PREP FOOTBALL ’99 : Mater Dei Pulls Rank Again With No. 1 Position

Another year, another top 10 preseason ranking and another top pick for Mater Dei.

The Monarchs won last year’s Southern Section Division I championship and return nine starters from that team, including Matt Grootegoed, The Times’ Orange County back of the year.

“We will be very good,” Coach Bruce Rollinson said.

Santa Margarita, which picked up several notable transfers to go along with its 10 returning starters, will also be very good. It secured the No. 2 spot behind its Serra League opponent after getting quarterback Chris Rix.

Rix, a SuperPrep Magazine preseason All-American, passed for 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for La Puente Bishop Amat.

Tustin and Servite, ranked third and fifth respectively, met Thursday night at Tustin. Running back Brandon Malcolm, who ran for 1,600 yards last season, is among 13 starters back for Tustin. Servite returns eight starters, including Joe McGuire, an All-Southern Section offensive tackle.

San Clemente, ranked No. 4, doesn’t have Mater Dei to contend with anymore in the South Coast League, and Eric Patton, its new coach, will continue to employ the Tritons’ quirky “fly” offense. South Coast League rivals Mission Viejo and Trabuco Hills are also very good, but a consensus of league coaches gives the edge to San Clemente.

Tradition is on the side of No. 6 Los Alamitos, where Coach John Barnes always seems to have a standout quarterback. The Griffins return only one starter from a team that finished 12-1 and lost in a Division I semifinal last year. “We don’t have the strength we have had in the past,” Barnes said, “but we’re OK.”

The players at No. 7 Irvine aren’t used to losing, according to Coach Terry Henigan. In the past three seasons, the seniors have played on teams that have a combined record of 26-3-1.

Esperanza, ranked eighth, returns only three starters on offense but figures to be in the hunt for the Sunset League title. Tackle Travis Pendleton anchors a defense that returns six starters. “Four of those players are Division I prospects,” Coach Gary Meeks said.

The Sailors at Newport Harbor, ranked No. 9, are nearly always Top 10 contenders. This season, they have a strong offensive line and a great group of wide receivers, including flanker Billy Clayton, who averaged 19.5 yards a catch last year. They figure to challenge Irvine, and defending Division VI champion Woodbridge, which returns seven players from last year’s 13-0-1 team, for the Sea View League crown.

The wild card in all of this is No. 10 Santiago, which may have its best team in a couple of decades, according to Coach Ben Haley. The Cavaliers, led by running back Brandon Perry, could move up the ladder quickly if their coach’s prediction of a 10-0 season is correct.