Morehead State Signs Up Sagen

Los Alamitos wide receiver George Sagen has signed with Morehead State, a Division I-AA school in Kentucky, Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said Tuesday.

Sagen, whose 177 catches are the second-highest in Southern Section history, was overlooked by most Division I college recruiters, many of whom questioned his speed.

Barnes said Morehead State coaches contacted Sagen after a tip from Pete Pilling, the school’s assistant athletic director. Pilling is originally from Los Alamitos and had read newspaper stories about Sagen helping the Griffins to the Southern Section Division III title in 1991 and the Division II finals last season.

Sagen, 6 feet 1 and 185 pounds, planned to attend a community college for two seasons, but changed his mind after visiting Morehead State last weekend, Barnes said.

“They had one scholarship left and they wanted a receiver,” Barnes said. “I think it worked out great for him.”

Barnes said Sagen will fit perfectly into Morehead State’s run-and-shoot offense, which is similar to Los Alamitos’.

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Joe Wood, Capistrano Valley High’s defensive coordinator the last six seasons, has been named football coach at Aliso Niguel, the new high school located in Aliso Viejo.

The school will begin play next fall with freshmen and sophomores competing on freshman and junior varsity teams. Wood said the program will have varsity teams by the 1994-95 school year.

Wood, 43, played safety at Oregon with Dan Fouts and Ahmad Rashad in the early 1970s. He also has worked as an assistant coach at Canyon Country Canyon High, Utah State and Arizona Western junior college.

Aliso Niguel will be his second head coaching job. He coached Layton (Utah) High to 5-4 and 6-3 records in 1985 and ’86.

Wood, a strength and exercise instructor at Capistrano Valley, will take a similar teaching job at Aliso Niguel next fall.

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Jack Murry, defensive coordinator at San Clemente, has been named head football coach at Dana Hills, Athletic Director Rich Skelton said.

Murry, a social studies and physical education teacher at San Clemente, replaces Don Douglass, who resigned in January.

Murry coached lower-level teams for three seasons at Dana Hills and has also been an assistant coach at Golden West College and UC Santa Barbara.

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Herb Hill, who retired in 1990 after guiding Loara’s football team to a 191-114-11 record in 28 years, was inducted into the California Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame Saturday night at a banquet in Walnut Creek. The hall honors coaches from the state’s community colleges and high schools.

Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.