Prep football: Rivals share respect

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Though Costa Mesa High football coach Dave Perkins was

happy to experience the postgame rituals that go with winning the Battle

for the Bell against crosstown rival Estancia, he said the most

gratifying part of Friday’s postgame at Orange Coast College might have

been the traditional handshake line.

“It was a relief,” Perkins said of the sportsmanship that carried the

day, after another in a series of emotional games this rivalry has

produced “There was some concern about something extra curricular

happening, but it was a real tribute to the kids on both teams that

nothing did. That was a real positive, as far as I was concerned.”

Perkins, who coached at Estancia the last three years, said the joy of

having won the perpetual Bell trophy for a third straight year (the last

two at Estancia and this year at Mesa) was less than complete.

“It was really weird, strange and a bittersweet feeling,” he said. “I

was very happy for our kids, but it was not elation. It’s hard to

describe, but I felt the pain that those (Estancia) guys felt. I know

(the Eagles) played their hearts out and they earned the respect of our

kids and our coaching staff.”

Emotions Friday ran much deeper, Perkins said, in light of the Sept.

29 death of Matt Colby, a senior linebacker who transferred to Mesa after

playing his first three years at Estancia.

“I know there are kids on both teams still working through (Colby’s

death), still dealing with it,” Perkins said. “I know there will be a

moment in our practice when one of our kids will just go over and get a

drink of water. I don’t think we’re on all cylinders, emotionally.”

Perkins said his team wore all black jerseys (instead of their typical

green home jerseys with black pants), because Colby had spoken before his

death about wearing all black against Estancia.

“With the black jerseys, we had a No. 56, which is what Matt wore at

Estancia and what I remember him more for than the No. 9 he wore here,”

Perkins said. “When I saw that No. 56 jersey run by me in warmups, it hit

me like a flash and it brought back the memory of (Colby) really hard.

There were times during the game when I just got very emotional.”

Perkins said his team, including six players who transferred over from

Estancia with Colby, may have tried too hard to honor the memory of their

late teammate by making a big play Friday.

But he said Estancia’s effort had more to do with the 21-6 victory

margin being much closer than many believed it would be.

Perkins said he regretted that Estancia Coach Jay Noonan used his

postgame forum with reporters to criticize the transfers, as well as

Perkins, rather than accentuate the positives accomplished by his own

players.

“Estancia played with a lot of heart and courage and made us play

badly, because it played so well,” Perkins said. “Unfortunately, Jay had

an opportunity to praise his kids and he chose to take another tack.”

Perkins and his staff said they talked at length with the Mustangs

Saturday morning, attempting to redirect their focus after the emotional

victory on the next two weeks.

Mesa (6-2, 2-1 in league) will determine its postseason fate with

games against Corona del Mar, Friday at Newport Harbor, and against

University, Nov. 8 at OCC.

“We really need to refocus, now,” Perkins said.