Football teams get things together

While the physical hardship of practicing twice a day can promote

cohesion among high school football teammates, first-year Costa Mesa

High Coach Jay Johnson went a step further in the annual bonding

ritual.

Johnson, whose Mustangs kicked off preparation for the 2005 season

Wednesday, spent the night with his players Wednesday and Thursday

nights in the school gymnasium.

It’s a throwback to days of yore, when a handful of schools would

have players spend the first week of practice, known formerly as Hell

Week, at school.

“I do it for team unity, to keep the players together and help

them bond and feel like a brotherhood,” Johnson said. “It allows them

to get away from other distractions and start to get excited about

the upcoming season.”

Johnson said players slept on air mattresses and in sleeping bags

and activities included a team talent show.

Corona del Mar High, for whom Coach Dick Freeman is entering his

10th season, was the first Newport-Mesa squad to get underway,

opening practice Tuesday.

Estancia High, under first-year coach Brian Barnes, began

Wednesday, while Newport Harbor High, preparing for its 20th season

under Coach Jeff Brinkley, opened two-a-days Thursday.

Sage Hill School, coached by Tom Monarch, also began practice last

week, while Orange Coast College has been practicing since Aug. 11

under Coach Mike Taylor.

Corona del Mar and Estancia will open the season against one

another Sept. 2 at Orange Coast College.

Costa Mesa has also elected to take advantage of the newly created

opportunity to play a “zero week” game. The Mustangs will visit Brea

Olinda Sept. 2.

Newport Harbor is set to open Sept. 8 at home against future

Sunset League rival Fountain Valley, while Sage Hill is scheduled to

open Sept. 10 against Midway Baptist.

Those teams playing zero week games, in essence an extra week

created by the CIF Southern Section to enhance schedule flexibility,

forfeit the right to have a preseason scrimmage. But playing a zero

week game allows them to have a bye week in the subsequent 10 weeks

of the regular season.

Newport Harbor is set to scrimmage Trabuco Hills at home Sept. 2.

Orange Coast is scheduled to scrimmage Santa Monica Friday at home

at 2 p.m. The Pirates’ season opener is Sept. 4 at Santa Barbara.

Newport Harbor, coming off a 12-1-1 season that ended in a 35-6

defeat by Orange Lutheran in the CIF Division VI title game, has 45

players on its roster this season.

Corona del Mar, 6-5 a year ago, has approximately 40 players going

through workouts designed to get the players in shape, as well as

polish their individual and team skills.

Costa Mesa’s roster lists 39 players, while Estancia has 50

players on its roster.

The Mustangs were 2-8 last season, while Estancia was 4-6.

Sage Hill was 7-4 a year ago, earning the program’s first trip to

the CIF Division XIII playoffs.

OCC was 2-8 in 2004.