Support Local Journalism When Bob asked me if I would take over, I had no intention of being the head coach, Backstrom said. Smith, a senior who also is El Modenas leading rusher, on Thursday rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Hell admit that, by all rights, his team should not have had a remote hope of winning the game. Next week, El Modena takes on Villa Park while San Juan Hills plays at Tesoro. We hadnt beaten them since 2007.. Of course, youd like to tweak a play here and try to figure out how you couldve won it, but youve got to give the other team a lot of credit for winning it. And he wouldnt wish the experience on anyone. "We worked. The charges Snitzler is facing could result in a more than 10-year prison sentence, according to Rackauckas. (Gibbons said his removal stemmed from incidents during a San Luis Obispo baseball tournament last spring in which three Ocean View players were suspended for violating team rules). In football or economic terms, those fans got a colossal bargain. He compiles the Hot 150 list of football players to watch in Orange County before each season. @dhhs_athletics pic.twitter.com/dsg4t9Eerl. Other coaches surely envy his staff, which includes 20-year assistants Glenn Lukenbill and Bob Radford, 18-year assistant Dale Arambel, 12-year assistants Pete Parker and Bill Backstrom, and 5-year assistant Al Clinton. Athletics - El Modena High School El Modena High School Athletic Director: Ed Drzanek EMHS Athletics Showcase Message EMHS Athletics Showcase Message Loading. Steve Clark is the tight ends coach for BYU, while son Jamison is a member of the Utah Tech football staff. Under those circumstances, I accepted. Lester, who had been the coach since the school opened in 1966, won three Southern Section titles in that time and lost two others in overtime. El Modena football makes statement by sprinting past San Juan Hills Zach is a multiple California Journalism Award winner and has covered sports in Orange County since 2013. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer). Yet, some witnesses still claim that it was the most exciting game they had ever seen. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability. A strong Vanguard team in 1978 had lost its only game of the season to Edison. Kelly Bills - Football Coach - Utah Tech University Athletics Back then the CIF-SS divisions were still geographic and league-based, and the Dolphins played in the tough Pac-5 Division. I dont like to lose, and it gets to the point where you tend to dwell on the negative. November 5, 2021 12:21AM . Dana Hills offense got stuck thanks to a physical El Modena pass rush, which forced holding calls against the Dolphins and long down-and-distances late. But Rush, who had been an assistant to Crow for 10 years, said the pressure was minimal, if any. Before the 1985 season began, Bob Lester, El Modena High School football coach, promised himself that this would be a kick-back kind of year--that he wasnt going to get too excited on Friday nights, and that he wasnt going to lose any sleep worrying about what play to call on third and short. Edison running back Kaleaph Carter is among Southern Californias most promising sophomores, but he will run into difficulty against fine Vanguard linemen Don Gibson (6-3, 255) and Allen Ennis (6-1, 220), as well as linebackers Ross Bauer, Joe Scagliotti and Pepe Jezek. by Dana Point Times. Youre going to be bummed out. It was this kind of stress that Lester acknowledged as the main reason he decided to resign Tuesday, after compiling a 157-58-8 record and winning three Southern Conference championships in two decades at the school. In nine years, Cuccias teams won seven Olympic League championships, compiled a 180-49 overall record and reached the Southern Section final three times. El Modena Varsity Football Roster | Blast Athletics I just knew they favored Bill to come back.. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer), El Modena running back Owen Smith tries to get by Villa Park cornerback Mark Meagher for more yardage in a non-league football game in Orange on Thursday, September 29, 2022. . (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer), El Modena wide receiver Blake Armstrong, left, celebrates his touchdown against San Juan Hills with wide receiver Sam Astor (11) in a non-league football game in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, September 23, 2022. The Vanguard disaster occurred early in the second quarter. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability. Blake Califf kicked a 39-yard field goal to put the Spartans on top 3-0 midway through the first quarter. Prep Wednesday : Coaches Who Replace Living Legends Can Find Themselves Why did two drives stall? Im tired of that.. 15 in this weeks county rankings, have played a challenging schedule. Why did we give up 129 yards? By 2017, the El Modena football program was . (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer), The San Juan Hills dance team gives a preview of the halftime show before the start of the game against El Modena in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, September 23, 2022. Both touchdowns were thrown to senior Omarjaye Black for 68 yards and 19 yards. Dan's passion for water sports has earned him the nickname, Aqua Dan, in the newsroom and taken him to multiple U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and many USA water polo events as a reporter. 