Seahawks, Chargers get first look

Mike Sciacca, Independent

The official start to the 2000 prep football season is Sept. 7, but

there will be a sneak peak tonight regarding the Edison and Ocean View

High football teams.

At 5 p.m., Ocean View Coach Harold Eggers will see his squad in action

when the Seahawks take on St. Anthony and Brethren Christian in a

tri-scrimmage at Clarke Field in Lakewood.

At 6 p.m. at Newport Harbor High’s Davidson Field, Dave White’s Edison

Chargers will challenge Estancia of the Pacific Coast League.

Both coaches are eager for the new season to begin, and tonight will

give each an indication as to where he team stands just one week from

their respective openers.

“What I’m looking for in this scrimmage is to find our how well our

returning kids fare,” said Eggers, who welcomes back nine returning

starters from last year’s 7-4 team. “But more than that, this gives us a

chance to see how well our young kids deal with a game situation. After

our first 13-14 kids, we’re pretty untested.”

Depth has plagued the Ocean View program in recent years, so staying

injury-free is Eggers’ primary concern.

“We’re pretty thin, with a lot of two-way starters,” he said. “We want

to give everyone a chance to play in the scrimmage. That will give us a

good look at seeing how these kids handle an actual game.”

Eggers also is eager to see how well Patrick Campbell, last year’s

leading receiver, makes the transition from that position to quarterback.

“Patrick has a lot of talent, but it’s going to take time for him to

feel comfortable at quarterback,” Eggers said. “We’ll need our receivers

to really help him out.”

Dave White’s hopes are similar.

What Edison’s coach, now in his 15th year at the school, wants to get

out the Estancia scrimmage is a feel for depth.

“We have a really good first group of players, so it will be

interesting to see how our other players perform in a game situation,” he

said. “We’re looking at just about everything in this game.”

The Chargers have emerged from summer ball relatively injury-free,

although starting offensive lineman Steve Burke has an ankle sprain,

White said Thursday.

“You know, you get this far in summer ball, and you’re just looking to

get everybody healthy for that season opener,” he said. “We’re doing

pretty good, so far.”

The Estancia scrimmage is a tuneup for Edison’s Sept. 8 opener against

El Toro at Trabuco Hills High, while Ocean View’s tri-scrimmage is a

prelude to the Sept. 8 opener, on the road, against Twentynine Palms.