FLOURISHING IN OBSCURITY CANYON LINEMEN APPRECIATED BY THOSE THEY PROTECT.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer CANYON COUNTRY - They don't get the headlines like some of their Canyon High football teammates. They don't earn the gaudy statistics. And they don't get recognized at Ralphs down the street. But that's OK. Canyon's offensive linemen knew the drill when they signed up. They're more than happy to toil in obscurity because those who really understand know the team's big-name stars - quarterback Nate Longshore Nate Longshore (born June 30, 1986 in Canyon Country, California, U.S.) is an American football quarterback for the California Golden Bears. Longshore was an Elite-11 quarterback in high school and a 4-star recruit rated by Rivals.com and Scout.com."How Far ... and running back Louis Montano - couldn't do a thing without the sturdy blocking of Ryan Bremler, Jeff Briscoe, Jake Marshall, Alex Shahin and Dan Van Deventer. ``They're probably the hardest-working group on the team,'' Longshore long·shore adj. Occurring, living, or working along a seacoast. [Short for alongshore.] said. ``I would say they're actually the role models for everyone else out here. They're the biggest part of our success, and we know that. ``If I would have gotten sacked 50 times last year, there's no way I'd be ranked so high as a quarterback. That's just the way it is.'' Longshore buys the big boys doughnuts every Saturday during the season, believing it's always a good idea to keep his sacred blockers as happy as possible. ``It's our job to protect Nate Longshore and open holes for Louis Montano, so we try to block with attitude,'' said Briscoe, among the leaders of the group after earning All-Foothill League honors as a junior last season. ``Some might look at the blockers and think it isn't any fun to be an offensive lineman. But those who really know football know different. We're happy to block, believe me.'' Marshall is also a key figure after starting every game as a sophomore last season. ``I think everything is going better for us than it was last year,'' he said. ``We've got more pride than ever.'' Bremler, a junior, is a newcomer after spending a year on the JV last year. But he's also the strongest player on the team - if not in the Foothill League - with a best of 355 pounds in the bench press. He won a multiteam weightlifting competition in Ridgecrest during the summer. ``I'm just lifting harder than I ever had, and I'm eating lots of Snickers
Snickers is a sweet bar made by Mars, Incorporated. bars, pizza, anything greasy greas·y adj. greas·i·er, greas·i·est 1. Coated or soiled with grease. 2. Containing grease, especially too much grease: a greasy hamburger. 3. ,'' Bremler said. ``I like going to Don Cucos and eating burritos and carne asada
Van Deventer believes the linemen don't need any special thank yous or accolades. The victories speak for themselves. ``We just take a lot of pride being part of the whole team,'' he said. ``It's all about the team.'' Shahin is the center. He provides the starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the for a team hoping to compete for a section championship after finishing 10-2 last season, with the only losses to eventual finalists Hart and Mission Viejo Mission Vi·e·jo A community of southern California southeast of Irvine. It is mainly residential. Population: 96,300. . ``I think we'll do real well this year,'' Shahin said. ``We've worked really hard, and I think all that hard work is going to pay off.'' Gerry Gittelson, (661) 257-5218 gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com FORECAST Prime time for Cowboys to ride high Canyon has its most talented team since '80s CANYON COUNTRY - If this isn't the year Canyon High's football team finally unseats longtime Foothill League bully Hart, which has won 58 league games in a row the past 12 years, then it might not happen for a long, long time. For this group, there is no next year. This is as good as the team is going to be. Canyon's 10-2 record last season was a nice little story about a team that had blossomed from a three-win season the year before. But this latest version is Canyon's most talented team since the mid-1980s, when the Cowboys won three consecutive section titles and were widely perceived as the region's most feared team. Canyon boasts three prospects in critical positions who are among California's (if not the nation's) best players: QB Nate Longshore, LB Andrew Schantz and RB Louis Montano. The team is huge and experienced up front, and veteran coach Harry Welch (in the third year of his second stint at the school) is among the finest game coaches the region has seen. Yes indeed, it's now or never, Cowboys. The vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. showdown against Hart will be Oct. 24 (Canyon defeated Hart twice this summer at passing competitions), and every neighborhood fan of even modest curiosity has the date circled on the calendar. Longshore, a three-year starter, is 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds with the kind of natural talent and arm strength most teenage QBs can only dream about. Not only does he have a great back