The 2010 season marks the 50th anniversary of Southwestern College. During that time, the school’s football team has placed more than 350 student-athletes at universities and colleges across the country.
“Over the last three seasons, we have placed 52 players from the PAC 10 to small NAIA colleges all over America,” Jaguars head coach Ed Carberry said.
Southwestern finished 4-6 overall last season, 3-4 in the Southern California Football Association’s American-Mountain Conference. The Jaguars, as conference co-champions in 2008, met Pasadena City College in the TFS Bowl at Santa Barbara City College.
The upcoming season should be an exciting one for the Jags, according to Carberry.
The team’s offense once again will be a spread, no huddle style that emphasizes throwing the ball and running the option, Carberry said.
SWC’s top returners are headed by preseason All-American running back Aaron Harris (Granite Hills), the school’s all-time rushing leader, and first team all-conference offensive tackle Marcus Clements (Willingboro, N.J.).
Harris rushed for 1,169 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in 2009.
Another returning starter, Derold Walls (Otay Ranch), has moved to right tackle from left guard for the 2010 season. Carberry said starting left tackle Mark Pouvave (Monte Vista) and left guard Frankie Kacinta (Steele Canyon) will buttress the left side of the line.
Freshman tight end Miguel Hodges (Castle Park) presents a big target at 6-5, 240 pounds, the SWC coach noted.
The Jags should also get production out of the wide receiver positions. Carberry said that Rob Jones (Barstow) has stepped into a starting role as the team’s left wide receiver while Andrew Grimes (Bonita Vista) has bounced back from San Diego State to earn a spot at the slot position.
Cassy White (San Diego) will serve as the team’s nickel wide receiver who also will see action at the slot, wide receiver and running back positions.
The signal-calling chores appear to be divided between a pair of recent Metro Conference standouts: Olympian’s Ryan Van Nostrand and Chula Vista’s Victor Perez.
A three-year varsity high school starter, Van Nostrand has the lead at this position in the preseason, but Carberry noted that fellow freshman Perez “is in hot pursuit.”
The Southwestern defense is a base 4-3 front led by a strong linebacker core, according to the Jags coach.
The starting group includes returning starter Eric Gilbert (Steele Canyon). Freshman Thomas Tutogi (Chula Vista) and Ramsey Iapala (Sweetwater).
Gilbert will open the season at the weakside outside linebacker position, Carberry said.
“Gilbert has the experience, Tutogi the quickness and instincts and Iapala the speed and strength (405-pound bench press),” the SWC coach said.
The Jags secondary is led by freshman cornerback Nick Floyd (Grossmont and freshman safety Tyrone Richardson (Chula Vista).
Carberry said Richardson broke the school’s 40-yard dash record with a 4.25 time this summer.
Up front, returning starter Berkley Lutu (American Samoa) has moved from linebacker to defensive end where Carberry said his size, speed and quickness have helped him make the transition. Also up front slated as starters are Aaron Lozano (Olympian) and Aaron Lazaro (Otay Ranch).
Carberry said Perez, who averaged 45 yards per punt in high school, is the leader in the preseason as the team’s punter. There is a battle for the starting place-kicking position between Chris Navarro (Eastlake) and Chance House (Grossmont).
Chester Radoc (Eastlake) is the team’s long snapper while freshman quarterback Josh McCoy (Hawthorne, Fla.), White and Richardson are the front-runners for the kick-return positions.
The state budget crisis has forced a major realignment of California’s Southern California-based JC programs, with a three-tier conference alignment resulting.
The Jaguars have been paced in the Central East (Tier 2) Conference alongside Riverside, College of the Desert, Orange Coast, Santa Ana and Golden West. However, the state office has preserved geographical rivalries for non-league games. Thus, SWC will face Palomar and Grossmont colleges (both Tier 1 National Southern Conference members) and San Diego Mesa (Tier 3 American Pacific Conference) in non-conference match-ups this season.
The Jaguars also will face Mt. San Jacinto and San Bernardino Valley (both in the revamped Tier 3 American Mountain Conference) in non-conference games.
Southwestern kicks off the 2010 season with a Sept. 4 contest against Palomar College at Escondido High School and hosts Grossmont College in their home opener on Sept. 18.
Palomar defeated Cerritos, 31-17, to win last year’s National Bowl at Cerritos College while Grossmont tamed El Camino, 27-22, to capture he Beach Bowl at El Camino College.
Southwestern College
2010 Football Schedule
September
4: Southwestern vs. Palomar (at Escondido High School), 6 p.m.
11: Southwestern at San Diego Mesa, 6 p.m.
18: Grossmont at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
25: Bye
October
2: Southwestern at Mt. San Jacinto (at Vista Murrieta High School), 6 p.m.
9: San Bernardino Valley at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
16: College of the Desert at Southwestern College, 6 p.m.
23: Southwestern at Orange Coast, 7 p.m.
30: Golden West at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
November
6: Southwestern at Santa Ana, 1 p.m.
13: Riverside at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
Note: home games at DeVore Stadium
Web site:www. swccd.edu
