Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Puttin’ on Glitz: Saddleback Plans to Spiff Up Football Stadium

Plans are in the works to renovate the Saddleback College football stadium.

The college’s foundation has listed a $2.2-million proposal as a capital project, meaning it’s a priority. The group plans to raise the entire cost without help from the college.

The stadium, which has one of the best playing surfaces in Southern California, is hampered by lack of seating, especially on the visiting side. The bleachers on the home side can hold about 2,000 and the visiting side about 500.

Currently, Saddleback College, Santa Margarita High School and Capistrano Valley Christian High School play football at the stadium.

“We want to make the stadium a showcase for the community,” said John McIntyre, director of the college foundation. “But, in fund raising, all you can do is set goals and hope you reach them.”

The first part of the three-phase plan calls for preparing the west side of the stadium for bleachers to replace two small portable stands, below a hillside. A trailer serves as the press box and the assistant coaches sit in two sheds.

The bleachers would be moved from the east side to the west and larger press box will be built.

In the second phase, locker rooms will be built close to the field. Now, the players must go down the hill at the north end of the stadium to enter locker rooms in the physical education building.

Bleachers to hold a minimum of 4,000 on the east side of the field would be built in the final phase.

The foundation is taking donations but plans to hold its first fund raiser in December to coincide with the PONY Bowl at Orange Coast.

“It will only be at the point when we have the funds will we be able to put a foundation to our words,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre said there is no question the South Orange County needs a larger stadium. The largest stadium in the area is at Mission Viejo High School, with a capacity of about 4,500.

Two years ago, El Toro played Mission Viejo in a Southern Section semifinal game, which had to be played at Orange Coast College. OCC’s stadium holds about 7,600.

Last season, when Saddleback played Fullerton for the Mission Conference championship, bleachers from the swimming pool and tennis courts were placed along the visiting sidelines and end zones to accommodate the crowd.

Coaching changes: During the summer, three coaching changes took place in the county water polo ranks.

Don Watson returned after being away for two seasons to coach swimming at Orange Coast. Watson, who coaches the men’s and women’s swim teams, coached water polo in 1985 and 1986. He has been the swim coach since 1980. His women’s swim team has won the state title five of the past six seasons.

Watson replaces Bob Shupp, who resigned at the end of the season. OCC was 18-8 last season and Shupp had a two-year record of 28-25.

Bill Brown takes over at Fullerton, trying to rebuild a program that finished 4-16 last season.

At Saddleback, Flip Darr returns after taking a year off.

Saddleback was 25-9 and won the Orange Empire Conference under assistant coach Jack Dickmann , who took over for Darr. Dickmann, who was chosen conference coach of the year, returns to the assistant role he’s held for seven seasons.

Paul Peters, Rancho Santiago wide receiver, is offering a challenge to defenders this season. He’s wearing a hip towel that reads, “Catch Me If You Can.”

Peters had five catches for 135 yards and had 226 yards in all-purpose yards as Rancho Santiago defeated Citrus, 34-14, Saturday.

Blaise Bryant is off to a better start this fall at Iowa State then he was last fall at Golden West. Bryant has rushed for 311 yards in two games at Iowa State. Last fall, he ran for 198 yards in the first two games at Golden West en route to his nation-leading total of 1,691 yards.

Of course, Bryant didn’t have to face Oklahoma and Nebraska last season.

Fullerton’s football team received 12 first-place votes and remains atop the weekly Southland Poll. El Camino is second, Bakersfield is third, Mt. San Antonio fourth, Cerritos fifth, Rancho Santiago sixth, Moorpark seventh, Pasadena eighth, Long Beach ninth and Santa Monica 10th.

Community College Notes

The Fullerton men’s soccer team is off to a 5-1-1 start, the best in the 13-year career of coach Jim Pasquale . . . Tim Reynolds, who hit .411 for Rancho Santiago’s baseball team last spring, will have to sit out this season because of a knee injury. Reynolds, an infielder, had accepted a scholarship to Chapman, but suffered a serious knee injury this summer in a game in the Alaskan League. Reynolds, from Santiago High School, had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and wouldn’t be ready to play until April.