Eagles preparing to be on the clock

August is never a good month for Charlie Appell.

The coach of the Estancia High boys’ cross country team is always rearranging his schedule. While other area coaches have the full attention of their athletes, Appell is looking forward to the start of school, when he can get the entire team together at once.

August means summer jobs and the Eagles are always working these months until school begins.

“We have difficulties all of the time because of job commitments,” said Appell who is entering his 17th year leading the program. “A lot of them have work so I only see about 40% or 50% throughout the week. The work is difficult. The first meet we have will be like a meet-and-a-half. We don’t get an early start.”

There will also be issues for the Eagles to overcome once the team is formed and steps onto the course.

Estancia’s No. 1 runner Ernesto Castaneda graduated. Castaneda was second at the Golden West League meet and fifth at the CIF Southern Section Division III finals in 2005.

“We are pulling up the pack to make it a closer, better grouping this year,” Appell said. “We’ll time workouts to make sure the fastest are staying with the slowest.”

The team is young, but it won the Golden West League title and made it to the CIF State meet last season. The Eagles finished 13th in the state in Division III.

The team returns two all-league performers in junior Hector Gomez, who is expected to be the team’s No. 1 runner, and senior Enrique Vivar, who is one of two seniors on the team and will be part of the top five.

“Hector is a gritty and gutty runner,” Appell said of Gomez, who finished 27th in the Southern Section Division III final.

Sophomore Fernando Orozco figures to be the team’s No. 2 runner.

“He’s encouraging because he still has a lot of coachability,” Appell said.

Sophomores Willi Rodriguez and Wes Barloon round out the top five.

“I like Willi and Wes, that’s a good tandem,” Appell said. “We’re not as young as last year, but at least we had seniors last year.”

Junior Andy Navarrette and senior Vinnie Rodriguez are expected to complete the team’s top seven.

Sophomore CJ Buchmann was 30th in the Southern Section Division III final last season.

Sophomores Miguel Perez, Roberto Ramirez and Damion Leon are all expected to compete for a spot on the team.

With the focus on results at the end of the season, the Eagles will use the early stages to ready the team.

“We use those races to get gritty,” Apell said. “There’s not really much preparation. It’s a mental thing.”

Estancia’s chief rival as always will be Costa Mesa, as both shift from the Golden West League to the Orange Coast League.

“We’re looking just to do well,” Appell said. “We’re breaking new ground. It’s kind of difficult.”

The season opens Sept. 9 at the Laguna Hills Invitational.