ORANGE COUNTY PREP FRIDAY : Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide : For Roadstrom and Co., Shutting Down Running Backs Is All in a Day’s Work

For the past two years, running backs have had a difficult time on the football field when Los Alamitos High School’s Roger Roadstrom is roaming at middle linebacker.

Last season, the Empire League featured three of the top running backs in Orange County--Mike Miscione of Esperanza, Blaise Bryant of Cypress and Ray Willis of Pacifica--but the trio combined for only 110 yards against Roadstrom and Co.

Miscione, the county’s leading rusher with 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns, managed only 23 yards. Bryant, the premier running back in the 1987 Orange County All-Star football game, gained just 55 yards. Willis, an all-Empire League back, gained a mere 32 yards.

This year, Los Alamitos’ defense has improved . The Griffins have posted five shutouts in six games and have allowed only 10 points, the best defensive scoring average in the Southern Section.

Defending league champion Loara, the latest shutout victim, totaled only 67 yards rushing in a 31-0 loss as the Griffins avenged their only regular-season loss in 1986.

Chris Olsen of El Dorado will be the next back to test Los Alamitos at 7:30 tonight when the Golden Hawks (5-0-1, 0-0-1) play host to the Griffins (5-1, 1-0) in Bradford Stadium at Placentia. Olsen has gained 761 yards and scored 9 touchdowns.

“My job is to stop Olsen,� Roadstrom said. “He’s an excellent running back. We know that if we want a shutout against El Dorado, we’re going to have to play our best defensive game of the year.�

Defensive excellence is Roadstrom’s game. When Roadstrom first put on a pair of pads at Los Alamitos as a freshman, it seemed he was destined to become a linebacker. Of course, he didn’t foresee living the life of a football star as a linebacker.

“I wanted to play tailback,� Roadstrom said. “I wanted the glory at running back. I was pretty fast and figured I would be the guy who scored all the touchdowns.

“The first time I put on the pads, I made a tackle and stuffed the running back. The coaches all said, ‘All right, there’s our linebacker.’ I never played football until high school and never gave any thought to playing linebacker, but I enjoyed the contact. I thought, ‘All right, I’ll play linebacker.’ I just wanted to play.�

Roadstrom’s enthusiasm for the game was understandable. His father would not allow him to play football until he reached high school because he feared his son would not receive the proper coaching.

So Roadstrom played baseball and soccer and waited for a chance at football. He was a prolific pitcher in the Cypress Little League until when he developed calcium deposits in his right elbow at age 11 that required surgery. Undaunted, he learned to throw left-handed and continued to play.

It was Roadstrom’s size and athletic versatility that quickly gained the attention of the Griffin coaching staff. He was 5-feet 11-inches tall, weighed 160 pounds as a freshman and played football, soccer and ran the quarter-mile in track.

The coaches were so impressed with his size and speed that they elevated Roadstrom to the varsity when he was a sophomore, and he became the starting fullback. He gained 261 yards and scored 3 touchdowns as the Griffins won the Empire League.

“There aren’t many sophomores who have started in the backfield at Los Alamitos,� said John Barnes, the Griffins’ coach. “But it was pretty obvious from the start that Roger has born to play linebacker.

“He has such great hitting form. He uses every pound in his body to hit people . . . really drives them back. He’s the best linebacker we’ve ever had here and one of the best hitters you’ll ever see in high school.�

Roadstrom blossomed into an all-league linebacker as a junior. He was credited with 29 unassisted tackles and 57 assists, broke up 8 passes and had 5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Coaches from an estimated 20 major colleges watched the Griffins’ spring drills, and all expressed an interest in Roadstrom. He has been contacted by UCLA, USC, Brigham Young and Utah State this fall.

“I don’t have any preference; I’ll play for anybody that wants me,� Roadstrom said. “My goal is to play major-college football. I’ve gone to most of the USC home games, but I’ll play anywhere.�

Barnes said Roadstrom is probably an inch too short (he’s listed at 6-2 in the program) for most major colleges but added, “The Pac-10 is a possibility.�

Barnes said Roadstrom is a physical player who is quick. And there’s another appealing aspect of his game. The senior is a winner, having lost only five games in three years of varsity play.

“I hate to lose,� he said. “I also don’t like making stupid mistakes. When we lost to Tustin this year, I missed a tackle on a screen pass on a key third-down play that kept the drive going for the winning touchdown.

“That really bothered me. It bothered me on the bus drive home and the next day when we watched the game films. I hate to lose.�

A disappointing moment for Roadstrom is rare on the football field. He said he enjoys being on the field with his friends, whether it is game day or a practice session.

“We’re like a family,� he said. “Everyone is always pulling for each other. We’re always talking about getting a shutout before every game. “

Roadstrom has certainly left some impressions with opposing coaches this season.

Herb Hill, the dean of county coaches with 28 years at Rancho Alamitos and Loara, said, “He’s a very good player. Big, strong and he covers a lot of ground. He was tough, but then I thought their whole team was tougher than hell.�

Chris Ramsey, whose Marina team was shut out, 27-0, by the Griffins, said, “When we first scouted Los Alamitos, Roadstrom looked real good. He stood out. When we played them, he was even better.

“We’ve played against some good linebackers (Mike Petko and Garrett Greedy of Servite and Joe Silvey of Mater Dei), and he’s one of the best we’ve seen.�

LOS ALAMITOS VS. EL DORADO

RECORDS--Los Alamitos 5-1, 1-0, El Dorado 5-0-1, 0-0-1.

SITE--Bradford Stadium, Valencia High School

LOS ALAMITOS UPDATE--The Griffins haven’t given up a point since a 10-7 loss to Tustin in the second week of the season, and, if last week’s 31-0 beating of Loara is any indication, appear to be the Empire League’s top team. Los Alamitos has four straight shutouts since its loss. The Griffins have scored fewer than 27 points only once. Quarterback Todd Gragnano, a sophomore, is one of the big reasons for the Griffins’ success. Gragnano has thrown for more than 800 yards and has completed 60% of his passes with only 1 interception. Wide receiver Jon Cisneros is Gragnano’s favorite target. Cisneros has 27 catches for 477 yards. Marcus Garcia, the Griffins’ leading rusher, has scored 10 touchdowns. Roger Roadstrom, a senior middle linebacker, has helped to clamp down on opposing offenses.

EL DORADO UPDATE--El Dorado will try to bounce back from a 13-13 tie with Katella last week that was almost a 13-10 loss. Phillip Nevin kicked a late field goal to bail out the Golden Hawks. Running back Chris Olsen continues to be the Golden Hawks’ workhorse. He is the county’s fourth-leading rusher with 761 yards and 9 touchdowns in 130 carries. Olsen rushed for 96 yards in 26 carries last week. Quarterback Kevin Schula returned last week from a three-week layoff caused by a foot injury. Schula was 7 of 16 for 122 yards and also ran for a touchdown. Except for the tie with Katella, El Dorado has been impressive in rebounding from a 2-8 record last season, and it figures to challenge for the league title. Esperanza’s tie with Cypress last week helped El Dorado stay close.

KEY TO THE GAME--Defense is the key. The Golden Hawks need to find a way to dent the Griffins’ stingy defense. Los Alamitos, which has drastically slowed Empire League runners in recent years, has to stop Olsen.

CONSENSUS--The edge goes to Los Alamitos, which seems to have everything clicking. The consecutive shutouts, the high-powered offense, the hard-nosed defense against the run will be too much for El Dorado to handle.