Waasdorp Has Nose for Ball, Starts for Cal

By DAVID WHARTON

Aug. 5, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

No one expected Jacob Waasdorp to do much for the California Golden Bears.

Packing only 250 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, the former Quartz Hill High nose guard seems inadequate for the trenches of Division I football.

“Undersized,” Cal Coach Tom Holmoe said. “We really didn’t anticipate him helping us out.”

But a funny thing happened on the way to the slag heap.

“This is a kid . . . he just makes plays,” Holmoe said. “We love his fire, his passion for the game.”

Pure grit has made the sophomore lineman into a surprise starter this season. And that got his name bandied about as Pac-10 coaches gathered to discuss the 1998 season at the conference’s annual media day on Tuesday.

“What he gives up in size, he makes up for with quickness,” Holmoe said.

A number of players from the region were hot topics at the luncheon. Any one of them could make an impact in the Pac-10 this season.

Keith Smith, the former Newbury Park quarterback, enters his junior season having played in all or part of 21 games for the Arizona Wildcats.

Smith is rebounding from an injury and must fight sophomore Ortege Jenkins for a starting spot.

“We’ve got two very talented guys,” Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said. “We’ll take three to four weeks to see if one of them is clearly ahead.”

If neither emerges as a clear-cut choice, Tomey is not averse to platooning his quarterbacks.

Wide receiver Dennis Northcutt likes the idea of alternating Jenkins’ passing with Smith’s ability to run the option.

“That way, it keeps our opponents unsettled,” he said. “They are going to have to prepare for two quarterbacks.”

On defense, Taft graduate DaShon Polk faces no such uncertainty. Polk has established himself as the Wildcats’ flex linebacker, a position that allows him to rush the quarterback.

“He has done a phenomenal job for us,” Tomey said. “He has become a leader of our team.”

J.K. Scott might want to play a similar role at Washington, but the former Burroughs quarterback finds himself in a logjam.

A redshirt freshman, he is wedged firmly behind senior Brock Huard and sophomore Marques Tuiasosopo.

Huard has tried to counsel Scott, telling him: “You have to be patient. I redshirted my freshman year, too.”

Two other players from the region have emerged for the Huskies.

Elliot Silvers, from Agoura, should start at the all-important weakside tackle position.

“He’s got that mental toughness and confidence,” Huard said. “That temperament is important for a first-time player.”

Especially, the quarterback explained, because, “He’s got my backside.”

While Silvers tries to keep opponents out of the backfield, Huard will be looking to throw the ball to Patrick Reddick.

After catching only four passes for 46 yards as a freshman last season, the former Newbury Park receiver enters fall practice as the starter at H-back.

Closer to home, USC and UCLA are hoping for big seasons from a number of hometown players.

Billy Miller should start at split end for the Trojans. The 1994 Parade All-American from Westlake caught 56 passes for 649 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Littlerock graduate Lawrence Larry, who finished 1997 with 11 tackles and three sacks, is projected as a starter at defensive end in his senior season.

Ted Iacenda of Hart and Marvin Powell III of Birmingham are listed as backup fullbacks. Ennis Davis of Reseda, Bobby DeMars of Westlake and Ryan Nielsen of Royal are listed as backup defensive linemen.

Across town, Craig Walendy of Westlake will start his senior season at fullback for the Bruins. Behind him, Antelope Valley graduate Jermaine Lewis has emerged as the early choice at tailback, though he faces competition from Keith Brown.

“Between the two of them, I’ve got confidence we’ll play well [at that position],” UCLA Coach Bob Toledo said.

In a surprising note, Toledo said freshman Matt Phelan of Paraclete is battling for playing time on the offensive line.

Predictably, the coach praised Chris Sailer of Notre Dame, who returns as an All-American at kicker and punter.

Toledo said: “Chris gives us a lot of confidence back there because he has a lot of confidence.”

While Jose Cortez did not make any All-American teams last season, the Oregon State kicker--a graduate of Van Nuys High and Valley College--played well enough to make All Pac-10 honorable mention.

And, on a team such as the Beavers, every point counts.

“If we’re going to win games in the Pac-10, we’re not going to jump up and blow people out by four touchdowns,” Oregon State Coach Mike Riley said.

“We look for being in those close games. A kick by Jose Cortez could decide those kind of games.”

At Cal, kicker Ignacio Brache is on shakier ground. The Village Christian graduate made six of 10 field goals and 18 of 24 extra points for the Bears last season. But he is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery and must fight for his job.

“We didn’t have the consistency we wanted last season,” Holmoe said. “So we decided to bring in some competition.”

Elsewhere around the conference, two other players from the region will have to fight their way off the bench this season.

Jerry Brown enters fall practice as one of five candidates for the tailback position at Oregon.

“I couldn’t tell you right now who is going to start,” Duck Coach Mike Bellotti said. “Jerry Brown is the fastest of the group and he has had several breakout performances.”

But injuries have hampered the former Taft running back throughout his career at Oregon. He missed last season with a hamstring injury that lingered through spring.

“Who’s going to be the guy we give the ball to 25 or 30 times a game?” Bellotti asked. “If you want to be that guy, you’d better come to practice in shape and do something when you touch the football.”

At Stanford, quarterback Joe Borchard of Camarillo faces a more daunting challenge. As an outfielder for the Cardinal baseball team last season, he missed spring football practice and finds himself listed third on the depth chart.

Senior Todd Husack should be considered the favorite after holding the No. 2 spot last season. But there is always hope for Borchard.

Hope is what fall practice is all about.

Just ask Jacob Waasdorp.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

PAC 10

KEY REGIONAL PLAYERS IN PACIFIC 10 CONFERENCE

ARIZONA

* DaShon Polk, LB, Jr.

* Keith Smith, QB, Jr.

CALIFORNIA

* Ignacio Brache, K, Jr.

* John McLaughlin, DE, Sr.