Members of the 1987 CIF Championship team were honored at Carpinteria High School during halftime of a game against Nordhoff in October. (Photo Courtesy of Bill Swing)
On this date 25 years ago, Carpinteria High School’s football team completed a 14-0 season with a CIF Championship by defeating Tehachapi 27-0.
The 1987 Warriors team won the first of three consecutive CIF titles that Friday night on December 13th, exactly 25 years ago today.
The Warriors would face Tehachapi in the finals again in 1988 and 1989, tying in ?88 and walking away with a victory in ?89.
The 1987 Warriors offense compiled an impressive 447 points on the season, while the defense held their opponents to only 59 points, including eight shutouts.
Five of the Warriors were named to the All-CIF team.
Offensive tackle David Medina was also named the Player of the Year in the Inland Conference.
Defensive back Darshan Etz set a CIF record with 14 interceptions (the record was broken the following year by Shad Lara, also a member of the ?87 Warriors, with 17 interceptions). Etz, Emilio Handall, Romeo Coleman and John Zanini were also named to the ALL-CIF team.
In the CIF Championship victory over Tehachapi, Handall was the star. He scored three of Carpinteria’s four touchdowns and rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries, plus 74 yards on 2 punt returns.
It was the first of four CIF championships that then sophomore quarterback Coley Candaele helped win for Carpinteria High School.
Candaele, now head coach at Vista Murrieta, would go on to lead the Warriors to two more Championships as a player in ?88 and ?89, followed by a CIF Division XI Championship in 2002 as the Warriors’ head coach. Candaele’s record at Carpinteria as coach was 51-24-2. His football record at Vista Murrietta is 83-18-0.
The ?87 Warriors were coached by Lou Panizzon, Ben Hallock and Chris Calderwood. Panizzon served as head coach from 1975-1989, compiling a record of 133-43-2, four CIF Championships (1975, 1987, 1988 & 1989) and two runner-up seasons (1979 & 1986).
