1983 Southwestern Apaches football team

1983 Southwestern Apaches football
South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl champion
South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, W 24–11 vs. El Camino
ConferenceMission Conference
Record9–2 (4–2 Mission)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJan Chapman Sr. (1st season)
Offensive schemeI formation
Defensive coordinatorBing Dawson (2nd season)
Home stadiumDeVore Stadium
1983 Mission Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Saddleback + 5 0 19 1 1
Citrus + 5 0 17 3 1
Southwestern (CA) 4 2 09 2 0
Santa Ana 3 3 04 6 0
Riverside 2 4 04 6 0
Palomar 1 5 04 6 0
San Diego City 0 6 08 2 0
  • + Conference co-champions

The 1983 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1983 junior college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 9–2 record (4–2 in conference games), finished third in the Mission Conference, defeated El Camino in the South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, and were ranked No. 21 in the final J.C. Grid-Wire poll of 1983.

Southwestern hosted the second annual South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, which pitted the team with the best record in San Diego County against an at-large team selected by the state bowl committee. Southwestern secured their berth with an 8–2 regular season record while El Camino earned an invitation after a runner-up finish in the Metropolitan Conference. The game was cancelled ahead of its third edition in 1984.

Linebacker Harry Leomiti was selected as a second-team player on the 1983 junior college All-American football team by J.C. Grid-Wire, while wide receiver Steve Pierce received honorable mention. In addition, 10 Southwestern players were selected to the 1983 All-Mission Conference football team. Two were named to the first-team offense (Pierce and running back Darnell King) while three were named to the first-team defense: Leomiti, fellow linebacker Irwin Smith, and defensive lineman Chris Cross. Pierce recorded 39 receptions for 672 yards and a conference-best 11 touchdowns in the regular season, and added 13 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown in their bowl game win to earn offensive MVP honors. He later played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns.

The team played its home games at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista, California.