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1983 Southwestern Apaches football team

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American college football season
1983 Southwestern Apaches football
South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl champion
South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, W 24–11 vs. El Camino
ConferenceMission Conference
Record9–2 (4–2 Mission)
Head coach
  • Bob Mears (8th season)
Offensive coordinatorJan Chapman Sr. (1st season)
Offensive schemeI formation
Defensive coordinatorBing Dawson (2nd season)
Home stadiumDeVore Stadium
Seasons← 19821984 →
1983 Mission Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saddleback + 5 – 0 – 1 9 – 1 – 1
Citrus + 5 – 0 – 1 7 – 3 – 1
Southwestern (CA) 4 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Santa Ana 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Riverside 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Palomar 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
San Diego City 0 – 6 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1983 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1983 junior college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 9–2 record (4–2 in conference games), finished third in the Mission Conference, defeated El Camino in the South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, and were ranked No. 21 in the final J.C. Grid-Wire poll of 1983.

Southwestern hosted the second annual South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, which pitted the team with the best record in San Diego County against an at-large team selected by the state bowl committee. Southwestern secured their berth with an 8–2 regular season record while El Camino earned an invitation after a runner-up finish in the Metropolitan Conference. The game was cancelled ahead of its third edition in 1984.

Linebacker Harry Leomiti was selected as a second-team player on the 1983 junior college All-American football team by J.C. Grid-Wire, while wide receiver Steve Pierce received honorable mention. In addition, 10 Southwestern players were selected to the 1983 All-Mission Conference football team. Two were named to the first-team offense (Pierce and running back Darnell King) while three were named to the first-team defense: Leomiti, fellow linebacker Irwin Smith, and defensive lineman Chris Cross. Pierce recorded 39 receptions for 672 yards and a conference-best 11 touchdowns in the regular season, and added 13 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown in their bowl game win to earn offensive MVP honors. He later played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns.

The team played its home games at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista, California.

Offseason

Coaching staff changes

Head coach Bob Mears took on the additional role of offensive line coach when he was unable to fill the vacancy after the departure of Jay Mack, who also served as offensive coordinator. For Mears, it was the first time in his 20-year career that he coached the offensive line, though he was assisted by ex-Apache players Bill Dowd and Byron King. Likewise, quarterbacks coach Jan Chapman Sr. took on the additional duties of offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Other coaching staff departures included running backs coach Gil Warren, who was hired as offensive coordinator at Castle Park High School in Chula Vista, and defensive backs coach Dan Henson, who was hired as head coach at Christian High School in El Cajon.

Player changes

Tommy Hinzo quit the football team ahead of his would-be sophomore season to focus on baseball.

Southwestern lost a majority of its starters from the previous season for a variety of reasons, including graduation, injuries, marriage, and military service. Notably, second-team all-conference running back Tommy Hinzo quit the team to focus on baseball. He went on to sign with Arizona, where he won a national title in 1986, and was selected four different times in the MLB draft before finally signing with the Cleveland Indians.

Starting quarterback and reigning Mission Conference Player of the Year Reid Sholl transferred to Colorado State. The team's other Division I transfers were: running back Eric McDuffie (Cal State Fullerton), offensive linemen Bill Dowd and Dan Knight (both San Diego State), defensive lineman Steve Howe (Illinois), Tevel Holeman (Cal State Fullerton), and defensive backs Dennis Mitchell (Fresno State) and Tony Walker (San Jose State). Wide receiver Steve Pierce received interest from schools such as UCLA, Arizona State, and Illinois, but chose to stay at Southwestern for another year. After the 1983 season, he signed with Illinois and went on the play for the Cleveland Browns.

Southwestern added multiple former Division I players: Harry Leomiti (San Diego State), Kevin Mason (Utah), Clyde Sewell (BYU), and Cortez Grier (Cal State Fullerton). The team also recruited four members of the 1982 all-CIF San Diego Section football team: Greg Steward, John King, Kevin Ludwig, and Jeff Overcast.

Preseason

Preseason rankings

Southwestern was ranked the No. 17 team in the nation in the J.C. Grid-Wire preseason poll. However, the team was unranked in the California junior college preseason poll.

Preseason coaches' poll

In the preseason Mission Conference coaches' poll, Southwestern was predicted to finish second in the conference.

Coaches' poll
Predicted finish Team
1 Saddleback
2 Southwestern
3 Riverside
4 Citrus
5 Santa Ana
6 Palomar
7 San Diego City

Schedule

The annual preseason scrimmage was discontinued due to budget cuts.

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 17West Los Angeles*W 18–0
September 24at Imperial Valley*Imperial, CAW 31–0
October 1Desert*
  • DeVore Stadium
  • Chula Vista, CA
W 51–7
October 8at Antelope Valley*Lancaster, CAW 28–7
October 15at CitrusAzusa, CAL 0–31
October 22Riverside
  • DeVore Stadium
  • Chula Vista, CA
W 22–20
October 29at PalomarW 40–22
November 5San Diego City
  • DeVore Stadium
  • Chula Vista, CA
W 42–24
November 19at Santa AnaW 7–63,000
November 24Saddleback
  • DeVore Stadium
  • Chula Vista, CA
L 7–101,500
December 3vs. El Camino*
  • DeVore Stadium
  • Chula Vista, CA (South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl)
W 24–11
  • *Non-conference game

Coaching staff

Name Position
Bob Mears Head coach / offensive line
Jan Chapman Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks / wide receivers
Bing Dawson Defensive coordinator / Linebackers
Mike Pompa Defensive line
Walt Justice Defensive backs
Bill Dowd Assistant offensive line
Byron King Assistant offensive line
David Prager Assistant

Awards and honors

All-American
Player Position Team
Harry Leomiti LB Second Team
Steve Pierce WR Honorable mention
Source:
All-Mission Conference
Player Position Team
Darnell King RB First Team
Steve Pierce WR
Chris Cross DL
Harry Leomiti LB
Irwin Smith LB
Walter Holmes RB Second Team
Sam Manti TE
Bill Wright DL
Pat Portillo LB
Byron Nichols DB
Source:

Notes

  1. Mears was hired ahead of the 1976 season.
  2. Renamed from the San Diego-South Bay Bowl
  3. The source incorrectly states that another recruit, James Kilmer, earned the same honors. See the 1982 All-CIF San Diego Section football team here:
  4. As compiled by the JC Athletic Bureau
  5. Dawson is initially reported as the linebackers coach, and is referred to as the defensive coordinator later in the season.
  6. Pompa is initially reported as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, and is referred to as a defensive assistant later in the season.

References

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