CdM’s O’Shea, Hettig to face former school
There was a time not too long ago when Dan O’Shea and Kevin Hettig used to teach at Trabuco Hills and coach football at Corona del Mar.
The back and forth traveling made for some interesting chatter on both campuses, none more so than when CdM and Trabuco Hills met in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs two years ago.
Those days are over, as O’Shea and Hettig are teaching at CdM. What is not for O’Shea, in his sixth year at CdM, second as the head coach, and Hettig, in his sixth year as the offensive coordinator, is seeing their old school.
The Sea Kings (3-1), ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll, play host to Trabuco Hills (2-3) at Jim Scott Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.
“It’s always unique,” O’Shea said of facing Trabuco Hills, a program he and Hettig were assistants at before coming to coach at CdM in 2011. “They’ll be competitive.”
The schools are playing for the third straight year. While Trabuco Hills won the 2014 playoff game, 28-10, CdM routed the Mustangs, 42-17, in the first round a year ago.
BYE WEEK
Six area programs — Edison (4-1), Huntington Beach (2-3), Marina (3-2), Ocean View (3-2), Laguna Beach (2-3) and Costa Mesa (0-5) — have the week off.
The Chargers go into the bye ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division 3. Edison is coming off a 42-0 shellacking by Mater Dei, No. 3 in the state by CalHiSports.com. In their previous 108 games, the Chargers avoided a shutout.
Edison’s Sunset League opener is with Newport Harbor on Oct. 6 at Huntington Beach High. The Chargers last lost to the Sailors in 1979.
Huntington Beach, No. 10 in Division 7, has played a robust nonleague schedule, seeing the likes of San Clemente, No. 10 at the time in Division 2, Tesoro, Long Beach Wilson, then-No. 3 in Division 6, and San Juan Hills. The Oilers’ lone win against those four opponents was a 29-18 upset of Long Beach Wilson on Sept. 16.
The Sunset League opener for the Oilers is against Fountain Valley at Cap Sheue Field on Oct. 7.
Marina got off to its best start in 16 years, winning its first three games, only to lose its last two. The last time the Vikings were 3-2 before Sunset League action was in 2012.
The Vikings look to end their 56-game losing streak in league on Oct. 7, when they play host to Los Alamitos at Westminster High.
Costa Mesa is winless at the midway point of the regular season for the second time since 2014. The Mustangs have finished a season without a win four times in their history, in 1989 (0-10), 1984 (0-9-1), in 1972 (0-9) and 1964 (0-9).
The Mustangs can end their losing ways with a victory over defending Orange Coast League champion Calvary Chapel at Orange Coast College on Oct. 6.
Ocean View kicks off Golden West League play with Loara at Glover Stadium in Anaheim on Oct. 8, while Laguna Beach’s first Orange Coast League contest is at home with Godinez on Oct. 7.
LEAGUE OUTLOOK
For 11 football programs in our coverage area, league play starts next week.
Below are my predictions on how the local teams will finish in their respective leagues, with their predicted league records in parenthesis:
Sunset League: 1. Edison (5-0); 2. Los Alamitos (4-1); 3. Newport Harbor (3-2); 4. Huntington Beach (2-3); 5. Marina (1-4); 6. Fountain Valley (0-5).
Pacific Coast League: 1. Corona del Mar (5-0); 2. University (4-1); 3. Woodbridge (3-2); 4. Beckman (2-3); 5. Irvine (1-4); 6. Northwood (0-5).
Orange Coast League: 1. Godinez (5-0); 2. Saddleback (4-1); 3T. Calvary Chapel (2-3); 3T. Estancia (2-3); 3T. Laguna Beach (2-3); 6. Costa Mesa (0-5).
Golden West League: 1T. Segerstrom (4-1); 1T. Santa Ana (4-1); 3T. Westminster (3-2); 3T. Ocean View (3-2); 5. Orange (1-4); 6. Loara (0-5).
Garden Grove League: 1. Garden Grove (5-0); 2. Rancho Alamitos (4-1); 3. Los Amigos (3-2); 4. La Quinta (2-3); 5. Santiago (1-4); 6. Bolsa Grande (0-5).
KINDER BREAKS SAILOR RECORD
Cole Kinder set the Newport Harbor single-game rushing record last week, gaining 327 yards. The senior broke Andre Stewart’s mark of 310 yards, set in 1999.
Kinder is also on track to become Newport Harbor’s all-time leading rusher. During his career, Kinder has amassed 2,954 yards, the second-best total in the program’s history. Dartangan Johnson holds the top spot with 3,451 yards.
Through four games this year, Kinder has 765 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He is averaging 8.1 yards per carry.
SEA KING VOLLEYBALL IN CHICAGO
Corona del Mar is the lone California girls’ volleyball team competing in the prestigious ASICS Challenge at Mother McAuley in Chicago this weekend.
The two-day, 24-team tournament starts on Friday, with the Sea Kings (7-5) playing Crystal Lake South of Illinois at 3 p.m. PDT, and then wrapping up pool-play action with Marist, from Chicago, at 5 p.m.
A couple of the top-ranked programs in the nation by MaxPreps.com are in the tournament, No. 13 Assumption, from Louisville, Ky., and No. 24 Mother McAuley.
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David Carrillo Peñaloza covers football and girls’ volleyball in the fall.
Twitter: @ByDCP
