Prep column: Noonan settling into Eagles’ nest

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - If there are insurmountable obstacles before the

Estancia High football program, Jay Noonan doesn’t see them. Instead, the

former USC walk-on and longtime prep assistant focuses on the smiling

faces of his energetic young players, whose ranks, he said, are growing

daily.

Hired in mid-June, Noonan and his Eagles are into their second week of

the summer training and he likes everything he’s seen thus far.

“I’m still as fired up as I was when I took the job,” Noonan said.

“The kids are making it fun and there is never a dull moment. We had

about 45 (varsity) kids fill out paperwork and we’ve had 48 freshmen sign

up.”

Among the biggest news Noonan has generated is his choice for the head

coach those freshmen will report to next fall. John Liebengood, who

guided the Eagles’ varsity for 12 seasons (1986-97) and whose 53 career

wins are more than any other Estancia football coach, has agreed to coach

the freshmen.

“I’m real excited about that,” Noonan said. “John is a well-respected

coach with more than 30 years of experience. What a blessing for the

freshmen, and for me.”

Noonan’s varsity staff will include defensive coordinator Scott Wilkie

and offensive coordinator David Lamarre.

Wilkie, a fellow Capistrano Valley assistant with Noonan last season,

also coached with Noonan at Mount Diablo High in Concord.

Lamarre, who played and coached at pass-happy Hart High in Newhall,

will join the staff in the fall from Aptos High, where he has spent the

last few seasons as an assistant and is finishing up his commitment to

coach during the summer. He has coached with Noonan previously at Katella

and Monte Vista.

“I know these guys and have coached with them, so I know we’ll have a

good chemistry,” Noonan said.

The plan is for Wilkie and Lamarre to fill teaching positions at

Estancia, but those jobs have not been finalized yet.

Jeff Perry, a former all-league quarterback for the Eagles, will also

join the staff, according to Noonan. He’ll coach the quarterbacks and

assist with the linebackers.

“Besides being a former Eagle, and a decorated one at that, he’s a

solid young man and an outstanding role model,” Noonan said. “The kids

have warmed up to him.”

Perry was among the staff of assistants assembled by his father, Art

Perry, to run the Eagles’ spring practices. Liebengood also helped out in

the spring.

Brian Weaver, a youth minister from Huntington Beach who has coached

in Texas, will also join the staff as a walk-on. He’ll coach the

receivers and the secondary, Noonan said.

Among the changes Noonan will initiate is a new helmet logo and a

shift from the scarlet red color used on last year’s uniforms to

program’s more traditional cardinal shade.

“The screaming chicken is gone,” Noonan said of last year’s helmet

logo.

Noonan said he is not a big proponent of summer passing leagues, but

he will face selected seven-on-seven competition this summer to gauge his

players’ progress.

Amazingly, Noonan said he and former Eagles Coach Dave Perkins, now at

Costa Mesa, have arranged to collide in this format.

The crosstown rivals are scheduled to informally square off July 27 at

Costa Mesa.

Jason Lynch replacing Brian Kreutzkamp as Newport Harbor High boys

water polo and swim coach, is not the first time their career paths have

intersected.

Kreutzkamp, in fact, replaced Lynch as head boys polo coach at Costa

Mesa High after Lynch left the Mustangs for Capistrano Valley, following

the 1993 season.

The Costa Mesa “connection” also includes former Mustang Coach Scott

Taylor, who assisted Lynch and Kreutzkamp at Mesa, then took over the

program when Kreutzkamp came to Harbor.

Taylor, currently coaching the boys and girls teams at Santa

Margarita, had been coaching the Golden West men’s program, until

deciding to commit full time to Santa Margarita.

The opening created by Taylor’s departure from Golden West, drew

Kreutzkamp away from Newport Harbor and, now, Lynch has completed the

circle.

While the boys basketball teams from Corona del Mar, Estancia and

Newport Harbor are preparing to compete in the 32-team George Yardley

Summer Cage Classic, Friday-Sunday, Costa Mesa’s boys program has also

been hard at work.

Mustangs Coach Bob Serven reports Chad Vakili, who started as a junior

for the Pacific Coast League co-champions last year, recently netted 10

three-pointers en route to 42 points in a game against Murrieta Valley.

The regular-season Newport-Mesa District record for three-pointers in one

game is nine, shared by three players.

Serven also reports returning point guard David Conte, who will be a

senior, is turning heads with his play this summer.