SCORECARD / COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 1

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Former Trabuco Hills head Coach Jim Barnett returned to the Mustang sidelines as Coach Bill Crow’s offensive coordinator. Trabuco Hills rolled up 365 yards in total offense Friday in a 38-24 loss to Santa Margarita. Barnett led his teams to three Southern Section championships, before coaching the school’s freshman team.

WHAT PRICE GLORY?

When running back Leon Kellum returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown the first time Savanna touched the ball Friday against Kennedy, his teammates mobbed him in the end zone. But when the pile cleared, Kellum couldn’t get up. He had to be helped from the field because of an injured right ankle and left the stadium on crutches at halftime.

RADIO-FREE WESTERN

Here’s a hint for the unseasoned high-school football fan . . . don’t bother anybody wearing those bulky headphones.

During the first half of Loara’s 24-7 victory over Western on Friday, a Loara fan looked up into the press box to inquire about turning up the volume of the public address system. Unfortunately, the closest person was Western assistant coach Kevin Robinson.

“Can you tell them to turn up the P.A. system?” Robinson was asked.

“I’m sorry,” he answered with a chuckle, “but right now I’m in the middle of coaching this game . . . which we’re losing.”

IT’S A BAD BREAK

It was a rough night Thursday for La Habra senior defensive tackle Glenn Sheppard despite the Highlander’s 17-7 victory over Whittier. Sheppard was injured and taken to a hospital midway through the game’s second quarter. According to La Habra Coach Rick Milhizer, Sheppard suffered a broken tibia and possible ligament damage that likely will sideline the remainder of the season.

ON THE RECORD

‘I’m pretty nervous but I’m also confident. We’re looking to get back on track.’

--Mike Dodd, Huntington Beach coach, after a 17-0 victory over Downey, his first as head coach of the Oilers.

‘It’s about time for me to go to bed now. I don’t think we’ve ever played one this long.’

--Joe Wood, Aliso Niguel coach, about his team’s 52-14 victory over Dana Hills, which took 2 hours 49 minutes to play.

LOOKING FOR LOCALS

Friday marked the first meeting between Esperanza and Servite on the football field, and Aztec Coach Gary Meek hopes it starts a trend, not only with Servite, which will host Esperanza next season, but with other county teams as well.

“I want to play more [nonleague] games against county teams that are outside our division,” said Meek, whose Aztecs face Chino Hills Ayala, Upland, Long Beach Poly and Pasadena Muir before Sunset League play starts this season. “We were going to play Capistrano Valley, but they got that offer to play in Hawaii and dropped us.

“I’ve got two openings next season, and we’ll play anybody.”

WELL, THERE’S ALWAYS DISNEYLAND

Southern California Christian’s opponent Friday, Coaldale (Canada) Kate Andrews, plays football the same way the Canadian Football League teams do. That’s not surprising since Coaldale is a town of 5,000 in Alberta. They use 12 players instead of 11, have three downs instead of four and play on a field that is 10 yards longer and wider than the fields in the United States.

“They watch the NFL,” Kate Andrews Coach Byron Pierson said. “[The rule changes] caused us some confusion at first, but we practiced and prepared for two weeks. They know what it’s all about.”

Perhaps not exactly. Southern California Christian won, 53-0. Kate Andrews won its first game of the season, 1-0. Don’t ask.

ON THE RECORD

‘He could be a Division I player; he just lacks varsity game experience.’

--Mark McElroy, San Clemente coach, speaking about Chris Hayward before Thursday’s 33-20 loss to El Toro. The senior quarterback completed a school-record 31 passes, which is second in county history to Canyon’s Todd French, who completed 32 in 1985 against El Modena. Capistrano Valley’s Burt Call (1983) and Cypress’ Gabe Garcia (1991) also completed 31 passes.