College Quarterback Trying to Turn Back the Hands of Time

When Lance Stewart started as the Saddleback College quarterback in 1981, things were simple.

The Gauchos used basic power right and left formations and just a few trick plays. Stewart was simply a 19-year-old competing against guys close to his age.

Stewart left Saddleback after a successful freshman season and accepted a scholarship to California. He never played collegiate football again, however, because of coaching conflicts; he said the coaches at California tried to move him from position to position.

He graduated from Cal in 1986 with a degree in fine arts. He then returned to his alma mater, Laguna Beach High School, to work as an assistant football and boys’ volleyball coach last year.

Stewart has now put his coaching career on hold for one last fling at football. At 25, he is back at Saddleback to try to win the quarterback job.

But now, things are more complicated.

Saddleback, which employs a more sophisticated offense with several formations, goes without a huddle these days.

“I kind of feel like I owe them (the Saddleback coaches) another year,” Stewart said with a smile. “So here I am. But it really wasn’t my idea.”

Last spring, after the graduation of starter Howard Gasser, the Saddleback coaches expected Phil Marks to be the only returning quarterback in the fall. So they began a search for another experienced quarterback.

“At first, I didn’t think they were serious,” Stewart said. “They drew up a mock contract, mostly making fun of me, and it seemed like it was all a joke. But later on, I could see they were serious.”

Saddleback’s staff checked with the state to make sure Stewart had his sophomore year of eligibility left.

Once assured he would be eligible, Stewart decided he needed to get in better shape. He weighed about 230 pounds last spring, but worked his way down to 200.

“He’s got himself in great shape and he looks ready,” Ken Swearingen, Saddleback coach, said. “He can still throw the ball well.”

Stewart, who throws left-handed, is competing for the starting job with three others--including Marks, a transfer from Northern Arizona University.

The competition grew stronger last week when Scott Stark--Orange County’s single-season record-holder for passing yardage with 2,706 yards in 1985 for Capistrano Valley--transferred from Stanford to Saddleback. John Barnes, a freshman from Trabuco Hills, also is doing well in practice.

Sophomores Marks and Stark will have a chance to earn scholarships to four-year schools.

Barnes can wait a year, but this is it for Stewart. He has no plans to play past this season, figuring to return to coaching next fall.

Is Stewart worried about his presence preventing Stark or Marks from getting a better chance at a scholarship?

“That was the first thing I thought about,” he said. “It took me a long time to make the decision because of that. But they (the Saddleback coaches) came looking for me. It just comes down to competition.”

Stewart showed few signs of a five-year layoff in Saddleback’s scrimmage against Southwestern at Saddleback Friday night. Stewart’s second pass was good for a 45-yard score. He later added a second scoring pass.

“We have four very good people at quarterback,” Swearingen said. “The challenge is to get each one enough snaps to get a feel for the offense. Right now, Phil Marks might be a little ahead because he is the only one that was here last season.

“Lance was always best when you called a play that didn’t work . . . . Once it went wrong, he could really ad-lib something that worked better.”

Stewart was a three-sport star at Laguna Beach High in 1981. He led the Artists’ football team to a 7-3 record and was 49 for 105 for 989 yards.

He was the point guard on the basketball team that went 17-7.

But Stewart received most of his attention for his volleyball play.

He was the setter on the team that went 30-0 and won the Southern Section championship. Stewart was offered full scholarships to Pepperdine and USC, but he turned them down. He had hopes of a football scholarship offer to a Pacific 10 school after playing at Saddleback.

The Gauchos won the Mission Conference championship and beat San Diego Mesa, 13-12, in the PONY Bowl, with Stewart starting as a freshman. On the season, Stewart was 96 for 158 for 1,414 yards and 17 touchdowns with 4 interceptions, the second lowest total in the college’s history.

Stewart, a late recruit at Cal, missed spring practice because he was still enrolled in classes at Saddleback.

“I guess they always say hindsight is clearer, but maybe it wasn’t the right school or time for me as a football player,” Stewart said about Cal. “But academically, it was a great school and I got a great education.”

Stewart majored in fine arts and is an accomplished painter. He also works part time doing freelance graphics for an advertising agency, and coaches the boys’ Laguna Beach Volleyball Club team.

In order to be eligible at Saddleback, Stewart is enrolled in 12 units. All his classes are in the physical education department.

This spring, Stewart again plans to coach the Laguna Beach High boys’ volleyball team, but now he is trying to win a starting job--again.

“I came here with the intention to start,” Stewart said. “If I don’t, then I will have to adjust . . . If I do start, people will say because I’m 25 I have more experience and should. But if I get beat out, then people will say that I’m too old to be out there anyway.”