USD Football 1998

11

Meet The Toreros

Wade Van Dusen returns for his junior year after starting all 11 games last season at free safety ... finished second on team in tackles with 83, and is the leading returner in that department ... led team in tackles in five contests, three times tallying 11 stops (Azusa, Evansville and Wagner) ... in 1996 turned in 3 starts at end of freshman season, finishing the year with 2 1 tackles (9 solo), 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass break-up and 1 interception .. he had 3 tackles to go with his interception in win over Whittier College ... in team's season finale he totaled 14 tackles (4 solo) in PFL game against Dayton ... from nearby El Cajon, California, Wade prepped at Granite Hills High School where he was All-Grossmont League his senior year at linebacker. Major: Communications; Minor: Business Administration.

Wade Van Dusen #49 JR FS

Damion Womack enters hi s junior year at USO and second athletic campaign with the Torero football program ... sat out the 1996 season ... moves to the defensive side of the ball in 1998 where he will play cornerback ... last season as a running back, he appeared in six games, rushing 16 times for 40 yards (2.5 yards per carry) ... in season-opening win against Azusa, Damion ru shed 3 times for 17 yards with a long gain of 10 yards ... also netted a 9-yard sprint against Dayton Flyers ... from Seaside, California, Damion prepped at Monterey High School where he was a three-sport letterwinner in football , basketball and track ... senior year was the recipient of the 'Golden Helmet Award' ... chose USO for academics and football. Major: Business Administration.

Damion Womack #22 SO CB

Oscar Arzu enters his sophomore season with the Toreros where he is expected to see playing time at tailback .. . last season appeared in six games, finishing with 17 carries for 52 yards (3.1 yards per carry average) ... his two best outings came in Pioneer Football League contests -- he rushed 8 times for 29 yards with a long of7 yards in Torero win over Evansville, and he rushed for 15 yards against Valparaiso on two carries with a season-long scamper of 14 yards ... from Baldwin Park, California, Oscar prepped at Sierra Vi sta High School where in his senior year he fini shed second in the state in rushing with 3,320 yards and 44 touchdowns ... born and lived in Belize until he was nine years old ... first time he played organized football was at high school level ... chose USO for strong academics. Major: Electrical Engineering.

Oscar Arzu #37 SO TB

Joel Gonzalez enters hi s sophomore season with the Toreros where he will again start on the offensive line at guard ... played key role on offensive line in 1997 that posted four games without al – lowing a quarterback sack, and six other contests with just one ... had a productive summer of training - - improved lifts on the average of 15-20% in his first year in program ... from Stockton, California, Joel prepped at Tokay High School where in hi s senior year the football team went 9-2 and won the San Joaquin Athletic Association league title ... he was a two-time winner in the following categories for hi s junior and senior seasons (1995 & 1996): All-Area Lineman of the Year, the team 's Lineman of the Year, and First Team All-SJAA ... also recruited by Colorado State, Montana State and UC Davis ... Joel enjoys weight lifting and playing basketball ... chose USO for its strong academic reputation.

Joel Gonzalez #61 SO OL

Major: Undeclared.

Joe Hampton returns for his second season where he is slotted for the starting tailback spot in the Toreros backfield ... in 1997 finsihed as the Toreros leading rusher with 556 yards on 120 carries (4.6 yards per carry) .. . earned the starting tailback position second half of the season, finishing with 4 starts in 9 games ... his break-out game came against Butler where he carried the ball 16 times for 80 yards with a long of 15 yards ... three games later he busted loose for 127 yards, including a 70-yard TD sprint, in team 's win at Valparaiso ... against Whittier he carried a season high 31 times against the Poets, finishing with 130 yards and 2 scores .. . in the season final against Wagner he netted 96 yards, including a 75-yard TD sprint ... over final three games in 1997,Joe averaged 117.7 yards a game ... from Seattle, Washington, Joe prepped at Lakeside High where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball and track (All-Metro in all sports). Major: Business Finance; Minor: Politcal Science.

Joe Hampton #25 SO TB