Perched at his desk in an office the size of a walk-in closet, Mike Clemons held his head in his hands. The Sacramento City College football coach was already spent, and the first game has yet to be played.

The duties of a community college coach require a near fanatical, year-round push to remain ahead of the curve. Or in Clemons' case, ahead of rivals American River College and Sierra College.

ARC coach Jerry Haflich used to wrestle steers on the rodeo circuit for a living. Coaching this level? Much more daunting, he said, minus the cracked teeth.

Sierra coach Jeff Tisdel, the epitome of high energy, stepped away in 2006 to avoid burnout after elevating a once-woebegone program into a national power.

"Yes, it's JC football, and it's not Division I where our jobs are on the line, but we're all competitors," Haflich said. "It's football, and we want the best players. And we want to win."

For decades, Sac City – with historic Hughes Stadium as a backdrop – dominated the community college landscape in Northern California while ARC and Sierra were mired in mediocrity or misery.

Times have changed.

Sierra has been nationally ranked this decade, and there is subtle talk of a national title run this season. ARC was 10-0 as recently as 2005.

SCC and ARC each finished 4-6 in 2007, but the Panthers handed Sierra its only regular-season loss, and the Beavers ended their season by downing Sac City in a glimpse of parity.

"It's never been better across the board for all of us," Clemons said.

Because the NCAA has upped its core entry requirement from 14 units to 16 for Division I eligibility, more prospects are available, and local two-year colleges swoop in with safety nets. The region also continues to grow, with a new high school seemingly opening each fall. Each community college program had more than 120 players in summer workouts, though the teams cut their rosters to 70 to 85 in recent weeks.

Because there is no binding letter-of-intent for community college prospects, recruiting becomes an endless chore. Coaches make dozens of calls, make home visits and offer campus visits. They attend wrestling meets, basketball games and track meets to evaluate the talent and say hello.

"I know I put in more recruiting time than I ever did in Division I (as the head coach at Nevada), at least on the phone," Tisdel said. "Most coaches are paranoid. That's what keeps me motivated, knowing I need to keep working because those other coaches are, too."

And the Internet serves as a bridge for prospects – out of town or out of state. Recruits across the country are allowed to make "first contact" with any community college. Sac City, ARC and Sierra each have an impact starter or two from out of state. And the coaches, in this competitive drive, aren't about to turn down a prospect, even if there are hints of finger pointing. They may make the first contact only in their region.

"There's no way to police it, if a kid was contacted first or the other way around," said Tisdel, who also coached at Sac City. "It's hearsay. You know the best way to shut everyone up? Win. Don't complain, just beat them."

Akiem Hicks of Sac City is perhaps the region's top community college recruit. He's a 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive tackle with scholarship offers from Oregon and Tennessee, among others, starting in 2009. The Del Campo High School graduate was heavily recruited by each of the three local two-year schools.

"Recruiting was ridiculously intense," he said. "I had no idea."

Call The Bee's Joe Davidson, (916) 321-1280.