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Mission Viejo Recruiting
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...419989,00.html
Quote:
No trespassing
UCLA trying to cut through recruiting fence separating it from Southern California prep powerhouses Mater Dei, Mission Viejo
By Brian Dohn
Staff Writer
For the first time since Karl Dorrell was hired as UCLA's coach almost two years ago, giddy Bruins assistants will go recruiting this week with proof his West Coast offense works.
After UCLA averaged more than 30 points in its first three games, the coaches will have something big to sell when they fan out across Southern California to visit as many as five schools apiece Friday. This might be the Bruins' bye week, but it could be a critical time for the future of the program.
However, two of the best-known Div. I player-producing schools -- Mater Dei High of Santa Ana and Mission Viejo High -- will not be on the itinerary because of relationships that are cool at best. Although Dorrell's staff is working to reopen the recruiting paths, progress remains slow.
Mater Dei has sent more than 25 players to Div. I schools, including at least 14 within the Pacific-10 Conference, but has not sent a player to UCLA since 1990. Mission Viejo hasn't sent a player to UCLA since Bob Johnson became coach in 1999.
This past offseason, Dorrell improved a difficult situation with Hart High of Newhall after coach Mike Herrington spoke publicly about possibly banning UCLA from its campus after former Indians quarterback Matt Moore transferred. Herrington also was upset when Gary Bernardi, who had family ties to Hart, was fired by UCLA.
Although the Hart situation seems to have cooled off, the strain between UCLA and the two Orange County schools continues to frustrate the Bruins. And the reasons are regularly discussed in recruiting circles.
Johnson and Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson both are USC graduates and they regularly send players to their alma mater. And in Johnson's case, many think there is a vendetta against the Bruins.
"Mission Viejo has had a lot of good players and it's funny that none of the kids wound up at UCLA," rivals.com recruiting analyst Rick Kimbrell said. "There's something funny about that."
Funny, perhaps, but not humorous for UCLA.
The Bruins are trying to rebuild their program and recruiting quality linemen and a franchise-type quarterback is a top priority. UCLA recruited four of Mission Viejo's seniors in the spring and summer, and barely got a reaction from any of them.
UCLA offered scholarships to defensive ends Nick Reed (Oregon) and Ryan Williams (Ohio State), and quarterback Mark Sanchez (USC). Offensive lineman Kevin Bemoll (Ohio State) also was recruited by the Bruins. None gave UCLA serious consideration, but each was familiar with USC.
"We run the same defense schemes at USC and my head coach is really good friends with (Trojans coach) Pete Carroll," Williams said. "They're always in contact with 'SC, and up around 'SC more often and watching practice."
Asked if Johnson spoke about UCLA, Williams said: "Not as often," and added he didn't know much about the Bruins program.
Many believe the relationship with Mission Viejo is volatile because Johnson's son, Bret, was a UCLA quarterback who transferred after losing the starting spot less than a week into the 1990 training camp under coach Terry Donahue.
After guiding the Bruins to a 3-7-1 mark in 1989, Bret Johnson released a scathing statement against UCLA. Bret Johnson, now an assistant at Mission Viejo, transferred to Michigan State.
"Are there bad feelings?" Bob Johnson said. "You have to be kidding me. There's bad feelings when someone leaves a program when he was one of the highest recruited guys in the nation at his position."
Nearly 15 years later, recruiting analysts believe the anger and resentment is still there, and hampers UCLA's recruiting of Mission Viejo's players.
"I think there's some bad blood that is still there, to a degree," said Tracy Pierson, a recruiting analyst for theinsiders.com. "His other son went to USC and had success. That would naturally lead you to believe that he's pro-USC. I don't think he's bad-mouthing UCLA, but it's easy to believe he's pro-USC."
Johnson was indignant about questions regarding a poor relationship with UCLA.
"This is stupid," Johnson said. "This is not a story."
However, UCLA believed otherwise. So Dorrell and defensive coordinator Larry Kerr spent an afternoon in the spring at Mission Viejo. They met with Johnson and members of the Diablos' staff, looking to rebuild the relationship.
Their reward? Shortly after returning from Mission Viejo's campus, UCLA learned Williams, whom Dorrell and Kerr also were recruiting, gave an oral commitment to Ohio State.
Mission Viejo athletic director Bill Smith did not return a phone message.
Then, there's Mater Dei. The last Monarchs player to accept a scholarship to UCLA was offensive lineman Ryan Motherway, whose last season at Mater Dei was 1989. Rollinson became the Monarchs' head coach in 1989.
"It's one of those things you always wonder because there's never really been a Mater Dei kid go to go (to UCLA)," said USC quarterback Matt Leinart, a Mater Dei product. "I can name like six or seven players that have been to 'SC since, like the '90s.
"Rollinson, obviously, went to 'SC. He played football here, but there's no, you know, 'Don't go to UCLA.' "
Although UCLA is not actively recruiting any of Mater Dei's seniors, Dorrell believes a problem exists. He dispatched recruiting coordinator Don Johnson to the Santa Ana campus to spend a full day with Rollinson.
Unlike the gruff Bob Johnson, Rollinson was cordial in speaking about the matter.
Rollinson praised the former coaching staff, including ex-Bruins defensive coordinator Bob Field, about the diligence in which UCLA recruited at Mater Dei. He said Bruins assistants continue to show up, but Dorrell has not been around.
Lately, USC's recruiting classes regularly had a Mater Dei recruit, but it wasn't like that in the early '90s. Rollinson acknowledged that frustrated him.
He did not seem disappointed about not sending a player to UCLA.
"No. The frustration was my alma mater (USC) and I thought we had some legitimate kids that should be getting looks from 'SC," Rollinson said. "But I don't have a frustration for not sending a kid to UCLA."
Bernardi, now an assistant coach at Northern Arizona, saw the Mater Dei relationship from both sides of Los Angeles. He was at UCLA from 1994 to 2003, serving part of the time as the recruiting coordinator. He was at USC from 1987 to '92.
"Your natural competitive instincts are to try and find the best guy in California, especially if you're at UCLA or across town," Bernardi said. "If you don't get them, there can be an underlying circumstance. Whether (Rollinson) told a kid this or that, I can't say that.
"In regards to 'SC, there's a private-school deal, (and) there is a private-school to private-school (dynamic) that I think he influences kids a little bit on. When I was at 'SC, we were always welcomed warmly there."
Because of the complexities of the recruiting game, Dorrell elected not to speak about UCLA's relationship with Mater Dei or Mission Viejo. Instead he focused on hitting the recruiting trail.
"It will be good to get out to our local areas and watch some of the kids we're looking at," Dorrell said. "It's a nice breather that we have at this point to be able to do that. When you talk to the kids on the phone a lot, that's good.
"But they want you to be there and watch them play."
And perhaps, eventually, watch them play for UCLA.
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09-24-2004, 10:16 PM
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