Hlista in bloom

Barry Faulkner

Though he was a two-time All-Newport-Mesa District performer at

Newport Harbor High, it’s fair to say Brett Hlista has been a late

bloomer when it comes to football.

Now a junior strong safety at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., the

6-foot-3, 205-pound Orange Coast College transfer earned first-team

preseason All-American honors in Division II.

“To say he was starting for us, would be an understatement,” said a

Tusculum spokesperson.

Hlista, who made second-team All-Sea View League as a senior receiver and

was a junior standout on the Tars’ 1992 CIF Southern Section Division IV

finalist, was an All-South Region selection last fall for Pioneers. He

led the team with 103 tackles, including 10 for losses and had two

interceptions. He also broke up six passes, recovered two fumbles and

forced another.

Hlista, who began his collegiate athletic career in the Southern

California College baseball program, led his South Atlantic Conference

squad to an 11-9 season-opening victory Thursday over Livingstone. He

made nine tackles, blocked a field-goal attempt and had the

game-clinching interception late in the fourth quarter.

Tusculum continues Saturday against Catawba College, against which Hlista

had a career-best 16 tackles last fall.

While Hlista may hold the highest profile among Harbor alumni playing

collegiately, there are several former prep stars teetering on the brink

of notoriety at the next level.

Danny Pulido, Harbor’s all-time receptions leader, who was the

Newport-Mesa MVP as a senior in 1996, is a sophomore tight end at Oregon.

A 6-5, 233-pounder, the former three-sport standout and Sea View League

Athlete of the Year played situaitonally as a freshman, but was fourth on

the depth chart entering the Ducks’ season-opening loss Thursday to

Michigan State. Pulido wears No. 85.

Brett Baker, another former district MVP, is starting at strong safety

for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which opens its season Thursday at Northern

Arizona.

Baker, a 5-11, 195-pound sophomore, played mostly on special teams a year

ago, but also saw time in the secondary and at running back for the

Mustangs. He wears No. 32.

Pete Hogan, the former Newport-Mesa Defensive Player of the Year, is a

backup defensive end at Colorado State, which opened with an impressive

triumph over intrastate rival Colorado Saturday in the Mile High Classic

in Denver.

The 6-3, 240-pound redshirt freshman, who played end and linebacker as a

prep, saw action against the Buffaloes. He wears No. 46.

Brant Hill, who extended Harbor’s streak of having at least one player

earn a Division I scholarship to three years, is a freshman defensive end

expected to redshirt at Nevada. He is listed at 6-4, 240 and wears No.

92.

Reed Johns, a defensive end for the 1996 Sailors, is a backup

long-snapper at nationally ranked Arizona, which rallied from a

season-opening hammering by Penn State to top TCU Saturday. The 6-3,

232-pound sophomore wears No. 69.

Former Tars Raymond Ohrel and Eddie Johnson, All-CIF at running back and

punter, respectively, are expected to play leading roles at Orange Coast

College this fall.

Derek Fox, a 1998 graduate who started at defensive tackle last fall for

the Pirates, will sit out the season after sustaining a major knee

injury. He is scheduled for surgery Oct. 6 and plans to remain involved

with this year’s OCC team, if only from the sideline. He said he is

already getting plenty of mail from recruiters at four-year schools.