Friendly fire

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Having opened the season with three injury-plagued

losses, in which his team produced only 10 points, Corona del Mar High

football coach Dick Freeman would have liked to have picked up the phone

and sought encouragement from a former coaching colleague and Anaheim

High teammate.

Instead, Freeman spent the week trying to devise a way to beat the

aforementioned Jerry Witte, whose Saddleback Roadrunners visit Newport

Harbor High Friday for a 7 p.m. nonleague clash.

Saddleback (1-2) is favored to extend the early season misery for CdM,

which has lost starting quarterback Matt Moore (broken rib) indefinitely.

The Sea Kings may also have lost confidence, according to Freeman, who,

along with his staff, could unveil a new offensive look in order to try

to spark some productivity.

“We need to throw some wrinkles in and try to find an alternative,”

Freeman said. “We need to at least have the feeling we can put points on

the board.”

The Sea Kings, keyed by senior tailback Grant Estabrook, have averaged

107 yards total offense per game. Estabrook has rushed for 234 yards on

70 attempts and has scored the team’s only touchdown.

Consequently, defenses, including Newport Harbor’s last week, have begun

crowding the neutral zone in order to thwart the ground attack.

“We need to find a way to back people off, either throwing the ball or

trying to getting the ball outside, around people,” Freeman said.

In addition to Moore, the Sea Kings continue to play without linebacker

Blake Hacker (ankle), while two-way starters Adam Cooper (shoulder) and

Mike Hayes (broken thumb, as well as hip and hamstring problems) are

hoping to heal enough to contribute.

Backup Joe Barber is out with a broken thumb, leaving the quarterbacking

chores to junior Evan Burden, who is 0 for 3 this season and has one

varsity completion in five attempts.

Freeman planned to hold an audition for a backup signal caller in

practice this week.

“I’m thinking about calling (Witte) up and asking him if he wants to go

touch,” Freeman quipped.

The Sea Kings’ 10 points are the second fewest in Orange County (to La

Quinta’s seven), but both CdM and Saddleback have given up 81 points.

The Roadrunners, who earned their first win with a 34-20 decision over

Santa Ana Valley Saturday, lost to Costa Mesa and Irvine, both ranked in

the top four of their respective CIF Southern Section divisions.

The visitors are led offensively by tailback Joel Gonzalez (322 yards on

52 carries) and quarterback Victor Ortiz. Ortiz has completed 23 of 41

for 289 yards and six TDs, with two interceptions.

“(Ortiz) has been throwing the ball really well,” said Freeman, a

Saddleback assistant under Witte for five seasons (1988-92).

Witte, in his 26th season at the Roadrunner helm, is looking to even his

record at the school (currently 153-154-7).

CdM has won six of the last seven meetings with Saddleback to take a

9-8-1 lead in the series.