More Help Is on the Way for West L.A. : Community colleges: After breaking 21-game losing streak and finishing 4-6 in 1990, Oilers continue to rebuild with strong recruiting class.

When West Los Angeles College won its opener last year to break a 21-game losing streak and started 3-0, some people thought first-year Coach Robert Hager should have been elevated to sainthood.

However, Hager and the Oilers turned into mere mortals again, losing six of seven games to finish 4-6.

But three of those losses were by a total of 12 points and the blowouts were against three strong teams: Bakersfield, Santa Monica and Los Angeles Southwest.

But as a whole, the 1990 season was a success for WLAC.

The trademark of the 1990 team was its defense, which was ranked No. 1 in the state about halfway through the season. The team set a school record for quarterback sacks with 46 and Oiler defensive end Sam Rogers led the state with 21 sacks.

Last year Hager was hired too late to do much recruiting locally, and there were few holdovers from previous Oiler teams. The nucleus of the 1990 WLAC team was formed by Rogers and several other players who had played for Hager at West Hills College in Coalinga and had followed him to WLAC.

Rogers, who is at the University of Colorado, and several other starters have graduated, but Hager recruited several outstanding prospects.

Some of the newcomers are from four-year colleges, including 6-foot-3 quarterback Roman Foster, the former Dorsey High standout who was a redshirt at Colorado last year, and tailback Kevin Hicks, who excelled for Crenshaw and sat out his freshman year at Cal State Fullerton last season. Both have freshman eligibility, but Hager said he expects both to leave for four-year schools after this season.

Hager said that Foster is “the most complete quarterback I’ve ever had in terms of running and throwing.”

With Foster at quarterback, last year’s starter, Chris McCloud, will be used at wide receiver and Z-back. McCloud passed for only 654 yards last year but was one of the team’s better rushers with 455 yards.

An experienced wide receiver is Derek Armester, a transfer from Santa Monica College. Ray Penniman (6-1, 260 pounds), an offensive lineman last year, moves to tight end.

Hager may have several skill-position players, but the defense must be rebuilt. Cornerstones in that project will be cornerback Steve McKinnon, who had four interceptions last season and was named to the All-Western State Conference Southern Division first team, and defensive lineman Richard Bell (5-10, 180), who received all-division honorable mention.

A couple of freshmen from two strong Westside prep teams could help on defense: linebacker Lee Brothers, who also played fullback for an 11-1 Fairfax teamlast year, and Dorsey defensive back Keyshawn Johnson, whose team went 9-3 last year and was the Los Angeles City 4-A Division champion in 1989.

Hager also expects good things from other freshmen, including offensive lineman Chrisshaunn Williams (6-2, 280) of Crenshaw and running back Antoine Redmond from Locke.

The Oilers will switch from a veer offense to the I-bone, a combination of the power-I and the wishbone. “We’ll be an option team and a power team,” Hager said. “I think we’ll throw the ball much better--and more often.”

WLAC opens the season at Chaffey at 7 p.m. Saturday. In last year’s opener, the Oilers beat Chaffey, 28-22.