Holland’s last stand on the gridiron

Mike Sciacca

Emotions will run high tonight when eight Laguna Beach High seniors

step out onto Guyer Field to play one final football game for the

Maroon and White.

There’s another prominent senior, too, who will be coaching his

final game: head coach Dave Holland.

Holland announced Thursday that tonight’s Pacific Coast League

game against Calvary Chapel will be his last.

He will retire from coaching at the end of the season.

Tonight’s game will cap an eight-year run at Laguna.

“I feel that I’ve done what I set out to do here at Laguna, and

that’s bring some pride and help establish the program,” Holland

said.

“This has probably been one of my most pleasurable seasons in

coaching. We’ve lost some games that I thought could have gone the

other way but more important than that, I’m around a good group of

players and a senior class that has some good young men who have a

bright future. I feel this is the right time to leave.”

The winner of tonight’s clash will finish in fifth-place in the

final league standings.

Both teams are winless in league play while Laguna is 3-6 overall

and Calvary Chapel is 1-6-2.

The Eagles have lost four straight and five of their last six

games.

In nine games played, the Calvary offense has been held to a

touchdown or less on six occasions.

The Eagles are coming off a 26-7 loss to co-league leader

Northwood, their lone score coming on a 52-yard pass play between

quarterback Garrett Breitfuss and receiver Greg Mills that resulted

in a fourth quarter touchdown.

In last week’s 35-13 league loss to visiting University,

quarterback Alex Wilson threw a thee-yard touchdown toss to receiver

Jake Wheeler in the second quarter for Laguna’s first touchdown of

the game.

The pass was significant in that it gave the senior the new school

record for career touchdown passes with 31.

Juan Luna, who led Laguna in rushing with 80 yards, scored on a

five-yard run in the fourth period to close out the scoring.

SEASON LOG

*--*

Laguna Beach (3-6, 0-4)

33 Palos Verdes 13

50 La Quinta 7

28 Bolsa Grande 20

13 Costa Mesa 41

28 Magnolia 36

21 *Corona del Mar 36

0 *Northwood 35

12 *Tesoro 41

13 *University 35

*Denotes Pacific Coast League game

*--*