A nice ring to it

Barry Faulkner

Estancia High football coach Dave Perkins stated the obvious when

he called Friday’s 34-14 upset of cross-town rival Costa Mesa the biggest

win in his 16-game tenure at the school. But the 17-year head coaching

veteran went one step further, terming the Pacific Coast League-opening

triumph among the top five wins in his coaching career, which includes a

1989 CIF Southern Section Division V championship at Corona High.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in some big games, over the

years, but this one was right up there,” Perkins said.

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Perkins temporarily halted the postgame proceedings at Orange Coast

College, when he needed instruction on how to ring the perpetual Victory

Bell trophy awarded the winning school each fall.

“I was in uncharted territory and I didn’t know how to (ring the bell),”

Perkins recalled with a laugh. “I figured it out, though, and hopefully I

can do it again next year.”

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Estancia’s win over the team several, including me, tabbed the favorite

to win the PCL crown, has the Eagles talking title. And, at the very

least, the Eagles like their chances of making the CIF playoffs for the

first time since 1995.

Mesa, which meets University Friday at Newport Harbor High in a game

which could leave the loser on the outside of the postseason picture,

maintains its title hopes.

In addition, Corona del Mar, which some coaches considered a sleeping

giant after an 0-5 preleague start, threw itself into the PCL title chase

with an impressive 28-7 league-opening win Thursday over Laguna Beach.

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The CIF Southern Section Council’s decision to expand the boys volleyball

playoffs from three divisions to five, shouldn’t affect Corona del Mar.

The Sea Kings, whose enrollment aligned them with Division III schools

the last three years, will play up in Division I again next spring,

according to Coach Steve Conti. Playing up last spring, they advanced to

the Division I championship match, where they fell to Back Bay rival

Newport Harbor.

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Contrary to one published report, Corona del Mar High senior girls tennis

standout Nadia Vaughan has verbally committed to continue as a collegian

at Southern Methodist University.

Vaughan, last year’s Sea View League singles runner up, chose the

Dallas-based school over San Diego State, Kansas and Arizona.

On her recruiting visit, Vaughan was hosted by former CdM standout Alissa

Scott, the 1994 Sea View League doubles champion who is a Mustang senior.

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Newport Harbor High girls cross country coach Eric Tweit believes the Sea

View League’s shift to two five-way league meets, rather than the

traditional five-week dual-meet schedule most leagues use, helps preserve

his athlete’s physical and mental energy for important postseason

competition.

Tweit said fewer dual meets allow for more practice time, which most

coaches prefer. Fewer dual meets should also have a positive effect on

results in the CIF Southern Section and CIF State meets which extend into

December.

“Cross country coaches will tell you most kids have about four top-notch

races in them a season,” Tweit said. “This cuts down the number of times

you ask your athletes to go to the post.”

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Tweit said the first order of business at the initial Sea View League

Athletic Directors meeting of the year recently was introductions.

In addition to Laguna Hills and Aliso Niguel replacing El Toro and Santa

Margarita as league representatives, longtime ADs Rick Curtis and Dave

Cowan have moved on from holdovers Irvine and Woodbridge, respectively.

“They’re all good people and very professional,” Tweit said of his new

Sea View colleagues. “But it’s going to take awhile to get used to their

personalities.”