Coaches Are Proceeding With Caution

More high school football players will be watching from the sidelines this week because of increased awareness and concern about head injuries in the wake of Costa Mesa High linebacker Matt Colby’s death.

Colby, 17, took himself out of a game against Huntington Beach Ocean View last Friday night, walked to the sideline and collapsed. He never regained consciousness and was taken off life support Sunday.

A cause of death has not been determined. Colby’s headaches after two earlier games and whether he suffered an injury that could have contributed to his death after absorbing and delivering several jarring hits early in the season are questions school officials are examining.

Costa Mesa players voted, 42-7, to play tonight’s game against Whittier Christian at Newport Harbor High, and most are expected to play. Elsewhere, however, some players will remain spectators this week--whether they want to play or not.

Placentia Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said “a couple kids” came to him earlier this week and said they were having headaches. One of those players, Michael Lytle, a defensive back and wide receiver, was sidelined during Thursday night’s game against Ocean View as a precaution.

“I have [Lytle] in my history class and he told me this morning that the doctor said he didn’t think he had a concussion, but I told him ... you aren’t playing,”’ Marrujo said.

At Anaheim Western High, Coach Toby Howell said defensive end Sam Liera was sidelined for Thursday’s game against Hacienda Heights Los Altos. Howell said Liera began suffering headaches last spring. They subsided this summer, but in Western’s second game this season, Liera came off the field dizzy.

The player was feeling better at practice last week, and he recently produced a doctor’s note clearing him to play--which he did against Whittier Pioneer on Sept. 28.

“The same thing happened,” Howell said of Liera’s dizziness.

Howell said that after reading about Colby’s death he immediately sought medical attention for Liera. The coach said tests are still being conducted to trace the problem.

“I really wanted to play in this game, but my coach and my trainer said my safety is more important,” Liera said from the sidelines on Thursday. La Habra Coach Frank Mazzotta has benched starting center Gabe Romero for tonight’s game against Santa Ana Foothill after Romero’s mother called and said her son was still suffering headaches from a “slight concussion.”

Brea Olinda Coach Jon Looney said he plans to speak frankly with players about what happened to Colby--and about a player’s responsibility to tell someone when they don’t feel well.

Coaches at Brea Olinda have taken extra precaution with one player, long snapper Jeff Hapsas, who was diagnosed with a “mild concussion” after a game two weeks ago.

Although Hapsas has since been cleared to play, coaches are limiting his offensive duties in games and his participation in some practice drills. That cautious attitude prevailed at other football programs in Southern California, where the mood this week has been somber.

“We played Costa Mesa [two weeks earlier],” Westminster Coach Ted McMillen said, “and the reports have said Colby might have been injured during our game. We don’t remember much about him or anything that might have happened to him in that game.... But having played that team, it hits a bit closer to home.”

Westminster had two players suffer concussions earlier this season, including quarterback Fidel Gonzalez, who was taken off the field by paramedics. He has since been cleared to play.

“When we talked this week about not taking any chances with head and neck injuries ... there was a little different look in their eyes,” McMillen said. “It’s a wake-up call for every player.”

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Staff writers Bob Rohwer, Martin Henderson and Mike Bresnahan contributed to this story.