Bertoni Is Quick to Size Up Situation

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — George Berg quickly summed up his second-year starting quarterback, Scott Bertoni.

“If Scott was 6-foot-3, people would be lined up on his doorstep,” the Fountain Valley coach said. “He has the arm velocity, good speed and escapability, but he’s a ‘tweener.”

At 6-1 1/2, 180 pounds, Bertoni may not be tall enough to attract some Division I college recruiters, but his numbers speak for themselves.

Bertoni, a first-team all-league selection, passed for more than 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. He led Fountain Valley, which finished 2-6-1 in 1991, to a 7-4-1 finish in ’92 and second place in the Sunset League.

“I’m not 6-3 or 6-4 and I don’t run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds,” Bertoni said. “But I can throw the football. I can get the job done.”

Berg said Bertoni compares favorably with former UCLA and Fountain Valley standout Matt Stevens. Bertoni, a senior, also has the makeup that fits Berg’s system.

“Although we came off a tough season last year, we finished where I thought we would,” Berg said. “I’m an eternal optimist.”

Two of Fountain Valley’s losses were to Los Alamitos, the Southern Section Division II co-champion. In the first meeting, the Barons lost to the Griffins in a nonleague game, 24-7, then they lost in the playoffs, 41-14.

In the playoff game, with the Barons leading Los Alamitos, 14-6, in the second quarter, Bertoni threw a pass he wishes he could have back.

“I read the coverage wrong,” he said. “The receiver read the coverage right, changed his route and went deep. I threw expecting a curl pattern, and it got intercepted.”

Los Alamitos’ George Sagen intercepted the pass and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-13.

“Our guy was wide open on the play,” Bertoni said. “If I hit him and we go down and score on that drive, I believe that game would’ve been different.”

While Bertoni wished for that pass back, he didn’t get to see one of his most important completions last season.

In the Barons’ 17-14 victory over league champion Servite, Bertoni completed 15 of 24 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown.

With 8 minutes 44 seconds remaining, Bertoni kept the Servite offense off the field with a 6 1/2-minute, 14-play drive that gave the Friars only one, final possession.

Bertoni kept the drive alive on a crucial third and 19. Before the play, all-county safety A.J. Gass, who sacked Bertoni three times in the game, crept up on the line.

Said Bertoni: “I remember saying to our running back, Jeremy Nicholson, ‘A.J. Gass is gonna blitz so pick him up. All we have to do is get a first down and the game is in our hands.’

“I go up to the line, I look at Jeremy and nod over at Gass, then I went back to pass and I see Jeremy go to help one of our linemen. Here comes Gass running in . . . “

Under pressure, Bertoni threw deep for Bryan Gail, who caught the pass for a 35-yard completion to continue the drive and help secure the victory.

“I didn’t even see what happened. I threw the ball, then Gass hit me and he started yelling, ‘Hey, that’s what Servite is all about.’ Then I heard our crowd cheer. I didn’t even know Bryan caught the ball,” Bertoni said.

“We needed Scott to play a perfect game for us to win, and he just about did that,” Berg said. “The best thing he’s shown us is that he can win big games.”