Gauchos dominate all-academic team
The Saddleback football program has been a perennial leader in academics over the years and the 2019 season was another banner year for the Gauchos in the classroom. Saddleback led all programs in Southern California in players making the Southern California Football Association All-Academic Team.
Saddleback athletics places a big precedence on academics. The athletics program had 17-of-20 teams qualify for all-academic status during the 2018-19 calendar year, meaning they had a cumulative GPA of 3.0-or-higher.
Saddleback football had another sensational season both on and off the field. The Gauchos had 17 football players make the SCFA All-Academic Team, which was announced this past month. They ranked No. 1 in the region out of the 37 programs playing football.
"This is the ultimate goal of our department," Saddleback Athletics Director Randy Totorp said. "Winning on the field is fun, but seeing kids get prepared for the rest of their lives is why we all come to work."
Student-athletes participating in football at SCFA member schools are eligible for all-scholar athletic team qualification based upon the following criteria:
1. Participation as an active member of a SCFA football team, with two seasons of participation at the collegiate level, or until forced out of competition by season-ending injury.
2. Successful completion of a minimum 36 units…27 of which must be in academic (non-PE or sport activity) courses.
3. Achievement of a minimum 3.0 (B) overall grade point average.