Locals lift Bruins to No. 14 preseason ranking
Players from Conejo Valley expected to make big contributions to UCLA's football team
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

Ben Olson

Last year the UCLA football team surprised many experts when it pulled off an upset of crosstown rival USC in the last game of the regular season. This season, five former local high school standouts will look to make sure that game was not a fluke.

The Bruins officially went from underdog to contender last week when the Associated Press listed UCLA as the No. 14ranked team in the nation in its preseason poll.

One of the reasons for the lofty ranking is the return of red-shirt junior quarterback Ben Olson, who was injured for much of the 2006 campaign.

Olson, a transfer from BYU, earned the starting job under center last season after a storied career at Thousand Oaks High. While at Thousand Oaks, Olson was named the 2001 National Player of the Year by ESPN and PrepStar. During his high school career, Olson broke school records for career passing yards (2,989) and touchdowns (32). As a Lancer, Olson completed 421 passes for 6,401 yards and 54 touchdowns.

"Coming out of high school I tried not to focus on what was being said about me or not being said about me," Olson said. "Mike Sanders (former TOHS head football coach) gave me good advice when he told me to go out there and have fun and enjoy myself during every game."

Aaron Ware

This season UCLA hired a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Jay Norvell. Norvell previously spent the last three seasons in a similar role at the University of Nebraska.

"I like everything that Coach Norvell has brought into our system," Olson said. "It's more of a ball-control offense, similar to a West Coast style of play, and I think it makes me more of a multidimensional player."

After sitting out half of the 2006 season with a knee injury, Olson said he's more anxious than ever to help add to the Bruins' offensive attack.

"Right now I feel great, healthwise," Olson said. "I wanted to try and play last November but wasn't quite ready. It wasn't until January where I felt I was back to 100 percent. Now I'm very hungry to go out and play after watching the team last year without being able to contribute."

Jeff Miller

One of the players responsible for making sure Olson is not harmed in the pocket is former Agoura High standout P.J. Irvin, a senior offensive guard. According to Olson, Irvin has performed well during the offseason.

"He has been playing with the (first team) lately, after Shannon Tevaga got hurt," Olson said. "He's a great player, and every day he proves he's going to be a huge factor on this team."

According to Irvin, Olson is healthy and his arm is as strong as ever.

"He's looking like he's in the best shape of his life," Irvin said. "He is out there every day, just throwing ropes all over the field."

Olson has many weapons at the wide receiver position, including former Oak Park High standout Gavin Ketchum. Ketchum was named Oak Park's Athlete of the Year during the 2004-05 season.

Ketchum enters his junior year with something to prove. As a sophomore, he caught only five passes for 57 yards. He also played special teams.

Gavin Ketchum

"I'm looking for Gavin to have a big year for us," Olson said. "He is a big, physical receiver that has huge hands and is able to do great things once he catches the ball."

On the defensive side, UCLA will get help from former Oaks Christian free safety Aaron Ware. After red-shirting in 2005, Ware appeared in all 13 games for the Bruins last year, playing mostly on special teams. Ware is the younger brother of Matt Ware, who played at UCLA from 200103 and is currently in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals.

Although Ware gets words of wisdom from his brother, the redshirt sophomore said some of the best advice he's received came from his former Oaks Christian head coach, Bill Redell.

"Redell always said perfect practice makes you perfect," Ware said. "By that he meant that the harder you work in practice, the easier the games get."

Ware said his onfield experience from last season should help him feel more comfortable this time around.

"It's been a 180-degree turn from last year," Ware said. "I feel I know the playbook better this year, and I'm not running all over the field just to get lined up. I also feel that I am communicating better with the cornerbacks and other safeties."

P.J. Irvin

One player Ware is working with is defensive lineman Jeff Miller, who enters his first season after red-shirting in 2006. Miller starred at Westlake High.

"Jeff is a great lineman who is really quick off the edge," Ware said. "He has long arms which enable him to deflect a lot of passes at the line of scrimmage. He is a big key to our defense."

One player Miller may have to help shut down later this year is his brother Jimmy, who currently plays tight end for USC.

"Football is something we just don't talk about that much," Jeff Miller said with a laugh. "I'm just concerned about this team and myself trying to constantly get better."

Although Miller doesn't talk much college football with his sibling, the five area products tend to discuss their high school playing days a lot. Ware said his favorite on-field memories in high school came against Ketchum and Oak Park.

Photos by ADAM DAVIS/Acorn Newspapers POWDER BLUE PRIDE- Quarterback Ben Olson, a Thousand Oaks High graduate, will direct the UCLA offense this season.

"The games against Oak Park were the best games in high school," Ware said. "They only beat us once, and it was in the regular season when it didn't matter as much. Gavin and I had a mutual friend in high school, so I definitely knew who he was. We also played together in Pop Warner."

Being a former player at Oaks Christian, Ware knows a lot about being part of a highly touted team. Ware, however, said it's not productive to get caught up in the hype.

"The season hasn't even started yet, so (the ranking) is just a number to me," Ware said. "Now people know that we are good, but we still have to prove it by coming out prepared to play every day like champions."

UCLA begins its season on Sat., Sept. 1 at Stanford.

UCLA's schedule

Sat., Sept. 1 at Stanford
Sat., Sept. 8 vs. BYU
Sat., Sept. 15 at Utah
Sat., Sept. 22 vs. Washington
Sat., Sept. 29 at Oregon State
Sat., Oct. 6 vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Oct. 20 vs. California
Sat., Oct. 27 at Wash. State
Sat., Nov. 3 at Arizona
Sat., Nov. 10 vs. Arizona State
Sat., Nov. 24 vs. Oregon
Sat., Dec. 1 at USC