Northwood commits to varsity football

Barry Faulkner

Northwood High Athletic Director Rick Curtis, also the first-year

Irvine school’s football coach, announced Wednesday the Timberwolves will

play Pacific Coast League schools in varsity football next fall.

The decision, which coaches at local PCL schools Corona del Mar, Costa

Mesa and Estancia had all lobbied for, eliminates the need to fill one

week of the league football season with a nonleague opponent, as five PCL

schools did last fall.

“We had a choice to play junior varsity or varsity league games and our

kids, parents and staff felt playing varsity would help us in the long

run,” Curtis said.

Curtis said the school, which fielded varsity teams in girls cross

country and girls tennis, would compete on the varsity level in all

sports, beginning next fall. He also said the school decided to play a

varsity boys tennis schedule this spring.

A tentative PCL football schedule, expected to be approved by league

principals, will have Northwood meeting Estancia in Week 6, CdM in Week 7

and Costa Mesa in Week 10.

In other football scheduling news, reigning CIF Southern Section Division

VI champion Newport Harbor will open the season against Orange Lutheran.

The Sailors finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in Orange County,

while the Orange Lutheran, upset in the Division XI quarterfinals, was

No. 4.

Orange Lutheran will replace Orange, which opted out of the final year of

its contract with the Sailors.

The Tars will also play Dana Hills in Week 4, after Glendora elected not

to renew the contract.

Cypress replaces Marina as CdM’s season-opening opponent and Costa Mesa

has replaced Week 4 opponent Western with Ocean View.