Coach John Torres and the Castaic Cougars

Name: John Torres Teams: Castaic Cougars and Lathrop Titans Position: Head Coach Most memorable High School football moment: To be able to say that in the 20-plus year coaching career I have had there have been many.   I think the one that stands out the most is a team-building meeting with the Lathrop Titans Varsity  team (11-14 year olds) we had in 2004.  During this meeting we asked players to say something  about their teammates, team or coaches. We stressed it had to be positive and from the heart.   I was amazed at what these youngsters said about each other and the impact it had on the team as  a whole.  Often times we as youth coaches underestimate not only the talent of certain youngsters  but mindset. These young men WANT to do well and it is up to us as youth coaches to give them  that platform.  We coaches need to provide more than just the "X's and O's" to them. We need to  insure we teach them life lessons and provide them the guidance they need to succeed not only in  football, but life. These teambuilding events we have are part and parcel to our team philosophy.  Pro or college standout that you played with or against:   I played youth and high school football in a small community so not many went on to play at the  next level. However, I have had several players go on and play in the college ranks. For instance  this past Saturday (9/24/05), I was enjoying a college game on ESPN.  During this game the announcers  mentioned a Virginia Tech “walk-on” player from Chantilly, Virginia by the name of Cole Downer.   That name struck a bell with me so I checked some old photos of when I coached in Chantilly, VA.  and there he was, Cole Downer played on our youth team in 1994, the Chantilly Panthers.  Moments  like that make coaching very satisfying. You’re past players that are successful in life and football!   Another past player, Joey Miulli, was recently mentioned in the local newspapers as the starting  center for the number one ranked JUCO team in the nation, College of the Canyons.  Joey played  for me in the late 1990’s.  When my boys do well, I am very content. How did you transition to life after football? My playing career was very short-lived. I played youth ball and then on to high school where I  sustained a career ending shoulder injury my junior year.  The reason I took to coaching was because  my youth coaches, Coaches Gene Cambell and Lud Williams, both had a positive impact on me as a  youngster.  Growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s was not easy and using football, they helped  me get through those turbulent times.  I started coaching in 1984 when I was stationed with my job  in Las Vegas.  I have coached youth teams in Arizona, Northern Virginia, Los Angles and Northern  California since those early days in Las Vegas.

Inductee #3 September 2005

Yes, most of us had hair like this back in the 70's!

Name: Richard Scott

High School: Cupertino High School

Position: Full Back

Most memorable High School football moment:

The stadium. 

We had a stadium lined with trees, set in a residential neighborhood and I will never 

forget the games in October. The smell of the air, the light fog, the feeling of anticipation...

when I got a chance to coach at my alma mater 20 years later, I made a point to remind the

players to take these sights and smell in…and never forget them.

Pro or college standout that you played with or against:  

I played with Rick Napolitan, who went to Dartmouth and later, Colorado. While I am not

sure if he was a standout in college, he was someone I aspired to be like in high school.

He was a three sport athlete and still holds many of the rushing records at the school.

I have coached a few athletes who went on the prominence in college. At Pioneer High in

San Jose, Dave Hoffman and his brother Steve became All-American defensive players at

Washington. I am just as proud of some of my players who did not go on to football careers.

Many have become doctors, teachers, business owners, and some have even become coaches.

How did you transition to life after football?

I got into Security Management and found there were a lot of parallels to football. 

Team work, discipline, working together to achieve a common goal, these are all things I 

really enjoy about football. I also split my time over the years coaching youth and high school 

football and basketball throughout the Bay Area.

One of the things I am most proud of since coaching youth football is the creation of the 

Titan Tutoring Program. We started this program as a way for our players to improve their

grades, but also to prepare for high school, where a 2.0 is required in order to participate 

in sports. We provide tutors for the players, show them how to study, how to take notes, 

how to highlight, and how to organize their work. It also provides quiet, controlled place 

for the players to study. We show film of he previous game after the session, so if they 

players do not show up for the tutoring/study program, they cannot take part in viewing 

films. We usually have a pretty good attendance. In the first year of running this program 

the varsity team alone improved their GPA 112%! 

Inductee #2 May 2005

Name: Duane Houston

High School: Westchester High School

Position: Running Back

Most memorable High School football moment:

Gaining 135 yards in the first half against Venice High School.

Pro or college standout that you played with or against:  

Played with: Ronnie Debois, and against Mike Stennis

How did you transition to life after football?

An injury to my shoulder made it easy to become a fan instead of a participant.