Prep football: Subject to change

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The first part of his day, Corona del Mar High

football coach Dick Freeman teaches science. But, lately, when he steps

into the Sea Kings football office to prepare his team, his afternoon

tutorials have been much more about history.

The latter is an attempt to build the confidence of his 0-3 squad as

it readies for tonight’s 7 o’clock nonleague clash with visiting

Saddleback at Orange Coast College.

Freeman and his staff have spoken at length about remaining positive,

citing an 0-5 start from last year’s team, which then went on to capture

a share of the Pacific Coast League title. Additionally, the 1987 Sea

Kings, who opened 0-4, went on to win the Sea View League crown.

“Our kids are still working hard,” Freeman said. “But, realistically,

a win would mean a lot more to them than us coaches talking about how we

started last year.”

Saddleback, led by the dean of Orange County coaches, Jerry Witte, in

his 27th year at the Roadrunners’ helm, is getting no such hang-in-there

lectures this week, after earning a 28-16 decision over Santa Ana Valley

Friday to improve to 1-2.

Saddleback is also riding high with the return last week of senior

tailback Joel Gonzalez, an All-Golden West League standout last fall who

missed the first two weeks with a collapsed lung.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Gonzalez, whom Freeman believes plays much

bigger, led last week’s win, amassing 159 rushing yards and two

touchdowns on 32 carries. He rushed for 1,235 yards and scored 12 TDs as

a junior, when he posted 102 rushing yards and returned an interception

for a TD in a 10-7 victory over CdM.

“He’s a big guy with speed and he’s hard to bring down,” Freeman said.

“We thought (Newport Harbor’s 6-1, 205-pound tailback Chris Manderino,

who ran for 226 yards and three TDs in last week’s 35-7 victory over CdM)

ran hard, but this guy will be a similar challenge. We need to get some

guys in front of him and not let him get up a head of steam.”

The Roadrunners built that head of steam last week, earning a 28-0

first-half lead, before senior quarterback Ramon Saavedra went down with

a concussion.

Saavedra, who has thrown for 429 yards and five TDs (34 of 75 with two

interceptions), will be back this week, Witte said.

The Roadrunners utilize a no-huddle scheme, which led to 41 pass

attempts in a 48-23 season-opening loss to Costa Mesa.

The CdM defense eliminated big plays against Harbor (a 24-yard

Manderino scoring run was the only Newport play of more than 16 yards),

but still gave up 21 first downs. The Sea Kings’s front seven will need

to make more tackles to have a shot at a victory.

Offensively, CdM is also looking for its first consistent four-quarter

effort. Senior tailback Blake Hacker has gained 166 yards on 39 carries,

while junior quarterbacks Joe Barber and Dylan Hendy have combined to

pass for 338 of the team’s 505 yards of total offense.

Barber, who made his first start last week, is 14 of 30 for 198 yards

and two TDs, while Hendy is 10 of 24 for 140 yards and two TDs. They have

combined for seven interceptions, however, helping create the team’s

minus-seven turnover ratio.

Senior receiver Matt Moore’s speed makes him CdM’s most dangerous

offensive weapon. He is averaging nearly 36 yards on five receptions,

including two TDs.

The series between the two former Sea View League rivals sits at

9-9-1, but CdM has won six of the last eight meetings. It also reunintes

Witte and Freeman, former teammates at Anaheim High, who coached together

at Saddleback from 1988-92.