Arguably the Best Defense Ever in CIF

[sammy swordsman]

The 1973 St. Paul Swordsmen playing in the toughest league in the CIF, along with a rough pre season intersectional game with Undefeated City Champ Carson, defended a 24 game winning streak by allowing 10 points in the regular season.

[Luca]

At least statistically that's got to be about the best........Luca

[RandyF59]

The 1973 St. Paul Swordsmen playing in the toughest league in the CIF, along with a rough pre season intersectional game with Undefeated City Champ Carson, defended a 24 game winning streak by allowing 10 points in the regular season.

Fourteen. St. Paul gave up only 4 TD's the whole season. One each to MD and B Amat during the regular season and two in the playoffs-one each to N.Harbor and Crespi. Impressively, the defense, featuring Brad Slinkard had EIGHT shoutouts, four in a row to start the season.

[Luca]

What position did Brad play? He coached O line on our Pop Warner team........Luca

[sammy swordsman]

What position did Brad play? He coached O line on our Pop Warner team........Luca

Brad was #75 Defensive Rt tackle in the video.

That St. Paul team is reported to having an astounding 30 guys that benched over 300 lbs.

[MDDad]

The 1973 St. Paul Swordsmen playing in the toughest league in the CIF, along with a rough pre season intersectional game with Undefeated City Champ Carson, defended a 24 game winning streak by allowing 10 points in the regular season.

That was certainly one of the great defenses ever, but I'd like to challenge your 10-point claim. I believe St. Paul beat Dos Pueblos, 21-5 in the first game of the season, then beat Mater Dei 21-7 and Bishop Amat 9-7 in league play. That's 19 points in the regular season, and 14 more in the three playoff games.

[Compete]

Check out the 1973 Saginaw Arthur Hill Team - did not allow a point a very few first downs.

[RandyF59]

That was certainly one of the great defenses ever, but I'd like to challenge your 10-point claim. I believe St. Paul beat Dos Pueblos, 21-5 in the first game of the season, then beat Mater Dei 21-7 and Bishop Amat 9-7 in league play. That's 19 points in the regular season, and 14 more in the three playoff games.

MDDad I beg to differ. My freshman yearbook from 1974 doesn't lie.
Here's the whole schedule:
Dos Pueblos 21-0
Carson 7-0
Pasadena 35-0
Arcadia 40-0
Mater Dei 21-7
Pius X 7-0
Servite 3-0
St Anthony 9-0
Bishop Amat 9-7
*Compton 24-0
*New harbor 17-7
*Crespi 3-7

*playoffs

[MDDad]

MDDad I beg to differ. My freshman yearbook from 1974 doesn't lie.
Here's the whole schedule:
Dos Pueblos 21-0
Carson 7-0
Pasadena 35-0
Arcadia 40-0
Mater Dei 21-7
Pius X 7-0
Servite 3-0
St Anthony 9-0
Bishop Amat 9-7
*Compton 24-0
*New harbor 17-7
*Crespi 3-7

*playoffs

It looks like the only game at issue is the first game of the season against Dos Pueblos, and whether or not they scored five points or were shut out. Here's the L.A. Times article of that game, showing the final score was 21-5.

http://0-search.proquest.com.millennium ... ntid=12708

[Mr. Grady]

Ah, those pre-Internet days when the press was at maybe half the games and AD's had to call in scores and details. I'm not doubting anyone as I wax poetic about the old days here, but my HS yearbook has some creative ledgers when it comes to grid and hoops scores and having girlfriends on the yearbook staff certainly helped preserve our legacy a bit. A TD was added here and there by the yearbook staff and a couple of particularly bad losses in several varsity sports aren't even mentioned. 30 years later at reunions our basketball team denies that they ever played let alone lost a road game to Verbum Dei by 60 points. Nobody traveled to see it out of fear of the neighborhood therefore the game never happened. lol. A letterman's perogative to maintain a selective memory I suppose.

[RandyF59]

It looks like the only game at issue is the first game of the season against Dos Pueblos, and whether or not they scored five points or were shut out. Here's the L.A. Times article of that game, showing the final score was 21-5.

http://0-search.proquest.com.millennium ... ntid=12708

I should know better than to trust the yearbook staff

...over MDDad

[MDDad]

I should know better than to trust the yearbook staff

...over MDDad

No problem. It's too bad St. Paul lost to Crespi in the semi's, because defending champion and #1 St. Paul against Los Altos in the finals would have been an epic game. That Los Altos team started their string of three AAAA titles in five years, which is still one of the best runs in Southern Section D-I history.

