The Dons went 0-10, the first 0-fer season in the school's long and storied history. Construction problems reduced the weight room — a life force for football — to a virtual closet. And then it really got bad. A group of players and their parents accused head coach Craig Moropoulos and some of his assistants of being physically and verbally abusive, charges that led to an investigation by the school district and a general public bloodletting. But one of the great things about high school sports is the fresh renewal that comes with every new season. The coaching staff survived the investigation, the school completed a state-of-the-art weight room and the Dons' football team emerged with a positive new attitude. "Last season is old history," said junior quarterback Kevin Dunn, who took his share of lumps playing behind an inexperienced line. "We're starting fresh; turn the page. The attitude is totally different this year and there's a huge difference from where we were last year at this time." Moreover, said Moropoulos, last season was not a complete disaster.
"There were a lot of positives," he said. "Kevin developed at quarterback. The kids played hard through the last game. Our young line got a lot of experience. All that translated into a good off-season." Moropoulos built on the positives with a Friday night retreat near the end of the summer. Players camped in tents on the field and engaged in various team-building exercises — including a motivational personal message delivered by video from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia (Moropoulos was his position coach in college). Still, said Moropoulos, he doesn't want his players to completely forget the pain of last season. "We have the players touch a sign with 0-10 on it every day when we come out of the weight room," he said. OFFENSE Quarterback: Dunn (6-4, 207) completed 88 of 206 passes for 915 yards and 4 TDs. He's added 20 pounds of muscle and a lot more confidence after a full year running the offense, noted Moropoulos. Behind him is one of the school's best young athletes, Reid Lathan, a left-handed sophomore who started at safety at the end of last year. Back: Lathan (5-11, 160) will be a slot receiver who runs and catches the ball and Moropoulos said he could prove to be the playmaker the Dons lacked last year. Johnny Hodge returns after running for 157 yards last season. Bryson Pintard and Donte Starr have been working out at fullback. Receiver: The go-to receiver will be Chris Palmer. "He was our leader all summer and he excelled in passing league," said Moropoulos. Junior Nick Martin and Andreas Martinez are also in the mix. Junior Todd Kingston (6-2, 200) and sophomore Bruce Bramel (6-1, 210) each showed good pass-catching skills as tight ends in the summer. "That was a dimension we lacked," said Moropoulos. Line: All five players started all or some of last year. The leader is Alan Vior (5-9, 235) but Moropoulos said Dorian Blancarte (5-8, 205), John Diaz (5-11, 280), Steve Clark (6-0, 314) and Brian Peddicord (5-9, 180) are all "much stronger" from work in the new weight room and more polished after a year of playing together as a unit. "In all of our summer practices, they have made only four mistakes," said Moropoulos. Kicker: Soccer star Sal Ornelas takes over as both kicker and punter. DEFENSE Line: Junior Ken Ruiz (6-2, 205) and senior Sergio Garcia (5-11, 270) are at tackle. Anthony Robles (6-0, 245), a transfer from Boise, has been a "pleasant surprise" at noseguard. "We finally have some depth in our line," said Moropoulos. Linebacker: Pintard (6-1, 230) and Kingston both started at the end of the year. Bramel and Peddicord handle the ends. Backs: Palmer was one of the Dons' bright spots last year. "He has great closing speed," said Moropoulos. The other corner is junior David Burge, who started as a sophomore, while Lathan returns at safety. |
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| Bishop Diego Cardinals
• Cabrillo Conquistadores •
Carpinteria Warriors • Dos
Pueblos Chargers • Laguna Blanca
Owls |
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Coach: Craig Moropoulos (5th year, 9-33)
To
borrow a phrase from medieval Russia — and you know that can't
be a good sign — last year was the "Time of Troubles"
for Santa Barbara High football.