Johnson has long since stepped down as the Prospect boss, and now it's Mike Carrozzo returning for his third season at the helm, hoping to return the Panthers to the winning ways they once enjoyed in Blossom Valley Athletic League football.

Prospect won only a game in Carrozzo's first year as head coach, and they won three games last year. So will this be the year when Prospect returns to its championship form? Well, Carrozzo isn't going quite that far, but he is expecting big things from his Panthers in the 2003 season.

"This will prove to be a very interesting year for us," said Carrozzo. "We are hoping to establish a new winning tradition."

"We will now be in the third year of our offensive and defensive systems," he added. "Our confidence in these systems increases with every repetition. That and our dedication to the program, extensive conditioning and weight program should help us attain our goals."

And for a club that was just 2-4 in the BVAL's Santa Teresa last season, they are pretty lofty goals indeed. Carrozzo, who looks to Leland as the division title favorite, figures his Panthers will finish in the top half of the league standings.

"We have very optimistic goals for this season," said Carrozzo, "and we're confident that we can meet them if we continue to work hard, work as a team, stay healthy and get a little bit lucky."

It also helps that Prospect has a solid nucleus of returning players from last year's club, with comeback all-leaguer Jeremy Nuia heading up a cast of 14 lettermen.

Nuia (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) is a top senior returner who will see double duty as a running back and linebacker for the Panthers this season.

"He's running as hard as ever and will be a major weapon in our offense," said Carrozzo of Nuia.

Lettermen Andrew Shouse, Scott Skinner, Nic Domaguing and Garrett Karren are other key returners for the Panthers.

Shouse (5-foot-9, 185), a senior, is a third-year varsity player who has shown enough versatility to play guard, fullback and linebacker.

"He's learning any position asked of him and doing very well playing them all," Carrozzo said of Shouse.

Domaguing (5-foot-7, 165), another senior, is looking strong as an offensive guard and noseguard.

"He performed incredibly well at the summer football camps, winning a Camp Stud award," said Carrozzo.

Juniors Skinner (5-foot-9, 175) and Karren (6-foot-3, 185) are other lettermen who drew special praise from the coach. Skinner doubles as a running back and linebacker, and Karren is a second-year starter at receiver and free safety.

"Scott Skinner is coming back from a season-ending MCL tear last year to perform very well in preparation for the upcoming season," said Carrozzo, "and Garrett Karren is hitting anything that moves and some things that don't. Garrett was also a Camp Stud award winner."

"The dedication of our core group of players during the summer conditioning program and camps has been outstanding," added the coach.

Filling out the list of senior lettermen are K.C. Cook (5-foot-11, 220), center, defensive line; Joel Evans (6-foot-2, 245), two-way tackle; Kyilo Hulton (5-foot-7, 170), wide receiver, defensive back; Marcus Laffen (6-foot-3, 185), tight end, defensive end; Dave McKenzie (5-foot-8, 160), running back, linebacker; and Steven Sullivan (5-foot-10, 160), wide receiver, defensive back.

Junior returners on the Prospect varsity include Dan Jennings (6-foot-2, 225), offensive tackle, defensive line; J.P. Nation (5-foot-11, 210), guard, linebacker; and Troy Varanchodom (5-foot-10, 186), quarterback, defensive back.

Players coming up from the Prospect frosh-soph expected to help the varsity this fall are juniors Kenny Eng (5-foot-6, 140) and William Hoppner (5-foot-9, 150), who both play wide receiver and defensive back. Transfers who figure to help the squad are junior Travis Chun (5-foot-6, 145), running back, defensive back; senior Chevelle Epps (5-foot-8, 150), wide receiver, defensive back; and sophomore two-way lineman James Ortiz (5-foot-8, 220).

Prospect also has a cast of newcomers Carrozzo has high hopes for this year, led by Luke Fields (6-foot-1, 275) and Joe Adamo (6-foot-2, 200), a couple of senior linemen.

"They are both playing football for the first time and picking it up very well," said the coach.

"Having 12 varsity players that are playing football for the first time, nine of them seniors, means we lack some experience," added Carrozzo. "They have made up for that shortfall with a tremendous work ethic and great attention to detail."

Joining Fields and Adamo are first-year seniors William Fischer (6-foot-1, 215), Michael Graves (5-foot-11, 165), Angel Murillo (5-foot-7, 160), Edward Salazar (5-foot-9, 165), Galileo Vargas (6-foot, 215), Scott Perez (5-foot-11, 235), Mohammed Mir (6-foot, 150) and Franklin Fuller (5-foot-7, 145); first-year juniors Jose Aguilera (6-foot-1, 180), Danny Mirabil (5-foot-6, 135) and Kevin Haynes (5-foot-9, 165); and first-year sophomores Elvy Harris Jr. (6-foot-3, 185), Matt Lamb (5-foot-6, 145), Jon Eseroma (5-foot-10, 195), Daniel Huskin-Jones (5-foot-6, 165), Nick Nichols (5-foot-10, 165) and Corey Williams (5-foot-10, 145).

"Our league has many very good teams, and we will have to be up to the challenge to earn every victory we get," said Carrozzo. "We are improved at 20 of the 22 positions on the field versus last year's varsity team. We hope to translate that to victories."

Prospect 2003 Football Schedule

Sept. 6 at King's Academy 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 Sequoia 1:30 pm

Sept. 19 Del Mar 7:30 pm

Oct. 3 Andrew Hill * 3:30 pm

Oct. 11 at Lincoln * 1:30 pm

Oct. 17 Overfelt * 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 Westmont * 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 1 at Branham * 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 8 at Leland * 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 14 at Yerba Buena 7:30 p.m.

*Denotes Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division game