Quick 5-0 Start Hasn’t Stopped ‘Improving’ Santiago

Fred DiPalma, Santiago High School football coach, realizes there is more to his team’s surprising success than its undefeated status.

Although the Cavaliers bring a 5-0 record into their Garden Grove League opener against Rancho Alamitos at 7:30 tonight on Garden Grove’s Jason Field, the real satisfaction for DiPalma is the fact that his team continues to improve each week.

“It’s nice to win, but if you’re stale and stagnant and not improving, it doesn’t mean very much,” he said. “I’ve been very pleased with our progress because while we’re still winning, we’re improving.”

One reason for the Cavaliers’ turnaround (they were 3-5-2 last year) is senior quarterback Rick Burns. Burns, a three-year starter, has completed 44 of 75 attempts for 730 yards and 6 touchdowns and ranks among the top quarterbacks in the county.

While Santiago may be winning, the Cavaliers remain the only unbeaten team in the county not to be ranked in the Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. poll, perhaps because the combined 6-18-1 record of their nonleague opponents. The Cavaliers are, however, ranked eighth in the CIF Southern Section Central Conference poll.

Rancho Alamitos (1-3), which utilizes three backs in an inverted wishbone offense, will be without one of those backs, Luis Ramirez, for the next four weeks. Ramirez broke a finger last week against Magnolia.

DiPalma said that the Cavaliers’ objective tonight will be to shut down the Vaqueros’ running game and force them to throw the ball. Rancho Alamitos has had trouble with its passing game this season and has been without starting quarterback Don Wagner this week because of an illness. If Wagner isn’t able to play tonight, sophomore Thomas Togia will start.

In the Empire League, Los Alamitos (2-0, 5-0) will put its perfect record on the line against Cypress (0-2, 3-2) in Handel Stadium and Katella (0-2, 1-4) will play host to Kennedy (1-1, 1-4) in Glover Stadium.

In a Century League game, Orange (0-2, 0-5) will play host to Santa Ana (1-1, 2-3) in Fred Kelly Stadium.

In a nonleague contest, Trabuco Hills (0-5) will face Azusa in Mission Viejo Stadium.