Football: It’s a Crespi reunion

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On Monday in Long Beach, the Southern Section will hold its championship football luncheon, where the coaches of the teams playing for championships this weekend will show up with their top players. Encino Crespi didn’t make it, but lots of ex-coaches will be represented.

Bill Redell (Oaks Christian), Troy Thomas (Servite), Jim Benkert (Westlake) and Tim Lins (Moorpark) all have close ties to Crespi. Thomas played for Redell on his 1986 Crespi championship team. Benkert and Lins were Redell’s top assistants. Thomas used to be the defensive coordinator for Lins at Crespi, then the defensive coordinator for Benkert at Westlake and was the head coach at Crespi.

‘I’m just fortunate to be in the same company with those guys,’ Lins said.

And Harry Welch, the coach at St. Margaret’s, is an ex-Crespi assistant.

-- Eric Sondheimer