Prep column: Corona del Mar-vels

Barry Faulkner

Perhaps lost in much of the well-deserved fanfare the Costa Mesa

High boys basketball program has received during it’s 16-4 start, has

been the noteworthy turnaround of the 14-4 Corona del Mar girls.

In his third season as coach, former Southern California College (now

Vanguard U) standout Elbert Davis has instilled a consistent work ethic

and a growing confidence. Combined with improved talent, personified by

the solid season being turned in by junior Kristin McCoy, the former Sea

View League doormat has won 11 of 12 and become a Pacific Coast League

title contender.

The 14 wins, heading into tonight’s home date with University, are one

more than the program produced in Davis’ first two seasons combined.

CdM’s showdown with Costa Mesa, Thursday on the Mustangs’ floor, will

determine which of the circuit’s top two teams has the inside track to

the title.

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As first-year coach Bob Serven will attest, there’s plenty of competition

standing between the Mesa boys team and the first league championship in

its 40-season varsity history.

But the resurgence of the Mustangs has helped make the newly aligned PCL

the toughest boys circuit, top to bottom, in Orange County.

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In case you didn’t notice, all four Newport-Mesa District boys basketball

teams were ranked in their respective CIF Southern Section divisions last

week, by all accounts a historic occurrence.

CdM, Mesa and Estancia were ranked fourth, fifth and 10th, respectively,

in III-A, while Newport Harbor was No. 10 in II-AA. The Sailors were also

No. 10 in the county.

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All four district boys basketball programs have already surpassed the

10-win plateau, which piqued my interest as to how many times it had

happened before.

I was surprised to learn it has occurred eight times before this season

(1973, ‘75, ‘77, ‘79, ‘80, ‘82, ’83 and ‘94).

With a healthy part of the regular season, as well as the playoffs, still

ahead, district schools have combined for 54 victories. But with three

schools aligned in the same league, forcing them to beat up on one

another, approaching the combined Newport-Mesa single-season victory

record of 77 in 1985 could be problematic.

That 1985 campaign saw Estancia win 25, Newport 24, CdM 19 and Costa Mesa

nine.

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Northwood High’s recent decision to play varsity football next fall

wasn’t the best of news for Estancia Coach Dave Perkins.

It’s not that Perkins or his players are fearful about their ability to

compete with the Irvine-based Timberwolves. Rather, the game fills out

Estancia’s schedule, ruining the Eagles’ chance of opening the new

millennium with a game in Hawaii.

“We’re really mad we can’t go to Hawaii, now,” Perkins said.

At Northwood’s request, the 2000 Pacific Coast League schedule was

altered from its original form, further irking Perkins.

After the adjustment, the Eagles will play only two league games at home

for the third straight season.

The Eagles made three changes in their 2000 nonleague schedule. They’ll

meet Aliso Niguel instead of Westminster in Week 2, Canyon instead of

Garden Grove in Week 3 and Orange instead of Anaheim in Week 4.

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Jon Carlew has returned as Costa Mesa’s boys volleyball coach. The Mesa

alumnus, who played volleyball as a prep, resigned after three seasons at

the helm following the 1997 campaign to concentrate on obtaining his

college degree.

He completed work on a marketing degree the fall semester at Long Beach

State and is happy to return to his alma mater as a walk-on.

“I coached this year’s seniors on the frosh-soph when they were

freshmen,” Carlew said. “I’ve kept in touch with them and I feel

comfortable with them. I expect a good season this year.”

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The CIF Southern Section Division VI champion Newport Harbor High

football team celebrated at its annual postseason banquet Jan. 10 at the

American Legion Hall in Newport Beach.

Record-setting senior tailback Andre Stewart, the team’s Most Valuable

Player, highlighted a string of players who presented awards and verbal

tributes to the coaching staff.

Stewart, while honoring Coach Jeff Brinkley, drew uproarious laughter

when he termed the veteran head man “straight hard.”

Stewart also said, tongue in cheek, that an emotional admission by

Brinkley before the CIF title game that he wanted to win with his father,

Roy, in the stands, proved “Coach Brinkley had some kind of heart, after

all.”

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The Newport Harbor High girls tennis team, the CIF Division I runner-up

last fall, wound up No. 4 in the final National High School Tennis

Coaches Association rankings, released Jan. 6.

Coach Fletcher Olson’s Sailors were defeated by national champion

Peninsula, 10-8, in the CIF title match to finish 19-2.

Coach Tim Mang’s CdM boys team, which earned the CIF Division I crown and

finished 22-1 last spring, wound up No. 2 in the final national poll.

Cardinal Gibbons High of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. was No. 1.