Spring Football Preview: SVCS Turns to Reber for Revival

These are exciting days for the Saddleback Valley Christian football program. 

First-year coach Justin Reber's coaching philosophies and style represent a new beginning for the 27 Warriors who went through the first day of summer workouts on Monday in San Juan Capistrano. It's a new beginning for Reber as well, who is stepping into his first full-time head coaching position after an impressive playing and assistant coaching career in the Sacramento area.

In 2004, Reber, who played his high school ball for Capital Christian, was named a first-team Minor League Football News All American at wide receiver after breaking several receiving records and helping lead the Sacramento Wolverines semi-professional football team to a 13-0 season.

Reber was the offensive coordinator for two seasons at Sacramento City College and coached at various levels for Capital Christian until last season, when he took over the Cougars on an interim basis after coach Karl Zierhut was fired.

Save for last-second losses to Dixon and Marysville, Reber would have gone 5-0 in his stint as interim head coach, and he was subsequently named .

After the 2010 season, Reber called the Capital head coaching position "his dream job," but the school pursued Del Oro coach Casey Taylor, opening the door for Reber to visit San Juan Capistrano and have his first look at Saddleback Valley Christian.

Capital ended up offering Reber the job when Taylor declined, but he'd already accepted the position with the Warriors.

In January, Reber told the Sacramento Bee that Saddleback Valley, "feels like Capital Christian 10 years ago. Saddleback is close to really getting good, the next level."

Before Zierhut left Capital Christian, he did an outstanding job of turning around a program in decline, and Reber took part in the process. The Cougars went 2-18 in 2004 and '05, but rebounded in a big way in 2006, going 17-4 over the course of the next two seasons, before a five-win 2009, and an eight-win 2010. 

Saddleback Valley went 5-6 last season, but is only a few years removed from a 10-1 season and has won four league titles in a row. With Reber in the fold, the plan is to solidify the Warriors program as a winner, year in and year out.

Heading into 2011, Saddleback Valley returns quite a few key contributors off a team that went 4-0 in San Joaquin League play before suffering a 50-7 loss to Boron in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs a season ago.

Tailback Curran John, who will be a senior in 2011, averaged 7.67 yards a carry in 2010 and returns this year behind a young but very large group of offensive linemen, led by senior right guard Jonathan Penaloza. Left tackle John Harvey is a load at 6 feet 3, and he's joined by veterans Mike Lind and Christian Kellinger at left guard and center, respectively, while Levi Burbage serves as the bookend at right tackle.

The Warriors will run the single-back veer, an offense made famous by Harry Welch, legendary coach who won a state championship at Canyon High in Canyon Country before moving on to coach in South Orange County.   

"I mentored under a guy who played and coached under Harry Welch, so we run a lot of the same stuff," Reber said. "The same stuff he ran at Canyon, St. Margaret's and now at Santa Margarita. We're super-balanced. Mainly four receivers, but that's to open up our running lanes. We're basically going to call our offensive plays based on how the defense lines up." 

Leading the offense will be junior quarterback Brandon Towles, who, at 5-10, 150 is slight of frame, but posses an accurate arm and all the intangibles a coach looks for in a quarterback. 

"Brandon is a smart kid," Reber said. "Since I got here in March, he's been in my office three, four, five times a week watching film, wanting to learn. He's picked up the offense, embraced it, knows his reads. He's not going to impress anyone when they look at him, but he's going to do well because he gets it. He's a great kid, he's a great leader and the kid's are following him, so it's good."

Towles could split snaps occasionally with senior Ryan Bialobreski, who can play both quarterback and wideout, and cornerback on defense, and is one of the Warriors' best all-around athletes. 

At 6-1, Trent Saharek provides Towles a large target at split out wide, while Jordan Riggs, an athletic, lightning-quick receiver should cause fits for opposing defenses from the slot, as well as claim his fair share of carries in the running game.

"Basically our big three, Curran, Riggs and a Bialobreski," Reber said. "With those three running the ball, and our quick pass game -- our offensive line is huge for this level, and that's the highlight for me. With our offensive line, those five and a few younger kids we're going to develop, we're going to do some damage."

Defensively, Harvey and Penaloza should provide a nice push for a line that will protect linebackers Blake Heatherton, Zach Morris and Forrest Lohman, who are both fleet-of-foot and well-built at the position, and will no doubt compete for the team lead in tackles each week.

Like the offense, Reber's defense shadows concepts develop at Canyon High under Welch.

"We run what's called the 'Brain-dead Defense,' and we took it from a guy named Scott Blade, who coached for Harry at Canyon," Reber said. "You teach the kids one or two reads, so they play fast, not confused. We watch a lot of film and get them flying to the ball. We're not a big blitz team, we're not a big multiple-front team, we line up and play defense."

Reber says that since he's shown up in March, his new players have bought into the program, which includes a new weight-lifting regimen that has already paid dividends. Many Warriors have packed on a good amount of muscle and Monday at practice, the offensive starters looked in mid-season form athletically.

"We're not very deep in numbers, but the group we have has worked very hard," Reber said. "It's a huge commitment and they've done it. They're great, they've bought into what we're doing."

So too has Reber's new coaching staff, which is a mixture of holdovers from Gary Chambers' former staff, as well as a former assistant to Reber at Capital Christian, and a few graduate assistants from the Sacramento area who played their college ball at Asuza Pacific.

"The coaching staff is what makes things click," Reber said. "They've all got years of experience, so it's nice to have coaches that know more than you, so you can do all the other head coaching duties. It's been cool that all these guys have bought in and are working together."

Reber says he expects Fairmont Prep of Anaheim, which turned its program around a year ago under a new head coach, to be the Warriors' biggest hurdle in their search for a fifth-straight league championship.

Saddleback Valley Christian's 2011 Varsity Football Schedule

Friday, Sept. 2 vs. Crawford, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 9 at California Military Institute (Perris), TBA

Friday, Sept. 23 vs. Brethren Christian, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 30 at Sherman Indian (Riverside), TBA

Saturday, Oct. 8 at Ribet Academy (Los Angeles), 1 p.m. *

Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Animo Leadership, 7 p.m. *

Friday, Oct. 21 vs. Santa Clarita Christian, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28  at Twin Pines (Banning), TBA *

Friday, Nov. 4 vs. Rancho Christian, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 11 at Fairmont Prep (Anaheim), 7 p.m. *

* Indicates San Joaquin League game