Restrictions apply for CdM

Corona del Mar High’s imaginative offensive scheme last season,

combined with talented veteran players, produced the highest

single-season point total in Coach Dick Freeman’s nine full seasons

at the helm.

But with senior tackle John Fairba’nks the lone offensive returner

who started every game last season, and as many question marks on the

depth chart as an episode of Jeopardy, Freeman will happily trade

ground breaking for a more grounded approach this fall.

To this end, Freeman, a defensive coordinator by trade, was

hands-on with the offense in the off-season, establishing firm

guidelines for returning offensive coordinator Tony Naranjo and his

new co-coordinator Jeremy Osso.

“I’ve had more input in the offense than ever,” said Freeman,

whose Sea Kings went 6-5 a year ago, scoring 303 points and averaging

just more than 342 yards of total offense per contest. “We redid the

passing game a little bit, putting in some shorter stuff. And we

narrowed the running game by simplifying things.”

Freeman believes reining in the offense will give CdM, the

strength of which he expects to be defense, the best chance to

succeed.

“Last year we had such good athletes, we could do more stuff,”

Freeman said. “That was the best group of skill guys I’ve had here.

“But this year, we can’t afford to make mistakes. Our defense is

going to be pretty good, so we can’t afford to give the ball up. We

have a plan [on offense] and we’re sticking to it.”

Things appear a little less firm with personnel, as the Sea Kings

return only four starters -- two on either side of the ball -- and

entered fall practice settled on few starting jobs, including

quarterback and tailback.

Senior Shaun Mohler, a second-team All-Pacific Coast League inside

linebacker as a junior, is the frontrunner at quarterback, where Tom

Welch triggered the offense as one of several senior standouts last

season.

Welch threw for 1,412 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 500

yards with nine TDs, most of the latter coming via the option,

typically run out of the shotgun.

Also departed is All-CIF Southern Section Division IX receiver

Kevin Welch, who caught 39 passes for 735 yards and nine TDs and

represented the Sea Kings in the Orange County All-Star game. Kevin

Welch is a walk-on this fall at Indiana.

Wess Presson also graduated after rushing for 1,328 yards and 14

TDs in his third varsity season. He leaves a void at tailback that

was to have been filled by senior Brett Crowley.

But Crowley, who rushed for 382 yards as a sophomore and 236 yards

as a junior, carrying at least once in all 21 games of his varsity

career, is out for the season with a knee injury, Freeman said.

Fairbanks, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect expected to receive some

attention from Division I recruiters, will anchor the offensive line

at tackle.

Senior tight end Avery Fenton (6-3, 230) is the other starter back

on offense, after inheriting his spot last season due to an injury.

Mohler and senior end Matt Burgner, an All-CIF choice after

amassing 16 sacks as a junior, are returning starters on defense,

where Freeman will shift to the three stack, a three-five-three

alignment popularized by the Air Force Academy.

Freeman said the new scheme, tailor-made for smaller, quicker

athletes, could be the perfect fit for a school that struggles to

find linemen big enough to compete in a neutral zone increasingly

populated by brutes who dismiss their sub-250-pound brethren as

malnourished.

Burgner (6-0, 225), by today’s standards, might be considered

undersized. But his play has been anything but his first two varsity

campaigns. His sack total last fall was two shy of the school

single-season record set by Sky Conway in 1995. And, combined with

the eight sacks he recorded as a sophomore, Burgner needs just seven

sacks to tie the school career record held by Roger Rolle (1980-82).

He is a two-time first-team all-league and Newport-Mesa Dream Team

honoree.

“He gets a real good start and he has great hands so people have

trouble grabbing onto him,” Freeman said of Burgner, who also applies

a mind responsible for a 4.0 grade-point average. “He can bull rush

and he can speed rush and he has great strength. He’s not the biggest

guy around, but he’s got a Division I heart and he lifts around 1,000

pounds [in the bench press, squat and power clean]. And with his

grades, the Ivy League schools are all over him.”

Though this year’s roster lists only 11 seniors, two of whom are

newcomers recruited from other sports, Freeman believes Fairbanks,

Fenton, Burgner and Mohler provide a strong nucleus of leaders. Such

strong leadership, Freeman said, should keep the team focused on

extending the team’s current streak to five consecutive winning

seasons.

A lack of depth, another recurring theme in recent years at CdM,

is also an issue, Freeman said.

“We need to be in good condition, because we should have a lot of

guys going both ways,” he said. “And the key to the whole thing is

injuries. We basically can’t afford to hit more than one day a week

and, hopefully, that’s Friday [game night]. We just can’t afford to

lose any first-line guys.”

Despite topping the .500 mark in recent years, however, CdM has

not won a playoff game since 1995, when Freeman, acting as interim

head coach, guided the Sea Kings to the CIF semifinals.

The rise of Pacific Coast League rivals Tesoro (the reigning

Division XIII champion) and Northwood, a perennial top-10 team in the

division, has relegated CdM to an annual battle for third with

University, which should benefit this year by the addition of former

CdM Coach Dave Holland to Coach Mark Cunningham’s staff.

But Tesoro and Northwood, as well as Calvary Chapel, will exit the

PCL after this season (to be replaced by Irvine, Laguna Hills and

newly created San Juan Hills). And Freeman hopes a solid season will

help create momentum to take into 2006 in the newly configured

Pacific Coast League.

The PCL becomes a seven-team circuit this year, as Tustin-based

Beckman makes its varsity debut.

“Going into the season, we believe we should be in every game,”

Freeman said.

Colors: Blue, silver and white.

League: Pacific Coast.

2004 record: 6-5; 3-2 in league.

Type of offense: Multiple I.

Type of defense: Three stack.

Head coach: Dick Freeman (10th year, 45-50-1).

Staff: Freeman (defensive coordinator); Tony Naranjo (co-offensive

coordinator, running backs); Scott Uhl (strength and conditioning,

linebackers); Troy Harrison (cornerbacks); Bernie Terry (defensive

line); Miguel Romo (offensive line); Jeremy Osso (co-offensive

coordinator, quarterbacks); Mike Conway (outside linebackers); Mick

Osborn (inside linebackers).

Returning starters: Two offense, two defense.

Returning lettermen: 23.

Returning with honors: DE Matt Burgner, ILB Shaun Mohler.

2004 results

*--*

35 Estancia 14

35 Costa Mesa 9

44 Troy 28

17 Corona del Mar 21

3 Valencia 33

42 Calvary Chapel* 6

14 Northwood* 27

7 Tesoro* 20

42 University* 14

35 Laguna Beach* 8

o7CIF Div. IX playoffsf7

31 La Habra 34

*--*

2005 schedule

Friday, Sept. 2--Estancia (at Orange Coast), 7

Friday, Sept. 9--Costa Mesa (at Newport Harbor), 7

Friday, Sept. 16-- Troy (at Newport Harbor), 7

Friday, Sept. 23--Newport Harbor (at Orange Coast), 7

Friday, Sept. 30--Calvary Chapel* (at Newport), 7

Thursday, Oct. 6--Northwood*(at Irvine), 7

Friday, Oct. 14--at Tesoro*, 7

Thursday, Oct. 20--Laguna Beach* (at Newport Harbor), 7

Friday, Nov. 4--Beckman* (at Newport Harbor), 7

Friday, Nov. 11--University* (at Irvine), 7

*denotes league game.