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Frank Mazzotta is entering
his 33rd season as the head
football coach at Cerritos College. After
four seasons beset by injuries and tough
luck, the Falcons reached the post-season
for the first time since its inception.
After opening the season with eight straight
wins, the Falcons dropped an overtime game
and concluded the season with a 31-17 loss
to Palomar in the first round of the
Southern California Regional Playoffs. The
team started their rise back to the top in
2008 when they earned a berth in the
prestigious Golden Empire Bowl, where they
dropped a 38-31 decision and finished with a
7-4 record. With another strong returning
group of players, along with one of the best
incoming classes in recent memory, Mazzotta
is looking to advance hi team farther into
the playoffs in search of his first state
championship. During his tenure with the
Falcons, Mazzotta has now guided his teams
to 16 bowl games including 12 of the last 17
years. In addition to defeating Victor
Valley in the Potato Bowl in 2003 (and went
7-4 on the year), they played in seven of
the nine Cerritos Strawberry Bowls,
defeating Moorpark and Allan Hancock twice,
along with Santa Ana and Orange Coast once.
For the first time in the history of the
Strawberry Bowl in 2002, the Falcons were
defeated, as Saddleback posted a 35-28 win
in overtime. The Falcons faced the Raiders
in the 1994 inaugural game, a 55-9 win,
while Cerritos handed Moorpark a 16-15
setback in 1996. Then, in 1998, Cerritos
upended a strong Allan Hancock team 35-21,
before defeating Orange Coast, 31-17 in
2000. During the 2001 season, the team
posted a 39-28 win over Allan Hancock. The
Falcons have also played in the Avocado
Bowl, Potato Bowl, Pony Bowl (twice) and the
Orange County Bowl (twice). While compiling
a 203-126-6 record (.615), 441 Falcon
players have received scholarships to
continue their education, which is perhaps
an even more impressive number. Mazzotta’s
career wins ranks him in the top 12 in the
history of community college head coaches.
During Mazzotta's tenure, many of his former
players have gone on to achieve great
success on the professional playing field.
Some of them include Seattle Seahawks wide
receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh, who tied for
the NFL lead in receptions in 2007 and was
an All-Pro selection. His latest player to
reach the NFL is offensive guard Mike Diaz,
who signed a free agent contract with the
Cleveland Browns. Other players who have
spent time in the NFL that played for
Mazzotta include Demetrin Veal, Rich
Camarillo, Rico Smith and Broderick
Thompson. Mazzotta also coached Herb Welch,
who was a starter for the 1986 Super Bowl
Champion New York Giants and Anthony
Drawhorn, who was the Canadian Football
League Rookie of the Year. Also included is
Mario Bradley, who played with the London
Monarchs of the World League of American
Football and also spent time with the
Amsterdam Admirals, while Dione Tyler played
with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian
Football League. Other past Falcons and
former professionals include Keith Dykes,
Corey Kelley, Jean Boyd, Sidney Johnson,
Jackie Johnson, Guy Teafatiller and Greg
Williamson. There are currently over 33
former players under Mazzotta that are
coaches at some level.
After graduating from El Rancho High School,
where he was All-League and All-CIF,
Mazzotta played in the Shrine Classic
between the North and South and has since
been named to the Shrine Classic Hall of
Fame, as well as the 605 All-Star Game Hall
of Fame. Long Beach City College was next
for Mazzotta, where he became an
All-American tight end, played in the Potato
Bowl and led them to the National
Championship. Mazzotta received a
scholarship to the University of Utah, where
he became an All-Western States Athletic
Conference selection and played in the
Liberty Bowl. Mazzotta went on to earn his
Bachelor of Science Degree in both Physical
Education and Biology at Utah and then his
Master’s Degree at Pepperdine University.
Mazzotta started his coaching career at the
University of Utah as a graduate assistant.
After his stay in Utah, he returned home to
coach at his high school alma mater, El
Rancho. Mazzotta received his first head
coaching job at Warren High School in Downey
in 1973, where he turned a dismal Bears
program around. In 1976, Mazzotta joined his
high school coach and mentor, Ernie Johnson,
on the Cerritos College staff. On January
31, 1978 Mazzotta was named the head
football coach for the Falcons.
Frank and his wife of 45 years, Helen, who
reside in Whittier, have two sons, Frank Jr.
and Casey. Frank Jr. was an All-Conference,
All-State and All-American wide receiver for
the Falcons in 1986-87, and received a
scholarship to the University of Utah. Frank
Jr. spent five years as the wide receivers
coach at Cerritos, one year at El Rancho
High School and two years as the head coach
at Artesia High School. He is now in his 11th
year as the head coach at La Habra High
School, where they won back-to-back CIF
Championships twice (2003-04 and 2007-08)
after reaching the CIF Championship game the
year prior and was named the CIF Coach of
the Year. Casey was a two-time
All-Conference and Academic All-American
free safety for the Falcons in 1990-91. He
received a scholarship to Brigham Young
University, where he was an Academic All-WAC
selection. Casey is now starting his fourth
year as the head coach at Mt. San Jacinto
College, which is his first collegiate head
coaching assignment. He started his coaching
career with the Falcons as a graduate
assistant and was then named the head coach
at Bellflower High School. After spending
two years as the head coach at Foothill High
School in Tustin, he moved on to serve as
the defensive coordinator at Fullerton
College until receiving the new head
coaching assignment. |