Mesa’s Baldwin suspended

Rick Devereux

The rollercoaster that has been the Costa Mesa High 2004 football

season took yet another dip this week when Coach Tom Baldwin was

suspended by the CIF Southern Section for a rule violation. Baldwin

will not be allowed to have any contact with the football team

before, during or after the Mustangs’ Golden West League contest

against Orange at 7 p.m. tonight at Orange Coast College.

Costa Mesa opened the season Sept. 7 against Brea Olinda in what

is referred to as Week 0. Section rules stipulated that the first

week of the football season began on Sept. 9 and any teams playing

before that date would be allowed a bye week during the season. The

rule states that teams are not allowed to practice in any type of

football gear during the bye week. Costa Mesa practiced lightly in

helmets and shoulder pads.

“I asked [assistant principal] Kirk Bauermeister the Monday before

the bye week if we could have a regular week of practice and I was

told we could,” Baldwin said. “I’m not happy. After 40 years of

coaching, I’ve tried to build some degree of respectability.”

Baldwin began as an assistant coach at Santa Ana High in 1958.

“Tom approached me before the bye week regarding any restrictions

during the bye week and I told him that I would check the [CIF] Blue

Book [that lists all of the rules],” Bauermeister said. “There was

nothing in the blue book that said anything about bye week practices,

so I told [Baldwin] to go ahead [and have a regular practice].”

Bauermeister said an administrator from another school told Costa

Mesa Boys Athletic Director Tim Postiff that the football team was

not allowed to practice in shoulder pads during a bye week.

Bauermeister called the CIF offices Oct. 28 to ask about the ruling.

“If you examine our rule book, there is no specific mention of the

bye week,” said Rob Wigod, CIF assistant commissioner in charge of

football. “I would say the vast majority of violations are self

reported. There is absolutely no doubt that there was no intention to

circumvent the rules or gain a competitive edge by Costa Mesa or

Baldwin. Costa Mesa has been honest and forthright.”

Wigod said memos had been sent out by the CIF to all head football

coaches and athletic directors in January and again in August

regarding bye week rules.

Dave Perkins was the Costa Mesa football coach and athletic

director. He was fired from both posts July 23, six weeks before

Costa Mesa’s first football game. Baldwin was elevated from assistant

to head coach Aug. 11. Postiff, Costa Mesa’s water polo and swimming

coach, was hired as boys athletic director Aug. 25. That changing of

the guard could have had an impact in the transfer of information,

including the bye week memos, Bauermeister said.

The Mustangs (2-6, 2-2 in league) started the season 0-5, but

still have a chance to make it to the CIF Southern Section Division

VII playoffs if they win their remaining two games.

“I don’t think this will affect our team too much,” Baldwin said.

“The kids are resilient. When things go bad, they bounce back. I was

able to coach all this week [in practice]. We have a game plan of

what we want to do and we will stick to it. [Defensive coordinator]

D.J. Jett will continue to call the plays on defense. I did call the

offensive plays, but [quarterback coach] Ronny Lievanos and [running

back coach] Ray Romua will call the plays this week. It will be kind

of calling it by committee.”