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Guess moved around and outside of the pocket before throwing to the open Astor at the back of the end zone for a 7-3 lead with 5:39 to go in the second quarter. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 2000-2002 Varsity assistant coach at La Quinta with Guy Gardner. Its a good thing though weve had more Ws than Ls, he said. Kelly Bills is in his second season as Dixie State's offensive coordinator. High School Sports. As the fog descended upon Fred Kelly Stadium, Dana Hills went blow-for-blow against a physical and tested El Modena squad. Dana Hills (8-3) broke through some barriers for the program this season. If you lost here, it wouldnt be accepted. Lester had a kind of empty feeling. The Vanguards back-up quarterback, Rick Ledesma, had never thrown a pass in a varsity game. Los Angeles, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78. . OCDA alleges that he initiated the 10-hour standoff with police while armed in . Varsity Football Chris Dunham Oct 7 Coach Mitchell giving the refs a pregame pep talk!! Gardening Stuff & Plant cuttings Exchange Feb 11th Irvine Great Park.]. Varsity assistant at Orange HS 1 year with Dick Hill 1997. Dana Hills Football Pushes to Overtime at El Modena, Falls in First CIF Shoutout to Coach Mitchell for presenting and sharing his insights at the 2023 Los Angeles Football Coaching Clinic! He turned a program that once had problems having a winning season into a program that was a big winner. He specializes in football and all the aquatics but covers many different sports. Black caught three passes for 84 yards. Coming into this program when we did, in four years, to say that we flipped around a program, I cant really put words to that.. Kelly finds Black on a screen, Black finds blockers and sprints 68 yards to the end zone. Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. 13 in the Orange County Top 25. I was in way over my head. @dhhs_athletics @tonyhenney pic.twitter.com/EkBPyGIPnA, South OC Sports (@SouthOCsports) November 5, 2021, I thought we fought like a team that belonged, Dana Hills coach Tony Henney said. It was like we had to battle to get respect from other teams. Senior Hayden Dendiu made his second of two huge defensive stops to break up an El Modena pass on fourth down in the final minute of regulation. The Vanguards Mayson Hitchens had two catches for 44 yards, one of them a reception of a short pass over the middle that he turned into a 38-yard gain by bowling over three defenders. El Modena football overpowers El Dorado to stay undefeated The Vanguards finished with 209 yards rushing mostly behind left tackle Grant Walker, left guard Roman Lira, center Anthony Lopez, right guard Michael Anaya and Washington-committed right tackle Elishah Jackett. Coach is willing to travel up to 50 miles, Qualified Private Coach At Whittier Christian, basketball Coach Bob Brown replaced Bill Cuccia last year after Cuccia resigned. In his first season, Henney got this Dolphins' program to set its sights higher and showed that it belonged . I am married with 3 children & 1 grandchild. El Modena also lost two championship games in overtime, the first in 1980 to Lynwood (14-13), and the second in 1981 to Foothill (21-14). In other words, dont go out and mess up a good program.. Going forward, this Dolphin team may have changed the path of the Dana Hills football program. There was pain, and it was just kind of flopping around. El Modena's players approached it differently. With the final seconds ticking down in the half, El Modena connected a swing pass that looked destined for the end zone, but Dendiu stonewalled the Vanguard receiver at the 1-yard line. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer), El Modena wide receiver Blake Armstrong signals a touchdown along with the referee after scoring on a pass play against San Juan Hills in a non-league football game in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, September 23, 2022. After spending 11 years as his assistant, Bill Backstrom replaced Bob Lester as El Modena football coach in 1985. Sign In School Page; Team Page Schedule Roster Videos/Photos . Frasco attended Weber State for a year before transferring to Santa Ana College and then on to San Jose State. CLICK HERE FOR THE EL MODENA FOOTBALL BLAST PAGE. Hes had such a good thing going with the parents and the players, its tough to see him leave.. Quarterback Michael Tollefson powered the drive with his running and finished with 63 yards on the ground. Today, some of the Vanguards are college students, such as the Rozsa triplets, who attend UCLA. The Vanguards stuck to the ground and rushed in a five-yard touchdown to take the game, 23-20. 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(Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer), Villa Park wide receiver Josh Wilcox is hit by El Modenas Brodie Hitchens forcing a fumble that Wilcox is able to recover in a non-league football game in Orange on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Steve was honored as Champion for Character by the CIF-Southern Section. Advertising @bokellyy @omarjayeblack1, Dana Hills leads El Modena, 7-3, 6:37 1Q, CIF-SS D5. The Vanguards went to their ground game to toil through a 14-play, 91-yard, seven-minute drive to retake the lead, 10-7, in the second quarter, but not for long.