Prep column: Blowing off steam

Barry Faulkner

As far as I could see, there wasn’t a cloud in the Newport-Mesa sky

Monday afternoon. But my vision did not encompass the atmosphere over the

Estancia High football practice field, where Coach Dave Perkins was

likely still generating enough postgame steam over Saturday’s

controversial 35-28 loss to Santa Ana Valley to accumulate some cumulus.

Perkins, infuriated by several calls -- and noncalls -- from a crew

headed by longtime white hat and former Newport Harbor High basketball

coach Al Hackney, vented plenty Saturday night.

He vehemently protested the Eagles’ second controversial goal-line

fumble, both of which were ruled touchbacks not touchdowns to cost the

Eagles valuable points and momentum.

He also directed harsh criticism at Hackney on the field after time

had expired. During this exchange, Perkins said Hackney confessed his

crew did not call a good game. In Perkins’ view, Hackney was not being

sarcastic.

Perkins said videotape review Sunday proved the first goal-line fumble

clearly occurred after the ballcarrier was down in the end zone. Perkins

termed the second fumble call inconclusive.

Perkins also documented what he viewed as numerous mistakes by

officials and said he planned to send a letter and a copy of the tape to

the Orange County Officials Association.

Sending this letter will, of course, bring as much resolution as if

he’d rolled it up, crammed it into a bottle and dropped it from the

Newport Pier. But if it made him feel any better, those were words well

spent.

Saturday was not the first athletic interaction between Hackney and

Perkins, who played basketball for the once maniacal hardwood mentor at

Harbor in the 1970s.

So much for the timelessness of the coach-player bond.

Among the oddities in the Eagles-Falcons nonleague showdown was,

Perkins said, a unique interpretation of the player ejection rule.

The CIF Southern Section calls for any player ejected to not only miss

the remainder of that game, but the entire next contest, as well.

But, though a player from each team was “booted” following a brief

altercation early in the second quarter, Perkins said officials sentenced

the guilty parties to sit out only remainder of the first half.

This is, I believe, a more forgiving and fitting ejection policy,

particularly in a flash point physical sport such as football. But it

definitely runs counter to existing rules.

Road rules will apply, once again, for the Newport Harbor High boys

basketball team, which will play in a tournament at Shorewood High, just

outside of Seattle, Dec. 20-23.

The Sailors, whom Hirst likes to expose to different locales to

enhance their educational experience, also have an approximate 10-day

summer sojourn to Japan in the planning stages for this summer.

Still another Hirst brainchild will take shape this season with the

formation of inaugural Bill Reynolds Tournament.

Named after the former Southern California College men’s basketball

coach, for whom Hirst and several other Southern California high school

coaches played and still revere, the eight-team event (Dec. 5-9) will

feature teams coached by SCC basketball alumni Todd Dixon (El Toro),

Randy McAllister (Rancho Verde), Mike West (Fallbrook) and Andre Smith

(La Sierra).

The tournament MVP will receive a scholarship in the name of Reynolds,

now retired from coaching.

The event will be played at Newport Harbor, until the final day, upon

which games will be played at the Vanguard (formerly SCC) gym.

Bill Wettengel, who retired two years ago after decades as a teacher,

administrator and coach (primarily track and field) at Costa Mesa High,

is in his 18th season as the public address announcer for the Mustangs

football team.

Now pursuing his hobby of writing children’s books, Wettengel said his

son Blake, a Fountain Valley High graduate who learned at his father’s

side, is in his first season as a student public address announcer for

BYU football games.

Belated contratulations to Newport Harbor volleyball coach Dan Glenn

and his wife Mary, who continue to celebrate the Sept. 1 birth of

daughter Hailey.

Hailey is named for the Idaho town in which Dan and Mary, a Newport

Harbor counselor, became engaged.

Costa Mesa football, woefully overrated at No. 1 in last week’s CIF

Division IX poll, fell to No. 8 this week after a 29-7 loss to Ocean

View.

I voted the Mustangs No. 10 this week, three spots below where I voted

them last week.

And while my fellow media voters finally got it right by installing

Western at No. 1, the placement of Sonora at No. 2 shows little wisdom.

The Raiders, though unbeaten, have posted unimpressive scores (three

wins by a combined 16 points) against opponents which are a combined

2-14.

My Division IX top three includes Brea Olinda (No. 4 this week) and

University (No. 6 this week).