Never too early for football

The Laguna Beach High football team won’t assemble again until the first week of July, but the look Jonathan Todd got of his 2008 squad during spring football practice has the Breakers’ head coach anticipating big things to come.

Todd deemed spring ball, which began May 11 and ends today with a final weight-lifting session, a success.

The Breakers have been on the field daily in the afternoon Monday through Thursday, with each Friday designated as weight training day.

“It’s been a really good off-season,” said Todd, who is in his second year with the program. “Everyone was great and the reality is that everyone improved.

“The kids hit the weight room hard and put on some good muscle. We are loaded in the skill positions and our receivers and lines look real good. I was excited with what I saw out on the field.”

Todd said 40 players came out for spring ball, players he said were a “really solid group.”

Last year, his first as head coach, Todd said 28 kids came out for spring practices.

Twenty seniors return for the 2008 season, compared, he said, to only four seniors who were on last year’s team.

Among the returners is running back Zach Smith, who rushed for 804 yards in 2007. Smith and Jeremy Kaplan were first-team All-Orange Coast League selections last fall. Receiver Jason Colladay joined fellow juniors Dillon Pierce, Alex Ronses and Mitchell McMullin on the second team.

“I’m really excited about this team,” Colladay said prior to Wednesday’s practice.

“We have a lot of talented seniors returning and some up-and-coming sophomores who look really good. Everyone has done really well in the weight room, and everyone has been dong well with fundamentals at practice.”

In addition to his head coaching duties, Todd is now the defensive coordinator. Last year, he was offensive coordinator but said that Scott Wittkop, who coached the Laguna freshman team to an 8-1-1 record and the Orange Coast League championship last year, now is in charge of the offense.

Following today’s weight training session finale, the Breakers will be off until they return for the start of summer ball July 7. Todd said Laguna will compete in one passing league per week until summer ball ends in early August, with the team competing in a tournament in the Inland Empire during that time.

The Breakers will begin two-a-days in mid-August, he said.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.