Openers generate promise

RICK DEVEREUX

Thursday night was quite a rush.

The football season was moments away from kickoff with Costa Mesa

High and Brea Olinda doing battle in the first high school game in

Orange County, and my leg was bouncing up and down in nervous

anticipation.

I felt like I was a wedge-buster on the kickoff team waiting for

the whistle to blow.

The possibilities of what lie ahead in the football season were

limitless.

Every team believes it has the talent to go undefeated.

Every team believes it has the personnel to make it to the CIF

Southern Section playoffs.

Every team believes it has the perfect mixture of experience and

depth to overcome obstacles later on in the season.

It is kind of a mantra coaches drill into players heads: We can

win every game if we play the way we’re capable of playing.

I felt kind of like a freshman football player, believing all of

the hyper-confidence the coaches spouted at me in the weeks leading

up to the first games of the season.

“I think we’re going to surprise some people.”

“We have a shot to win every game.”

“I really like the intensity our guys have showed in summer

practices.”

“Our kids are ready to go out and play.”

I ate it all up.

I was ready for a season in which the only blemishes on a team’s

record would be the ties it posted against other Newport-Mesa

schools.

Corona del Mar wins the Pacific Coast League and finishes the

regular season 7-0-3.

Costa Mesa and Estancia are Golden West League co-champions and

both enter the playoffs 8-0-2.

Newport Harbor reigns supreme in the Sea View League with a 9-0-1

regular-season mark.

Sage Hill winds up atop the Academy League, a perfect 10-0.

It was bound to happen that way considering the influx of talent

and promise at the five schools, as espoused by their coaches.

Realistically, I knew the chances of that happening were about as

likely as me winning the lottery, hitting a hole in one on a par-4,

or finding a $100 bill in my pocket.

But the start of a fresh season is always optimistic and it’s hard

not to get caught up in the excitement of new beginnings.

The junior varsity bench warmer truly can become an all-league

performer if he works hard enough in the off-season.

A transfer can be the missing piece of the puzzle that pushes a

team into the postseason.

One more year of experience can be all the third-string receiver

needs in order to find his timing with the quarterback.

Who knows?

And the excitement spilled over while waiting for the Mustangs and

Wildcats to start the season Thursday.

Maybe the off-the-field distraction would be an inspiration for

his team.

A big play here, a lucky play there, that’s all it takes to get a

team believing it is destined to win. And once that happens, watch

out.

Coaches spout out positive thinking for just that very reason.

The swing of momentum can be the main factor in a win or loss.

After last week’s games, maybe Mesa and Estancia will both get in

the CIF Division VII playoffs with 7-1-2 and 8-1-1 records,

respectively.

But even if they start out 0-5, it is not beyond the realm of

reason that they could wreak holy havoc on Golden West opponents and

advance to the playoffs.

And that’s why I was so excited for the season opener.

Who knows what will lie ahead?