A LITTLE HISTORY

1986--Trabuco Hills was in its first year of varsity play when it joined Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Orange and Woodbridge in the league’s first season, and that began a trend. With the opening of Northwood last fall, each of the four newest public schools in the county have gotten their start in the Pacific Coast League. Orange won the first championship.

1988--Trabuco Hills had yet to win a Pacific Coast League title in any sport when it met Woodbridge, which was unbeaten and had won a section championship the year before. But with Tim Manning running for one touchdown and throwing for another on an option pass, the Mustangs won, 17-14, to forge a tie for the title. Trabuco Hills proved it was no fluke when, four weeks later, it defeated the Warriors, 34-14, in the Division VIII championship game.

1999 IN REVIEW

Corona del Mar, a newcomer from the Sea View League, found the competition more to its liking in the Pacific Coast League, clinching a tie for the championship by sweeping its first three league games. But Costa Mesa, behind two touchdowns from C.J. Zuniga, defeated the Sea Kings, 14-0, in Week 10 to share the title. . . . Zuniga, who gained 2,053 yards and scored 29 touchdowns in 11 games, was named the offensive player of the year. Jay Bottom, a 6-foot-4 defensive end who helped Corona del Mar limit league opponents to an average of eight points per game, was the choice on defense. . . . Laguna Beach won its first three games, its first streak of that length in 12 seasons, before losing its last seven. . . . University gained the league’s third postseason berth by defeating Estancia, 48-12, during Week 10, but all three teams were eliminated in the first round of the Division IX playoffs.

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League Overall STANDINGS W L T W L T TP PA Corona del Mar 3 1 0 3 8 0 121 192 Costa Mesa 3 1 0 8 3 0 351 171 Estancia 2 2 0 6 4 0 208 184 University 2 2 0 4 7 0 252 283 Laguna Beach 0 4 0 3 7 0 186 214

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Leaders

Statistics include regular season games only

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PASSING Att CP TD Yds Josten, University 176 95 15 1,373 Schissler, Laguna Beach 151 85 4 1,166 Weir, Costa Mesa 103 50 5 789 Burden, Corona del Mar 67 30 2 403

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RUSHING Att Yds Avg TD Zuniga, Costa Mesa 273 1,976 7.2 26 Hendricks, Estancia 193 1,574 8.2 15 Chesley, Laguna Beach 167 1,014 6.1 7 Estabrook, Cor. del Mar 241 985 4.1 5

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RECEIVING Rec Yds Avg TD Messelbeck, University 34 479 14.1 5 Blodgett, Laguna Beach 25 352 14.1 2 Chesley, Laguna Beach 25 280 11.2 0 Ferryman, Costa Mesa 22 412 18.7 3

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SCORING TD FG XP TP Zuniga, Costa Mesa 28 0 0 168 Hendricks, Estancia 18 0 4 112 Chesley, Laguna Beach 8 0 2 50 Weir, Costa Mesa 7 0 6 48

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NOTEBOOK

The Pacific Coast League has primarily been a running league, but that probably will change this season. Costa Mesa running back C.J. Zuniga gained 2,053 yards in 1999 and Estancia’s Marshall Hendricks gained 1,574, but those teams are likely to put the emphasis on passing this season. The strength of the teams at University, Laguna Beach and Northwood is at quarterback, where Jay Nichols, Todd Merz and Dan Tomcheck will wing it. . . . Seven of Costa Mesa’s games will be played at one of its home sites, either Orange Coast College or Newport Harbor High. Four games are at OCC, but the homecoming game, Sept. 29 vs. Ocean View, is at Newport Harbor. . . . With the exception of La Habra, first-year Northwood has scheduled nonleague opponents that are either similar in size or are also fairly new schools. “We’re a little nervous about that one, they’ll be physical and tough,” Coach Rick Curtis said of La Habra. . . . Curtis was head coach at University, compiling a 20-29-1 mark in five seasons preceding Mark Cunningham. Curtis also was co-coach with Irvine’s Terry Henigan for two seasons in the late 1980s, when Henigan had two sons in college. More importantly, Curtis was defensive coordinator when Irvine won three consecutive section titles from 1991-93.