Anton Hector Texas Damon Houston Eastern Washington Bobby Masters San Jose State Dan McDonough St. Mary’s (Calif.) Brendan McGraw Villanova Brad Melsby UCLA Matt Motherway Stanford Jason Purvis New Mexico Brett Samperi USC Patrick Shinnefield Stanford Chris Young Oregon