Poston Meets Own Challenge

Mike Sciacca

Try to limit an all-area high school football team to 24 members.

Just try.

In an attempt to do so, we sorted through numerous statistics, coaches

comments, and actually game performances, to come up with a list of 24.

It wasn’t easy spreading the wealth among the five local schools, and

the list could have expanded to nearly 30 deserving players.

Several factors and, naturally, several players, made the 2000 prep

football season special.

Marina High surprised nearly everyone by going 5-0 in nonleague play,

only to be decimated by injuries the final five weeks of the regular

season. Inoke Tukia and Aaron Williams, two key players in the Marina

lineup, were sidelined by injuries. Another, Kenny Weber, was a versatile

player. He filled in extremely well for Tukia at linebacker, and finished

the season with 92 tackles, two interceptions, two blocked field goals,

and a safety.

Ocean View returned to the playoffs for a second consecutive year -- a

first for the school. The Seahawks did it, too, behind a new quarterback,

Patrick Campbell, a wide receiver in 1999, running back Jason Rhoads, and

linebacker Alex Balderas. Campbell threw for 1,574 yards and 18

touchdowns and also started in the defensive backfield for a second

straight year, where the junior finished with 60 tackles and six

interceptions. Rhoads, a senior, ended the season with two school single

season records for touchdowns (eight) and most carries (154). He also set

career marks for total yards (1,856) and most carries (355). Balderas

finished with 51 tackles and three interceptions.

Fountain Valley returned to the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year

behind players such as Chuck Tegantvoort, Paris Moore, Manuel Diaz and

Vince Nguyen. Teganvoort played both ways, with three touchdowns as a

receiver, and had five sacks and 49 tackles at linebacker. Moore rushed

for 706 yards and was in on 45 tackles defensively, Diaz had 351

receiving yards and had a 10-yard average on seven punt returns, and

Nguyen had five interceptions (one for a touchdown), one blocked punt,

and one blocked field goal.

Although there was no postseason for Huntington Beach, the Oilers

received strong defensive play from senior defensive lineman John

Niutapuai (35 tackles), senior linebacker Justin Keadle (77 tackles,

three caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries), and junior linebacker Josh

Morales (75 tackles, two sacks, six pass breakups).

Then there’s Edison, which returned to the playoffs following a

five-year absence, and won nine games for the first time in seven years.

Players such as Chris Veneracion (26 tackles), Brian Haasch (72 tackles,

7.5 sacks), Paul Bartsch (36 tackles, fumble recovery), Bubba Reynolds

(73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, fumble recovery), and Steve Burke (offensive

line), played major roles in the Chargers’ success of 2000.

But the player who figured most prominently in Edison’s 9-3 season was

senior running back Darryl Poston, of whom much was expected.

Poston didn’t disappoint, either, as he rushed for 1,593 yards and 19

touchdowns.

Not bad for a player who, just three years ago, gave up football. He

returned to the sport as a junior, and overcame doubts as to whether or

not he could fill the vacated shoes of former Charger running back, Darin

Pope, who was the Independent’s Player of the Year in 1998.

“At the start of my junior year, I was wondering about how I was going

to fill the void left by Darin,” Poston said. “I was a bit scared, but in

preseason practice, I began to get the hang of things again, and it was

then that I began to believe that I could do anything.”

Poston went on to do just about everything, including wearing the

shoes of Pope, as he is the Independent’s Player of the Year for 2000.

“It’s a great feeling to get this award,” said Poston, who quit

football during the summer leading up to his junior year to “get my head

straight.” He has, and the rest, as they say, is for the record books.

Poston left a legacy with a traditionally rich program that includes

no less than five school records. He holds records for the most yards

gained in a single game (255, set this season against Servite),

touchdowns in a single season (29), longest pass play in school history

(91-yard reception from Richard Schwartz, set in 1999 against Los Alamitos), tied the school’s single game scoring record (five touchdowns,

set in 1999), and the career mark for touchdowns (49).

It’s Poston’s ability to make the most of an open hole, which makes

each time he runs the ball something to behold.

“I’ve learned to read things really well,” Poston said of defensive

schemes. “Each (rushing) situation is different, and my instincts just

tell me what to do when I find an open hole. I just take it from there.”

Poston’s prosperity on the playing field probably will take him to the

Pacific 10 Conference. He’s been recruited by USC, made a recent trip to

newly crowned Rose Bowl champion, Washington, and has a scheduled Jan. 12

trip to Arizona State.

Impressive, indeed, for a youngster who also runs track for Edison,

where he has a 10.81 in the 100 (the school record is 10.74), and a

school record 21.92 in the 200.

But what’s most impressive is that Poston didn’t run from past

mistakes, came back from a year off, and seems to have things in

perspective.

“I’ve grown a lot since my sophomore year, and I credit my

relationship with God for getting me to where I am,” he added. “I had an

opportunity to refocus myself, and I’m happy that everything has worked

out the way that it has.”