to hand off (and pass) to in Montano (1,439 yards, 24 receptions, 21 TDs), but Canyon also returns standout WR Sean Coen (59 catches, six TDs). Montano is built like a Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members starter at 5-9, 190 pounds. He's bulked up over three years as the team's primary ball carrier, while increasing his speed and toughness. Montano won several weightlifting contests during combines this summer, and he probably is physically stronger than most of the league's starting linemen. He's fast, too, running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, so he figures to cause defenses problems this season. Schantz, who missed the first half of last season because of an ankle injury but still earned all-league honors for the second consecutive year, is bigger, faster and stronger. He's spent the past nine months in the weight room, stepping in at 6-1 and a chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. 220 pounds. After running a 4.5 40-yard dash at a scouting scouting: see Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts. scouting Activities of various national and worldwide organizations for youth aimed at developing character, citizenship, and individual skills. Scouting began when Robert S. combine at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. this summer, Schantz's secret was out: He's ranked among the top two prep linebackers in California. There is no visible weakness on this team. The only conceivable problem is a relatively light nonleague schedule. But that just means Canyon probably will be 6-0 and brimming brim n. 1. The rim or uppermost edge of a hollow container or natural basin. 2. A projecting rim or edge: the brim of a hat. 3. A border or an edge. See Synonyms at border. with confidence when the Hart showdown finally rolls around. Oh, there is one more thing: the Hart mystique mys·tique n. An aura of heightened value, interest, or meaning surrounding something, arising from attitudes and beliefs that impute special power or mystery to it: the cowboy mystique; the mystique of existentialism. . It's a two-team race in the Foothill League, as the talent gap between the rest of league compared with Hart and Canyon has never been so marked. It's Hart and Canyon, no one else. Or perhaps Canyon and Hart. We shall see. POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN QB Three-year starter Nate Longshore is among the nation's top recruits after passing for nearly 2,100 yards and 18 TDs last year. He's a rangy rangy a term describing conformation; generally a light frame with long body and legs. 6-5, 230-pounder with a strong, accurate arm and impressive toughness. USC and UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX are among the universities recruiting him. Longshore's backup is junior Will Brogan, who impressed at the JV level in 2002. RB Louis Montano, a three-year starter, enjoyed a breakout season last year, rushing for 1,439 yards with 24 receptions and 21 TDs. He's gained muscle and is up to 5-9, 180 pounds while retaining his breakaway speed. He's probably the top RB in the Foothill League. Tyler Hawkins has come on strong as the backup, and good things are expected from him. REC Sean Coen caught 59 passes last year despite a slow start because of illness, and he's back for his third year as the team's go-to WR. The 5-10, 160-pounder has excellent hands, runs crisp routes and should expect to break some long TDs this season. Tim Nailleux had a breakout summer and is poised for a big year. TE Chachi Spann also impressed during the summer. LINE There's plenty of beef up front. Jeff Briscoe and junior Jake Marshall are returning full-time starters. Briscoe earned first-team all-Foothill League honors last year. Junior Ryan Bremler might be the strongest player in the league. He bench-presses more than 350 pounds. Omar Wicab is among the key DLs, especially now that Kevin Barto (broken leg) is out for the season. LB Returning standout Andrew Schantz is one of the top players in the state. He's ranked No. 2 at his position by Student Sports. The 6-1, 220-pounder is quick and has great instincts. Juniors Ryan Colletta and Justin Williams For the basketball player, see . Justin Williams (born 4 October, 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. should help a lot, and junior Mike Reeves was a JV standout last year. DB Coen is the team's top cover person, an important job in the pass-happy Foothill League. He's gotten significantly bigger, while retaining his speed. Few Foothill League defenders can match up with him athletically. Jeff Shalem is another key figure in the secondary. ST Barto was the punter until breaking his leg during a scrimmage last week. Drew Peterson is expected to replace him, and Longshore is also an option as a punter. Cameron White Cameron Leon White (b. August 18 1983 in Bairnsdale, Victoria) is an Australian cricketer. A powerful middle order batsman and occasional right-arm leg-spin bowler, White made his first-class cricket debut as a teenager in the 2000-01 season for the Victorian Bushrangers. will do the kicking. He should do fine because coach Harry Welch is adept at developing PKs. CANYON SCHEDULES Date Opponent Time Sept. 12 at Lancaster 7 p.m. Sept. 19 Saddleback Saddleback see Wessex saddleback. at Santa Ana Santa Ana, city, El Salvador Santa Ana (sän'tä ä`nä), city (1993 pop. 129,873), W El Salvador. It is the second largest city in the country and the commercial and processing center for a sugarcane, coffee, and cattle region. Bowl 7 p.m. Sept. 26 Etiwanda 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Highland 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Alemany 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Valencia at COC See chip on chip. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 Hart 7 p.m. Oct. 31 Burbank at Burroughs 7 p.m. Nov. 7 Burroughs 7 p.m. Nov. 14 Saugus 7 p.m. JV Date Opponent Time Sept. 12 at Lancaster 4 p.m. Sept. 18 at Saddleback 3 p.m. Sept. 25 Etiwanda 4:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Highland 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at Alemany 4 p.m. Oct. 16 Valencia at COC 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24 Hart 4 p.m. Oct. 31 Burbank at Burroughs 4 p.m. Nov. 7 Burroughs 4 p.m. Nov. 14 Saugus 4 p.m. FRESHMAN Date Opponent Time Sept. 11 Lancaster 3:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Saddleback 3 p.m. Sept. 25 at Etiwanda 3:30 p.m. Oct. 2 Highland 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 Alemany 3:30 p.m. Oct. 15 Valencia 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Hart 4 p.m. Oct. 30 Burbank 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 Burroughs 3:15 p.m. Nov. 13 Saugus 3:15 p.m. VARSITY ROSTER No. NamePos. Yr. 2 Drew Peterson DB 12 3 Ryan SmithWR 12 4 Cameron White PK 11 5 Jeff Shalem WR 11 7 Bryce Warr WR 11 8 Nate Longshore QB 12 10 Robert Jiminez WR 11 11 Kris Shirley WR 11 13 Sean Coen WR 12 16 Will Brogan QB 11 18 Sean MacNeil WR 11 19 Michael Reeves QB11 20 Brandon Alvarez RB 11 21 Louis Montano RB 12 22 Devon Gibbs RB 12 23 Nick Alvarez RB 11 24 Tim Nailleux DB 12 26 Jon Vang WR 11 27 Tyler Hawkins LB 10 28 Sean Ballek WR 12 30 Justin Williams LB 11 31 David Owen
32 Patrick Brown RB 12 33 Chris Van Leewen RB 12 34 Joe Serrano ser·ra·no n. pl. ser·ra·nos A cultivar of the tropical pepper Capsicum annuum having small, blunt, highly pungent red or green fruit used in cooking. TE 11 40 Brad McMartin RB 12 41 Jamil Abdullah TE 12 42 Ryan Colletta LB 11 43Andrew Schantz LB 12 44 Derek Smith Derek Smith can refer to any of the following people
50 Devin Harden hard·en v. hard·ened, hard·en·ing, hard·ens v.tr. 1. To make hard or harder. 2. To enable to withstand physical or mental hardship. 3. LINE 11 51 Jake Marshall LINE 11 52 Peter Haddad LINE 12 53 Michael Brown Michael or Mike Brown may refer to: In politics:
54 Daniel Van Deventer LINE 12 55 Ryan Conlon LINE 11 56 Garrett Leary LINE 10 60 Alex Shahin LINE 11 61 Steven Quigley LINE 11 62 Kyle Jellings LINE 12 63 Raymond Heredia LINE 11 64 Billy Hartman LINE 11 65 Seth Thygesen LINE 11 66 Dan Ford LINE 12 67 Justin Reiner LINE 11 68 Jimmy Zacharia LINE 11 70 Jeff Briscoe LINE 12 73 Omar Wicab LINE 11 78 Ryan Bremler LINE 11 80 Chachi Spann TE 12 81 Jake Arbruster TE 11 82 Kevin Barto TE/K 12 MISC MISC Miscellaneous MISC Miscellany MISC Miscarriage MISC Malaysia International Shipping Corporation MISC Maui Invasive Species Committee MISC Minimum Instruction Set Computing MiSC Microsoft Software Center (Indonesia) . RUN AT RECORDS Quarterback Nate Longshore and running back Louis Montano will shoot for various single-season school records this year, especially if Canyon can advance deep into the playoffs and play as many games as possible. Here is a list of single-season school records, and how close Longshore and Montano were last season: RUSHING YARDS 1,572, Ed Williams, 1991 1,439, Montano, 2002 TOUCHDOWNS 24, Chris Perry Chris Perry is the name of:
21, Montano, 2002 PASSING YARDS 2,816, Ken Sollom, 1986 2,096, Longshore, 2002 TOUCHDOWNS 29, Sollom, 1986 18, Longshore, 2002 ATTEMPTS 292, Sollom, 1986 289, Longshore, 2002 COMPLETIONS 164, Sollom, 1986 151, Longshore, 2002 PERCENTAGE .587, Rick Burton, 1983 .522, Longshore, 2002 2002 RECORD Overall: 10-2 Foothill: 4-1 Playoffs: Lost in Div. II quarterfinals GAME LOG 24 Lancaster 10 48 Saddleback 0 28 Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. 27 23 Highland 20 41 Alemany 6 20 Valencia 14 9 Hart 35 60 Burbank 20 34 Burroughs 0 34 Saugus 25 24 Etiwanda 7 14 Mission Viejo 48 CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 5 boxes Photo: (1) Offensive linemen, from left, Dan Van Deventer, Jake Marshall, Alex Shahin, Ryan Bremler and Jeff Briscoe, should help Canyon High have its best team in years after losing only to Southern Section Div. II finalists Hart and Mission Viejo last year. David Crane/Staff Photographer (2) QB Nate Longshore led Canyon over Hart twice at summer passing tournaments. The Cowboys' showdown with the Indians is Oct. 24. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer Box: (1) POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN (see text) (2) CANYON SCHEDULES (see text) (3) VARSITY ROSTER (see text) (4) MISC. (see text) (5) 2002 (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion