Prep football: Focusing on the little picture

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - While his players deal with the disappointment of a

winless season and a six-game losing streak, dating back to last fall,

first-year Estancia High football coach Jay Noonan wishes his players

would forget about, well, winning.

Allowing Noonan to explain, one might quickly surmise the Eagles’ head

man just may be on to something.

“There is no doubt we all want to be rewarded for the hard work we’re

putting in, and the effort is there,� Noonan said. “But, in order for us

to have our best effort, we may have to stop worrying about winning. When

everyone is on the same page and clicking together, that’s when teams are

going to win football games.�

In other words, Noonan wants his team to dispense with the big picture

and focus on the day-to-day challenge of adding experience and improving

as individuals.

“It’s the message we’ve always given,� Noonan said of his coaching

staff. “We don’t give speeches about winning and that kind of stuff. The

point we want our kids to understand is that it should be about us. We

control our own destiny. The best way to make things better for our team

is for everyone to make themselves better as individuals. We have the

kids fill out goal sheets every week. We ask them to list their

individual goals, but those individual goals should also fall in line

with their goals for the team. We want them to be specific with the

things they want to improve upon.�

Call it the little picture.

That picture remains out of focus in certain areas, with fumbles

creating the most recent distortion in a 35-6 Pacific Coast

League-opening loss Friday to Corona del Mar.

The Eagles fumbled the ball away twice in the first quarter, leading

to a 21-0 first-quarter lead for the Sea Kings and a miserable first act

for the Eagles.

“Our offense ran about 10 plays in the entire first half,� Noonan

said. “When that happens, you aren’t doing the things you need to to help

your defense out. We need our offense to make plays so we can keep our

defense off the field. That’s not citing a lack of confidence in our

defense, but there’s only so much you can ask of those guys. We need to

have more time of possession and cut down on our three-and-out

(offensive) series.�

On the positive side, Noonan continues to be impressed by the

improvement of junior quarterback Lewis Bradshaw.

“I thought he had his best option game,� Noonan said. “Things are

finally slowing down for him, so that he can make some good reads. His

11-yard touchdown run was really a great effort.�

Bradshaw rushed for 26 yards, passed for 63 yards and punted three

times for a 37-yard average.

Noonan also praised the work of his offensive line, which he expects

to be bolstered this week by the return of senior center Joseph

Hernandez. Hernandez sat out last week after taking a blow to the head

against Orange.

Noonan was also enthused about the play of senior latecomer Joey

Mueller, who sparkled in his third start at inside linebacker.

“He’s very aggressive and he will likely start seeing some time at

running back,� Noonan said.

The Eagles’ face PCL front-runner Northwood Friday.