By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, Sept. 6, 2001 -- With gross restructuring the rule of thumb in 2001 among last year's Mesa League power brokers, Chula Vista High head coach Rex Johnson said this year's chase for the league banner "could be very interesting." With the Spartans, Bonita Vista and Sweetwater all filling major holes in their lineups due to graduation and a talented Montgomery team ready to step in to add its name to the list of contenders, the Mesa League championship could easily go to one of as many as four teams.

"The key for our team is that our last three games of the season are against Montgomery, Sweetwater and Bonita Vista.. Conceivably, we could go 4-6 and still be league champs. You look at the beginning of the schedule and the key for us is not to get discouraged. Those games are meaningful but they could be meaningless as well," Johnson said.

The key for a young and inexperienced Chula Vista team that returns just three starters and six lettermen overall from last year's squad will be to peak at the end of the season, according to Johnson.

"We need to get some experience before we open league play," he said.

The new-look Spartans -- buttressed heavily by a wave of incoming players from last year's 9-1 junior varsity team -- kick off their season with a 3 p.m. game Sept. 7 at University City and follow that with non-league games at West Hills (Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m.) and Castle Park (Sept. 21, 7 p.m.) before hosting Mar Vista in another non-league contest Sept. 28, also at 7 p.m. The three road games to jump-start the season could be a blessing in disguise, as the focus will be on learning rather than the immediate need to impress the home crowd.

"It's just a question of these juniors, how well they can step in and play at the varsity level right away," Johnson said. "Four or five sophomores did get decent playing time in our two playoff games last year but that still doesn't compare to going through a full season. We've got some skillful players, it's just a matter of getting some experience - whether it's this year as juniors or next year as seniors."

The team's offensive line may not be overly tall but does have some speed. The anchor is senior Pat Narvaez (6-1, 285), a returning two-year starter who will be a three-year letterman. Narvaez earned First Team All-Mesa League honors last season and was a Second Team All-County selection as well. Joining Narvaez as a key two-way player is fellow senior Willie Fox, another returning starter and Second Team All-Mesa League pick last year. Carl Payne (6-1, 220) is the team's other returning starter (at defensive end) and will help anchor the defensive line along with Narvaez and Fox.

Junior Kevin Davies (5-9, 170) assumes the varsity tailback position after leading last year's JV squad in rushing yards. He's joined in the backfield by senior fullback Kariff Lizarraga (5-9, 195), a returning letterman, junior Crawford Romero (5-8, 145) at tailback and Payne at fullback. Sophomore Travis Crawford (5-11, 150) rises up the ranks from last year's freshman team to handle the quarterbacking duties. Johnson said the new signal-caller brings a lot of dimension to the team in terms of both running and passing the football.

Juniors Eric Williams (6-0, 160) and Julian Smith (5-8, 150) are two starters up from last year's highly successful JV team who will handle chores at the wide out position while John Hill (6-0, 200), another starter on last year's JV squad, moves up to the varsity tight end position.

The defensive backfield is led by senior John Bell (5-9, 165), a returning letterman who may not have gotten many starting assignments last year but who "got a lot of experience," in Johnson's words. He's joined in the linebacking unit by junior Eduardo Jaimes (6-2, 165), senior Juan Valdez (5-9, 175) and sophomore Carlos Santa Maria (6-2, 180). Davies, Smith, Romero Crawford and Williams will see two-way duty in the defensive secondary.

"We'll have a lot of two-way players to get some experience and develop some depth as the season progresses," Johnson said.

The resiliency to bounce back will be the team's strong point and that ability will draw from the program's traditional treasure trove of athletic talent.

"We're real athletic. We've got real good team speed. The kids can do a lot of things," Johnson said. "The weakness is the inexperience. A lot of these kids have not played a varsity football game. It depends on how many on the juniors and sophomores can step up and play this year. That will be the key."

With only two returners on offense, Sweetwater head coach Eric Peterson admitted his team's season opening game Sept 7 at Monte Vista will be a test.

"I think we're very talented. We're just young," Peterson said. "Our thing is mental right now. We just don't know if we can hit with the big boys for four quarters yet. Hopefully, they can respond."

Senior center Patrick Fejan and senior tight end Efren Diaz are the returners on offense. The new-comers include sophomore tail-back Evin Groves, sophomore fullback Roger Toledo, senior quarterback Rudy Gonzalez, sophomore wide receiver Jesus Torres and junior wideouts Joe Wynn and Ozzie Simental.

The Red Devils fare only slightly better with returners on defense but the potential is there. The linebackers are keyed by Curtis White, Diaz, Ruben Patricio, Fernando Romero and Jamar Williams.

The team has 22 different starters with less emphasis on two-way players. "We're real fast. We're real athletic. We're going to contend for the league championship," Peterson said. "By the time we hit league play, we'll be a seasoned team."