Musical chairs can be confusing

Barry Faulkner

A search committee at Costa Mesa High is scheduled to interview

candidates for the Mustangs’ vacant football coaching position Thursday

and plenty of folks across town at Estancia are among those monitoring

the process closely.

Estancia Coach Dave Perkins is rumored to be the top candidate to

succeed Jerry Howell at Costa Mesa. If Perkins is able to trade in his

red Eagle gear for Mesa green and black, there are those at Estancia

concerned about a potential gray area that may then surround a handful of

Eagle players who might want to follow Perkins to “greener” pastures.

The CIF Southern Section deadline to apply for open enrollment

transfers, in this case from one Newport-Mesa Unified School District

school to another, is May 15. The district, however, has an April 15

deadline for intradistrict moves.

So, unless Estancia athletes had already filed paperwork requesting a

move by April 15, they will have to move into the Costa Mesa attendance

boundaries to compete for the Mustangs next fall.

With spring practice approaching -- most schools will begin their 15

allotted workouts May 21, but some start Monday -- the timing of a

potential Perkins departure from Estancia could threaten the viability of

spring drills for the Eagles. Since schools must advertise a coaching

opening for 10 days before even beginning the hiring process, it’s

doubtful the Eagles could find a replacement in time to implement any of

his offensive and defensive systems before the spring practice window

closes (around June 15).

A stand-in coach or coaches could preside over spring drills, but

without specific Xs and Os to go over, the Eagles would fall behind their

competition.

The process of finding Paul Orris’ successor as Corona del Mar High

boys basketball coach is nearing completion. And, with Orris assistant

Gordon McNeill out of the picture (he’ll coach the boys team at Sage Hill

next season), it’s highly possible the new coach will come from out of

the area.

One prominent candidate has, reportedly, coached the last eight

seasons in Northern California.

Another Newport-Mesa personnel change in football involves former

Newport Harbor freshman standout running back Matt Encinias, who has

transferred to Corona del Mar.

Encinias was the first freshman in Coach Jeff Brinkley’s 15-season

tenure to see playing time on the varsity (he returned kickoffs during

the Sailors’ four-game Division VI playoff run).

Whether or not Encinias will play for the Sea Kings remains in

question. He has applied for a hardship waiver to become eligible and a

decision from Southern Section officials may or may not be made before

the completion of the school year.

CdM Coach Dick Freeman said Encinias wants to play football at CdM and

Freeman, whose Sea Kings begin spring practice Monday, said he is still

looking into whether Encinias can practice at CdM, until his eligibility

case is settled. Encinias is enrolled in the sixth-period football class.

The former Newport-Mesa Jr. All-American standout played with many CdM

players growing up.

Both Brinkley and Freeman believe Encinias, swift and elusive, has

immense potential.

Among the Newport Harbor boys water polo standouts moving on to play

collegiately will be Kyle Bean. Bean, a valuable defender for the last

fall’s CIF Division I champions, will continue at UC San Diego.

Releaguing appeals by Esperanza and El Modena will be heard today by a

Southern Section committee at The Grand in Long Beach. Both are expected

to be denied.

CdM may or may not be playing for the Pacific Coast League title

tonight at 7 against host Costa Mesa at TeWinkle Park.

Should Estancia defeat University at home today at 3:15, CdM would

claim the crown, regardless of the outcome against Mesa.

Should University beat Estancia, the Trojan players, coaches and

parents will likely be on hand and rooting hard for Mesa tonight at

TeWinkle.

Should Uni somehow win the PCL baseball championship, a leading factor

would be its starting pitching rotation of Bob Stoneking and Matt Stone.

One might even say the Trojan rotation rocks.