Football: A clash of veteran coaches: Tim Lins vs. Jim Bonds
It’s quite unusual for two successful high school football coaches to leave a school and find a second home that they might never leave from.
That’s what happened to Tim Lins and Jim Bonds.
Lins was hired at Encino Crespi at the age of 27, replacing Bill Redell. He got the Celts into the Pac-5 Division championship game in 1993. Then he left for Moorpark in 1999 and has stayed ever since.
Bonds, a former UCLA quarterback, was the head coach at Alemany for three years until leaving for St. Francis at the age of 31 in 2000. He also replaced Redell at St. Francis. He, too, has found a home.
Now their teams meet on Friday at Moorpark in what is shaping up to be a tremendous nonleague game. St. Francis won its opener over Chino. Moopark is 2-0 after wins over Quartz Hill and Palisades.
“I have a lot of respect for Tim,” Bonds said. “He’s one of the best guys out there.”
Since Redell was replaced by both coaches who used to be his assistant, he was asked who he’s rooting for.
“I’m rooting for Jim in the first half and Tim in the second half,” he said.
The two faced off twice years ago when Lins was at Crespi and Bonds was at Alemany with a quarterback named Casey Clausen.
They were 1-1.
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