COC OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO REFORM.

The very nature of junior college football, a bastion for unwanted or unacceptable players who simply can't fit in elsewhere, makes the coach's job an intriguing hybrid of one part field general and two parts mentor.

``At most of our meetings, we don't even talk about football. We talk about what it takes to become men, and what it takes to succeed - that's what's really important,'' said College of the Canyons coach Chuck Lyon, a longtime veteran of the JC ranks. ``I've found my lot in life. This is why I do it. Football is just a vehicle. For a lot of these kids, this is their last chance, and football is what motivates them.''

College of the Canyons' team is filled with second-chancers, and many are making the most of perhaps their final opportunity to prove themselves - not just as athletes but as students, and as citizens.

Brandon Fuselier, a linebacker from Valencia High, is a prime example. Never in doubt was Fuselier's ability as a player, as he had nearly 20 sacks as a defensive lineman during his senior season in high school. Colleges such as UCLA and USC would have loved to have him, but he didn't meet NCAA academic qualifications.

After a year gray-shirting at College of the Canyons last season - not merely to refine his football skills to put his academics in order - Fuselier finally is coming around. He led the team with 11 tackles in a victory over Santa Barbara last week.

Has Fuselier's road been smooth? Not always. Two games earlier, he was suspended for disciplinary reasons.

There are others. Lots of them. The Stanley brothers, Terrell and Bobby, both starred at San Fernando High - Terrell at receiver and Bobby and running back - both neither qualified academically. Both have had their stops and starts at College of the Canyons, too, as Terrell has returned after a two-year break, and Bobby quit the team after a gray-shirt season last year before returning prior to this year's season opener.

They're doing great this season, and both eventually could find their way to four-year colleges on scholarship.

Another is running back Marcus Crawford. He quit school after football season during his senior year at Newbury Park, and problems have followed him since. But he's been given a clean slate at College of the Canyons and is excelling. He now looks like a Division I prospect.

``I like to use the analogy `the leaf is turning green,' '' Lyon said. ``It's about maturity and getting ready to grow. A lot of these players, after they've sat out a couple of years, they finally figure things out. My job doesn't depend on wins and losses. I gauge my success on if I can make them better persons. All I want to do is go to sleep at night believing I made one kid a better person.''

--Mike Reeves, a Canyon High junior who started the football season as a reserve linebacker, has found a home at defensive end, an important development since the defensive line has been gutted because of injuries to Derek Smith (hand) and Kevin Barto (leg).

``It was just a matter of finding Mike the right position. In the beginning, the fact he wasn't in the plans was more our fault than his fault,'' Canyon coach Harry Welch said. ``He's 5-10 and about 188 pounds, but he's a really hard hitter. He's a strong kid, too. He bench presses 300 pounds.''

--New Canyon High girls' soccer coach Lisa Rollo has ambitious aspirations, hoping to carry the region's annual powerhouse to the next level - a section championship.

Annually among the state's highest-rated programs, Canyon has suffered disappointing playoff losses the past two seasons, including a defeat by Westlake in last year's Div. II final.

Rollo, 23, has 15 players back from a team that went 23-2 in 2002, including standouts Nini Loucks, Jenna Shay and Kearsten Leggett. She has planned a rigorous schedule, which includes 10 matches during the first 14 days of the season against the best opponents available. Among the showdowns are early matches with Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Quartz Hill and Highland of Palmdale.