Prep football: Focused on football

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - This time last year, Jay Noonan was preparing his

resume. This spring, he is relieved to be preparing his Estancia High

football team for the 2002 season, his second at the school.

Toward that end, as many as 70 players are wrapping up their first

week of spring practice, enjoying the familiarity with the program in

place and determined to turn around a winless record in 2001.

“I’ve been very impressed with the enthusiasm, but the thing I notice

most is how relaxed the kids seem,” said Noonan, who was hired after the

completion of a makeshift spring practice last season. “It’s just so nice

to be focusing on football, instead of the 1,000 other things that seemed

to be going on (with the program) last year at this time.”

With six new assistant coaches overseeing more than five dozen

athletes, many of whom are new to the sport, there is much to get done in

the three-week spring session.

And, in addition to putting in base packages on offense and defense,

Noonan said he wants to ensure his players also gain a foundation of

fundamentals they can take into the fall.

“We want to use this time to devote to the basics,” Noonan said. “We

have quite a few guys who are new to football, so we want to give them an

understanding of our philosophy.”

With so many new faces, Noonan and his staff will also utilize the

spring session to begin evaluating talent and developing a depth chart.

Unlike last season, however, those who will be sophomores can, with few

exceptions, rest assured they will not be asked to make major

contributions.

“We will definitely have a junior varsity team, which is a great

luxury,” Noonan said. “We have a couple of sophomores who may compete for

varsity spots, but we won’t have to ask sophomores to fill as many roles

as we did last year.”

Noonan said his practices begin with daily weight workouts, which

typically last an hour. Then, when the players reach the field, they work

exclusively on either offense or defense, on alternating days.

His practice plans call for about two hours on the field, each day.

While the players know what Noonan and returning defensive coordinator

Scott Wilkie want, getting acquainted with the rest of the staff is an

ongoing task.

Ernie Bucher will coordinate the offense, while Josh Tribe

(quarterbacks), Joel Hurtt (offensive line), Marc Rodig (receivers and

secondary), Steve Perez (defensive line) and Phil Fogelsong have also

reconnected with Noonan, who coached with most of them at Capistrano

Valley High.

“I tell these guys the Eagle chases the Cougar (Capo Valley’s mascot)

and not the other way around,” Noonan quipped. “But it’s a pleasure

working with these guys, because they’re all professional coaches.”

The Eagles will conclude spring practice June 3 with a novel event. As

a prelude to what Noonan called their “Cardinal and Gold game,” a team of

alumni will play a team of this year’s graduating seniors in what will

amount to a seven-on-seven noncontact scrimmage.

“That should be a lot of fun,” Noonan said.