A good ol’ afternoon sweat

Bryce Alderton

When Dave Perkins played football he vowed he would never make his

players wake up at 7 a.m. for conditioning drills and he has

maintained that philosophy since he began coaching 19 years ago.

“I hated waking at 7 a.m.,” said Perkins, the Costa Mesa High

football head coach. “This way it gives the kids whatever summer they

have left to go to the beach, buy school clothes or do whatever and

then come out to practice. I’ve been coaching for 19 years, the kids

like it and the coaches like it.”

In the afternoon the work begins.

Football players begin their third day of conditioning drills

today at Costa Mesa High before practice in full pads begin Monday.

The Mustangs began conditioning Wednesday, with drills starting at

2:30 p.m. and lasting until 6 p.m. Players lift weights for the first

hour and 15 minutes before stepping on the field to work on special

teams plays such as punt and kick returns.

Then the running begins as players run two 100-yard dashes

followed by four 80-yard dashes, six 60-yard dashes, eight 40-yard

dashes, 10 20-yard dashes and 10 10-yard dashes.

Linemen have to run the two 100-yard dashes in 18 seconds or under

while backs have to run the same distance in 13 seconds or under. The

time drops by two seconds for each decline in yardage (16 seconds or

under for linemen running the four 80-yard dashes).

Running drills last about 35 minutes, according to Perkins.

“It’s a lot of yards, a lot of running,” he said.

A new face with a football pedigree graces the Costa Mesa High

field these days.

Junior defensive and offensive lineman Luke Sapolu, a 6-foot,

230-pound transfer from Canyon Springs High in Moreno Valley, comes

to the Mustangs this season, which excites Perkins.

“I’m real happy he’s here,” Perkins said. “He’s a good football

player who brings a good attitude and a good pedigree. His technique

is very good.”

Luke’s father, Jesse, played in the NFL as an offensive lineman

for the San Francisco 49ers.

Perkins heard a sophomore wide receiver transfer from Redlands

High may come out this week but as of Thursday afternoon the player

hadn’t registered, Perkins said.

“He hasn’t checked in yet and I haven’t seen him, I don’t even

know his name,” Perkins said.

Cheryl Hack, a junior, who played on the Mustangs’ soccer team

last season, has participated in conditioning drills this week,

hoping to make the team as a kicker. She has never tried out for

football at Costa Mesa.

“Her lifelong dream is to be a kicker,” Perkins said. “She’s a big

New York Jets fan and ran into their kicker one year and got fired up

about it. She works hard.”

Last year Carla Andrade, then a junior, was a junior varsity

running back for Mesa. She got two carries in a varsity game.

Perkins will keep a similar schedule when players start practicing

in full pads come Monday. He will break up the time into three

sessions -- special teams, offense and defense.

The only difference in conditioning drills and early summer

workouts has been the intensity.

“The running and weightlifting have increased a little bit from

what we’ve been doing over the summer,” Perkins said. “The kids came

in pretty good shape so I’m encouraged about that.”