Prep football: CdM involved in class struggle

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The transition from freshmen football to the

varsity can be intimidating, but the Class of 2003 isn’t tiptoeing around

the Corona del Mar High practice field.

CdM Coach Dick Freeman, in fact, said he has had to tone down the

aggressiveness displayed by some of his sophomores the first three

conditioning days, before the Sea Kings don full gear today.

“We’ve had some guys going after people, even without the pads,” said

Freeman, back for his sixth season at the helm after a 3-8 campaign that

included a share of the Pacific Coast League title.

The CdM freshmen, however, claimed the 1999 PCL championship outright

and Freeman believes their enthusiasm has been contagious with their

older teammates.

“We’ve talked to a couple seniors and told them they’re going to have

to raise the benchmark, because the younger guys are establishing their

own benchmark,” Freeman said. “If a young kid gets above the benchmark,

he’ll be the one who starts.”

For the most part, starting jobs are up for grabs, though senior

standouts Nick Prosser, Blake Hacker, Eric Snell, Dave Richardson and

Charlie Alshuler have established themselves above the fray.

Among the lineup questions is a competition at quarterback, where

senior incumbent Evan Burden is battling junior Fountain Valley transfer

Dylan Hendy and junior returner Joe Barber.

Freeman said the coaches are particularly excited about today’s first

practice in pads, because it will help them solve some of the confusion

on the depth chart.

In addition to the young blood, Freeman said he has been pleased with

the work ethic of the entire team.

“The sophomores have been accepting the leadership of the seniors and

adding to it,” said Freeman. “The players have had a real good attitude.

They’ve been working hard and they appear to be pretty serious about

this.”

The Sea Kings get their first serious outside competition Sept. 1,

when they travel to El Modena High for a three-way scrimmage involving

Villa Park and Pacifica.

CdM opens the regular season Sept. 9 against Cypress.