Family football feud

Barry Faulkner

It was intended as a good-natured birthday gag, but Corona del Mar

High offensive line coach Miguel Romo hopes it’s the gift that keeps on

giving.

Romo, a 1989 Estancia graduate and former Eagle lineman, is preparing his

players to take on his alma mater in a crucial Pacific Coast League

football game Friday night at Orange Coast College.

The showdown has been a constant source of friendly ribbing between Romo

and several relatives, who are either former or current Estancia players.

But Romo’s nephew, Bobby Arroyo, a sophomore lineman for the Eagles, put

a tangible tangent on the family feud when he delivered a birthday

message to Romo Oct. 13.

“He gave me a package of handkerchiefs for my birthday gift,” Romo said.

“There were supposed to be 11 in the package and he said I could give one

to each kid on our offense, to wipe away the tears after they got their

butts kicked by Estancia.”

Romo, whose cousin Andy is a two-way starter for the Eagles, said he

didn’t get the joke.

“To be honest, it (ticked) me off,” said Romo, who distributed the

handkerchiefs to CdM players as a motivational ploy at Monday’s practice.

“Me and Tony (Naranjo, Romo’s cousin, fellow CdM assistant and fellow

Estancia alumnus (Class of ‘92) who also played football for the Eagles)

have been looking forward to this game. We’re kind of salivating.”

“I know (Arroyo) gave them to me as a joke, but I hope it comes back to

bite him. My family is great people and I love those guys, but this is

for family bragging rights. If we win, Tony and I can rub it in a little.

But if they win, it’s all of them against only Tony and I.

Naranjo, whose younger brother Gerardo Molina was an All-Newport-Mesa

District linebacker as an Estancia senior last fall, said the Sea Kings

should gain inspiration from the handkerchiefs.

“I know it would fire me up,” he said. “I’d make sure I carried that

handkerchief with me on game day.”

Naranjo played with Estancia assistant Jesse Nunez and coached Eagles’

assistant Jeremy Osso during a two-year coaching stint at the school,

before joining the CdM staff.

Naranjo and Romo also run the Sea Kings’ junior varsity, which will meet

Estancia, with Arroyo in the starting lineup, Thursday afternoon.

“I talk as much trash as anybody,” Naranjo said of the family banter

which began when the Sea Kings joined Estancia in the PCL. “I told Bobby

I was going to name a trick play after him and we’d run it in the JV

game.”

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Romo and Naranjo aren’t the only members of the CdM staff with an extra

interest in Friday’s outcome. CdM defensive line coach Mike Van de Weerd

played for Estancia Coach Dave Perkins, when the latter was head coach at

Corona High.

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For Perkins’ part, playing CdM rekindles emotions dating back to his own

playing days.

“I’m a Newport Harbor graduate, so playing CdM has me pretty pumped up,”

said Perkins, who will square off with the Sea Kings for the first time

in his 17-season head-coaching career.

“If our kids want to win one for the Gipper this week, that’s OK by me.”

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Another local rivalry of note, the Back Bay girls volleyball battle

between Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar, continued Saturday as a

nonleague clash.

The Sailors rallied to win in five, but Newport Coach Dan Glenn said he

was duly impressed by Coach Steve Conti’s former Sea View League rivals.

CdM, in line to win the PCL crown, will get a chance for revenge against

the probable Sea View champs when the two conclude the regular season

Friday, Nov. 5, at CdM.