The Southwestern College Jaguars begin their second season in the Southern California Football Association’s National Division and the 13th year overall under the guidance of head coach Ed Carberry when they travel to engage crosstown rival San Diego Mesa in a non-conference match-up on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Expect a lot of changes this season, which is customary at the community college level.
Also expect some pleasant surprises.
“Player-by-player we’re better than we’ve been the last two years, better than last year for sure,” Carberry said following the Jags’ spirited on-campus scrimmage against L.A. Pierce College on Aug. 28.
“On defense, we’re really physical, we’re really big in size. We have two or three defensive tackles who are in the 6-4, 330-pound range.”
Local high school football fans will be pleased to see two very familiar faces on the SWC roster: middle linebacker Josh McCurty (Eastlake) and quarterback Puka Stewart (Otay Ranch).
Carberry is high on both players so far in training camp.
“McCurty was the No. 1 defender in San Diego County (preps) — he’s a big addition for us, an exciting player, a dominant player,” the Jags head coach said. “He does everything for us.”
McCurty said he likes his new surroundings.
“It’s like an all-star team here,” the first team defensive All-CIF honoree said. “I like it. I’m excited. I’m very confident of my team. I’m amazed at the talent level in junior college. There are some dogs out here.
“The pace is a lot faster. I’ve got to hit the holes faster and not engage with the linemen like I did in high school.”
First and 10
Southwestern finished 8-3 last season, including a cliff-hanging 28-24 victory over county rival Palomar College in the teams’ postseason Beach Bowl match-up at DeVore Stadium.
The Jaguars finished 5-0 in regular season non-conference games and 2-3 in conference games.
Mesa, which finished 4-6 last season, is led by new head coach Gary Watkins.
Watkins was the interim head coach in 2018 and earned the job this past season.
Offense
There are a lot of personnel changes for 2019 with many players moving on to four-year universities, Carberry noted.
Returning running back DeAndre Daniels (St. Augustine) rushed for 1,010 yards last season and scored 10 touchdowns.
A key addition will be freshman running back Keylan Chapman from Desoto High School in Texas, who is a bounce-back from the University of Oregon.
“Kevlan puts more speed and size into the mix,” Carberry said.
Six quarterbacks are in camp and the quality seems to be an upgrade from recent years. Five saw action during the scrimmage, including Stewart, who passed for 1,314 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 715 yards and scored five rushing TDs last season as a top offensive weapon for the Mustangs.
The Jaguars also have a quarterback in camp — Cary Enos from Duncan, S.C. — who stands 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
Also among the cast of signal-callers are Brad Jeremiah (Christian), Josh Owen (Waco, Texas) and Nico Mendoza (Olympian).
“We’ve had more of a running-type quarterback the last two years,” Carberry said. “This year we have receivers to complement the passing game.
Both the quarterbacks and running backs will benefit from a physically large offensive line.
Giant Flavio Gonzales from Casa Grande High School in Pueblo, Ariz., stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds.
Sophomore wide receiver Paul Thompson (Olympian) will be a key player in the passing game.
Defense
The SWC defense starts the season having to replace nine starters from 2018.
First team all-league defensive tackle Andrew Schassa (Lincoln) returns to shore up the inside. In the secondary returning starter Isaac Wright (St. Augustine) has hit the weights hard and brings a physical aspect to his game, Carberry noted.
The base defense for Southwestern is a 4-2-5 front that uses a multiple secondary coverage. Carberry believes McCurty can be a dominant player at the middle linebacker position.
Special teams
The kicking team has the speed and size for coverage and returns, the SWC coach assessed. Akeer Franklin is one to watch on rerturns.
Local place-kicker D.J. Del Fiero (Eastlake) and punters Cesar Macias (Mar Vista) and Justin McElligott (Granite Hills) all looked strong in camp.
SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE 2019 SCHEDULE
September
7: Southwestern at San Diego Mesa, 6 p.m.
14: Palomar at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
21: Southwestern at Victor Valley, 6 p.m.
28: Southwestern at Fullerton, 7 p.m.
October
5: East Los Angeles at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
19: Southwestern at Saddleback (Mission Viejo HS), 6 p.m.
26: Grossmont at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
November
2: Riverside at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
9: Southwestern at Golden West, 1 p.m.
16: Orange Coast at Southwestern, 6 p.m.