[Lionhunter]

Don't forget the Monarch team in '64 that finished 7-1 and allowed only the 13 points to Servite...all the rest shutouts!

[Luca]

That St. Paul team is reported to having an astounding 30 guys that benched over 300 lbs.

Well, that's not such a big deal. That's only about 10 pounds each. I can do that........Luca

[RandyF59]

three St. Paul coaches were caught spying on a

Pioneer High practice

Included in the group was none other than a twenty=something Dick Bruich, future winner of multiple CIF crowns at Fontana and Kaiser. Nobody believes they acted without direction from Coach Ancich but they got thrown under the bus just the same. He was a stand up guy then as he is now.

!	Message from: SoMelo
	OFF TOPIC

[FallStar]

The Bishop Amat defenses from 92-94 were amazing. Brown, Huma, Minor, McCutcheon..... Gave up under 7 points per game in 1993. I was at the semifinal game in 92 when they beat Loyola 7-6. Great game, great teams.

[covercorner]

I've been away too long from these boards, that I had to recreate my (account) screen name.. but glad to see to this topic - I had a discussion about great defensives and most people won't remember the 1992 Mater Dei Defense, which gave up 5.7 points a game that year recording 5 shutouts, eventually losing to Eisenhower in the second round of the playoffs. Everyone will probably remember the year before, with Billy Blanton and Co. beating Eisenhower 35-14 at Anaheim Stadium for the CIF title.

But to this day, the 92 Monarch defense was arguably the best. Only the `98 Mater Dei defense, led by Kevin Mitchell (Oregon) and Matt Grootegoed (USC) was just as good if not better, but they didn't give up and average under 6 points per game...and I don't remember anyone recording 5 shutouts in one year. it was sort of for not, because the 92 team also had one of the worst Mater Dei offenses in Rollo's 20 plus years. Their offense was built around 5'10' 235 Nicky Sualua who played most of the year injured, but when healthy he was one of the best backs that year. He went on to play at Ohio State, where he blocked for Eddie George for two years, including the year George won the Heisman. MD also broke in a sophomore QB after they lost to Dana Hills - That QB was John Flynn (Air Force) who eventually led MD to Rollo's second CIF Championship in 1994.

The defense featured, a secondary of, CB Senior Brian Barajas (Villanova, led county with 11 ints Jr. year as a corner), FS Senior Ray Jackson (Washington State), SS Junior MJ Rzenik (San Diego State) and CB Senior Michelango Barragan (MD current varsity Defensive Back Coach). Along with bookend defensive ends, Junior Derrick Ford (Arizona State, 16 sacks) and Nicky Sualua (OSU). Linebackers, Senior Parker Gregg (Penn), Junior Jason Rivera (one of the toughest - former varsity LB coach),

Servite 0-0 T
St.Paul 31-21 W
Santa Ana 14-0 W
St. Francis 37-0 W
Ramona 21-7 W
Capo Valley 18-10 W
Mission Viejo 17-0 W
Dana Hills 12-13 L
El Toro 38-3 W
San Clemente 35-0

Click the link below to see a nice "blast from the past" poster featuring the schedule and posted scores - It may not be the toughest of schedules back in the day, but it was still a feat that has yet to be duplicated in OC.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/7172/download3c.jpg

[Luca]

Those guys were on the 94 Amat team. 1992 was the year of Wilhans Illi.

I'm not sure which team you're referring to. I think you're referring to the 1992 game played at Cerritos, as I recall. The Loyola QB fumbled late in the 4th quarter on 2nd and goal and cost them the game..........Luca

[Ramon]

Who did that amazing Amazing 94 Amat team lose to at the Big A? I forget

[MDGuy]

...and I don't remember anyone recording 5 shutouts in one year. it was sort of for not, because the 92 team also had one of the worst Mater Dei offenses in Rollo's 20 plus years.

Much to my dismay, my 1983 Monarchs also recorded 5 shutouts in one year, including three to Angelus League teams and one to Crespi. We couldn't score points either but did beat a top ranked Fontana team in the 1st round of CIF. I always tell my son what we could have done if we had quarterbacks like MD does now!


Another accomplishment for our "Jericho" defense was the first shutout in years we pitched against St Paul at the Pit that Sammy pointed out to me!