Home-field advantage

Mike Sciacca

The 2003 prep football season will be a mix of the old and new for

the Ocean View High Seahawks.

It’s new in that, for the first time, the Seahawks will play home

games in their own home stadium.

It’s old in that Ocean View will continue to play what Coach

Harold Eggers terms “ironman football.”

Like their predecessors, the 2003 Seahawks will have several

players play on both sides of the ball.

With a roster of 36 players, depth is at a minimum.

But the lack of such depth is nothing new to the program and, in

fact, it has become part of the Seahawks’ identity.

“When I first got here, I was worried about players going both

ways,” said Eggers, who is in his fifth year as head coach, spanning

two terms. “But now, it has become the mentality here. The kids

accept that role and I’m proud that they work so hard whenever they

are in the game -- and at whatever position.”

Eggers said he has been pleased with spring and summer workouts

and that the Seahawks should be raring to go for Thursday’s opener

against Santiago at Garden Grove High.

“The kids have put in a lot of time in the weight room and in

practice and I think they’re ready to go out there and just play,” he

said. “They seem really determined to have a successful season. How

the season plays out, though, remains to be seen.

“We have certain strengths that we will need to take advantage of

and certain weaknesses that we’ll need to overcome. Week-to-week

improvement is vital to the success of this team.”

With several key players lost to graduation, Ocean View again will

rely on several two-way players.

The Seahawks figure to miss first-team All-Golden West League

performer Bashar Saman, who played offensive tackle and defensive

end.

But they have two returning players in quarterback Alex Hickerson

and running back Aaron Gonya, a pair of seniors who earned

second-team all-league laurels in 2002.

Both, Eggers said, will also play defense in 2003.

“They are two very good players and keys to our success this

year,” Eggers said. “They both give us stability in the backfield,

which should be a strength for us.”

Keys to Ocean View’s success come in two spots.

Offensively, the Seahawks passing attack, spearheaded by senior

quarterback Alex Hickerson, needs to be more consistent, Eggers said.

“Alex had a good year last fall,” Eggers said. “He has a strong

arm and he calls a lot of audibles. We’re expecting a big year from

him.”

Perhaps the biggest key to Ocean View’s success in 2003 will be

how well its defensive unit comes together.

The Seahawks yielded an average of 30.8 points per game last

season. On five occasions, they gave up 34 points or more.

“The bottom line is that we do need to play better defense than

last year,” Eggers said. “We gave up some points in a few games and

we need to correct those mistakes.

“We’re young on that side of the ball, though.”

One thing Eggers hopes to do in 2003 is win more often after

finishing 2-8, 1-4 in Golden West League last season.

The Seahawks, at one point, dropped seven consecutive games, but

ended on a high note as they defeated league rival Estancia, 26-19,

in their season finale.

Their nonleague portion of the schedule remains relatively intact

from a year ago, with games against Tesoro, Century, Orange and

Rancho Alamitos slated.

The newcomer is Santiago.

Then, it’s on to the usual list of league suspects.

“Our schedule is tough but we’re familiar with most of these

teams,” Eggers said.

Ocean View meets four teams that advanced to the CIF Southern

Section playoffs in 2002.

“We’re hoping to win a few more games, that’s one of the big

things we’re looking for,” he said. “We will gain experience with

each game and, hopefully, we’ll grow as the season progresses.”

Preparation for the opener against Santiago has been intense, but,

as Eggers said, it remains to be seen how things will unfold on the

playing field.

“You know, it’s great tying to predict what will happen, but you

just never know what will happen until you suit up and go out there

and play,” Eggers said. “I’m proud of how hard these kids have worked

and the dedication they’ve given. I just hope it translates well for

them on the field.”