1982 Southwestern Apaches football team
| 1982 Southwestern Apaches football | |
|---|---|
Mission Conference co-champion San Diego-South Bay Bowl champion | |
San Diego-South Bay Bowl, W 26–7 vs. Glendale (CA) | |
| Conference | Mission Conference |
| Record | 10–1 (5–1 Mission) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Jay Mack (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Bing Dawson (1st season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| Home stadium | DeVore Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern (CA) + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saddleback + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riverside + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Citrus | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Santa Ana | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego City | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Palomar | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1982 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1982 junior college football season. In their seventh year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 10–1 record (5–1 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for the Mission Conference championship, defeated the Glendale Vaqueros in the inaugural San Diego-South Bay Bowl, and were ranked No. 13 in the final J.C. Grid-Wire poll of 1982.
Southwestern unexpectedly finished as the Mission Conference tri-champions after Riverside upset previously undefeated Saddleback on the final day of the regular season, leaving all three teams with identical 5–1 conference records and 1–1 head-to-head records. Riverside qualified for their own bowl, the Inland Empire Lions Bowl, and Saddleback had already accepted a berth to play in the Pony Bowl, causing the state bowl committee to scramble to accommodate Southwestern with less than a week's notice. This led to the creation of the San Diego-South Bay Bowl, which was announced five days before the game. It was the first bowl game appearance in the program's 22-year existence.
The team was led on offense by quarterback Reid Sholl, who completed 105 of 199 passes for 1,292 yards and 16 touchdowns, as well as wide receiver Steve Pierce, who had 47 receptions for 782 yards and five touchdowns, and running back Tommy Hinzo, who had 62 carries for 400 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Sholl was named the Mission Conference Player of the Year and won the Joe Roth Memorial Award, given annually to the top junior college football player in San Diego County. Defensive back Dennis Mitchell led a defensive unit that allowed just 167.1 yards per game, including 38.8 per game on the ground, and recorded 25 total interceptions, all of which set school records. Additionally, defensive back Harry Carroll led the conference with eight interceptions, tying the school record.
The team played its home games at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista, California.