JAGUARS ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY FULTON PREP MAKING ITS NAME IN 8-MAN.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Staff Writer

Fulton Prep of Van Nuys, a first-year football program that lost its opening game by 54points, has made quite a recovery. The Jaguars (5-1) have won five in a row since that disastrous debut, and with three games remaining in the regular season they're a favorite to win the inaugural City Section eight-man championship.

A week ago, Fulton Prep made a huge statement by defeating reigning Southern Section eight-man champion View Park Prep of L.A., 14-8. The Jaguars, who play at 10 a.m. Saturday against visiting New Designs of L.A., need one more victory to guarantee a top-two seed and a first-round bye in the six-team playoffs.

Head coach Sean Jackson, 39, a former Chaminade of West Hills and Calabasas assistant, has just two players on the roster who've ever played football, but he has demanded the same level of commitment and hard work he experienced at Chaminade, a top large-school program.

"I can't even repeat what I told those kids on the bus after that first game," Jackson said. "Let's just say they know now that this isn't a democracy, it's a dictatorship, and we're going to do things my way."

In the week preceding that first loss, Fulton Prep was forced to cancel its opening scrimmage at Military Institute in Palm Springs because the temperature reached 110 degrees. The inexperienced Jaguars committed more than 20penalties in the opening loss at Dunn, but the kids have grown up since.

Joaquin Briceno, who like most of Fulton Prep's players still is learning the game, has rushed for 627 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. Freshman quarterback/linebacker Otis Coleman has passed for 467 yards and rushed for 537 yards, and he leads the team with 110 tackles. And receiver Julio Perez has 37 receptions and 12 touchdowns.

"I played a little baseball, but everyone always kept telling me to play football, so I figured I'd give it a shot," Briceno said.

Coleman is one of the few with experience, having played youth football in Chicago before moving to the San Fernando Valley.

"Otis is going to be something special," Jackson said. "He's got a lot of potential, and he hits like a ton of bricks. It's crazy. He'll be running, and I'll tell him to run to the sidelines out of bounds, but he wants to run people over instead."

Jackson, athletic director Larry Potell and principal Robert Garcia said they petitioned the Southern Section to extend the season by allowing the City champion to play the Southern Section champion, but the request was denied.

Sports are a major priority at the school, said Garcia, a former all- league linebacker at San Fernando High who returned to coach two seasons for the Tigers as defensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996.

Garcia backs Jackson 100 percent.

"Sean is everything we wanted in a coach," Garcia said. "What I like most about him is he's a true teacher of the game. A great coach has to be a great teacher. In preparing to be champion, there is a lot of crossover into everyday life."

The team has learned a key lesson about not giving up no matter how bleak things look.

The other local teams playing City eight-man football are Discovery Prep of Pacoima (3-4, 3-2) and first-year program Sherman Oaks CES (3-4, 1-3).

But it's Fulton Prep with an inside track to the title, and that would be quite an accomplishment for the little team that could.

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Q&A WITH CRESPI RUNNING BACK AUSTIN SHANKS

DAILY NEWS: Crespi is off to a 6-1 start. How do you feel about the team?

AUSTIN SHANKS: Things are good. We still need to get better and improve every week. If we play like we did against St. Bonaventure, we should be good.

DN: Is it fair to say to say you played a great game against St. Bonaventure?

AS: All of us did as a team. We all did our job, and when you do that, a lot of good things come out of it.

DN: The Serra League season finally begins tonight. Your first game was in August, so it's been a long preseason, wouldn't you say?

AS: Yeah, it's long, but it's the same as last year, so it's all right. It's not a big change. I haven't really thought it about it much because we've just been trying to get better for our league games, take things one game at a time.

DN: They're working on your field this year, so your home games have been at Pierce College. How's that working out?

AS: Well, Pierce isn't as good as our place because our place has more of a Crespi feel to it. You don't feel as at home, but Pierce is all right. It's just not as good as playing at Crespi.

DN: You're 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds -- not exactly the size of Malcolm Jones, know what I mean?

AS: No, I'm not that big, but I use my speed and ability and God-given talent. I use what I have as an advantage. At my height, the other team can't see me as well. I try not to take too many hits, but if I have to get a first down, I'll do it.

DN: You finished fifth in the state in the 200 meters last spring. What's it feel like to be so fast?

AS: It feels good because you can't coach it. It's a way to make up for being shorter or not having as much size.

DN: Can anyone catch you from behind?

AS: I don't think so. Once I break away, I don't think anyone is going to catch me.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, 8 boxes

Photo:

(1) Fulton Prep coach Sean Jackson, right, has a lot of teaching to do with, from left, running back Joaquin Briceno, quarterback/linebacker Otis Coleman and receiver Julio Perez.

(2) Crespi's Austin Shanks is averaging 6.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

(3) no caption (Ricardo Marmolejo)

(4) KEVIN RAMAY

(5) CHRISTOPHER POTTER

Box:

(1) TOP 20 TEAMS

(2) SOUTHERN SECTION RANKINGS

(3) Q&A (see text)

(4) THE BIG MATCHUP

(5) PEERLESS PROGNOSTICATION

(6) JOIN THE DAILY NEWS TEAM

(7) PLAY OF THE WEEK

(8) LEAGUE UPDATES