SBCC’s football team has loads of talent in the offensive and defensive backfields but there’s a lot of new faces in the trenches.
“Our offensive line is a group of hard-working, committed workers who are getting better every day,” said third-year coach Craig Moropoulos. “They’re young and they’re making adjustments to the speed of the game each practice. We’re hopeful that they will continue to improve as we go on throughout the season.”
When asked about the top returners, Moropoulos reeled off five defensive players — Lamont Dupree, Nate Bailey, Matt Racowschi, Aeyrus Holloway and lineman Osvaldo Donato Castorena. Dupree, who plays free safety, had a team-high four interceptions and 53 tackles while Racowschi was third in tackles with 64.
John Uribe, a freshman from Santa Barbara High, will start at quarterback after his record-breaking 2008 season. He set County standards with 41 TDs, 4,124 passing yards and a 65-percent completion rate. His main targets will be Oscar Medina, last year’s top Vaquero receiver with 28 catches for 443 yards and three TDs, speedster Jakharie Murphy and ex-Bishop Diego High standout Art Gonzalez.
Murphy, the top punt returner in Southern Cal last season with a 23.7-yard average, was a second-team All-American Pacific Conference choice along with Medina and fullback Tristan Carter.
The Vaqueros will open on Saturday at Hancock with kickoff set for 6 p.m. at Righetti High. They’ll play their next two at home against powerhouses Canyons and Ventura on Sept. 12 and 19, respectively. Santa Barbara lost to Hancock 14-10 last year when a last-minute drive stalled on the 7-yard line.
Uribe has already experienced success at La Playa Stadium, earning MVP honors in the County All-Star game after a four-touchdown, 354-yard performance. Two of his TD tosses went to Gonzalez.
“Johnny’s been very coachable and we’re happy to have him,” said Moropoulos, who’s starting his 25th year as a college coach. “He’s coming into a system that values defense and he’s learning run checks and pass checks. It’s not just about throwing to fast guys outside.
“We’ve got to run the football but he’s shown a real good feel for the game and it’s getting better every day.”
Carter will play fullback and share time at tailback with Robyn Lawson (218 yards, 5 TDs). Redshirt Cameron Humphrey has also looked solid at fullback. Moropoulos said freshmen Rick Aversano (6-3, 280) and Chris Anderson (6-4, 277) are doing a good job in the line, along with Moses Martinez (5-10, 285) of Dos Pueblos and quick guard Steve Arciniega (6-1, 260). The starting tight end will be Jason Linman.
On defense, Castorena and Brandon Peters will anchor the line, along with Juan Figueroa from Santa Barbara High. Freshman Joel Boucher is slated for an end spot with Cameron Hines and Charlie Thomas at inside backer and Racowschi on the outside. Dupree will man the free safety spot with Holloway and Bailey on the corners. Freshman Robert Aills and SBHS product Ralph Padilla are also expected to see time in the defensive backfield.
“We’re better in the secondary than we’ve been,” noted Moropoulos.
A pair of ex-Dos Pueblos High players, Julio Romero and Jeremy Waxman, will handle the punting and kicking, respectively. Murphy and Dupree will return kickoffs, along with Freddie Maldonado of SBHS.
Moropoulos said it’s tough to tell how his team will do, especially with three difficult games right off the bat.
“You have young guys and it’s tough to get a positive feeling when you’re playing such tough teams,” he noted. “We want to approach every game as if it’s the most important game of the season. If we do that, we’re going to improve every week.”
