Jimmy Nolan returns to sideline for Costa Mesa football
His return to the team surprised even himself.
Costa Mesa High School football coach Jimmy Nolan has spent countless hours with family after an unimaginable tragedy struck those closest to him last year.
In September, a fatal car crash took the lives of his youngest daughter, Micki, and the driver of the other car in a two-vehicle collision in South Carolina. Nolan’s wife, Taran, remains hospitalized due to her injuries from the accident.
The Mustangs were prepared to go into the season with Bill Lux serving as their interim head coach. Lux led the team in that role in its opener at Garden Grove last week, and Nolan made it to the game at halftime.
“It was totally unexpected,” Nolan said. “We were reluctant to go to that game last Friday because I was with my wife at the hospital, and I never want to leave her if I don’t have to.
“The kids really wanted to go to the game, and I thought, ‘It will be good for them. Maybe it will be good for me.’”
Much of the scene before Friday night’s home opener was as one might expect. Nolan, dressed in his customary gameday bowtie, led the team through stretches, his kids barely leaving his side.
His daughters Paisley and Daisy and his son Jimmy were all there. Nolan played multiple roles as a coach and a father, managing to make Daisy laugh off an ankle injury before the game by imitating the healing methods of Mr. Miyagi from “The Karate Kid.”
While the road to recovery remains a long one for his wife, Nolan is grateful, saying, “All I asked God for was to keep her alive,” and referring to her repeatedly as his best friend.
Costa Mesa dropped its home opener 37-0 to Katella, but like their coach who has ventured into boxing, the Mustangs vowed to get back up and fight again.
“We were so glad to see him back on the field, back at practice,” senior wide receiver Alex Jennis said of Nolan’s return. “It felt good. We all missed him out here because he always knew how to pump us up before the games, always pumped us up after the games after a tough loss like this one. He’s just going to work [with] us next week and get us better than we were today.”
Down two scores in the first quarter, Costa Mesa (0-2) relied heavily on the pass but struggled to create big plays. Nicholas Burton completed just 16 of 36 passing attempts for 95 yards.
Riley Weinstein had a team-high 34 receiving yards, Ryan Bourbeau added 23 yards on three catches, and Joe Paxson had a game-high five receptions for 17 yards.
Alex Bravo recorded a sack and was in on three other tackles for a loss for the Mustangs defensively. He recounted his feeling when Nolan showed up during the season opener at Garden Grove.
“It lifted our spirits, I think, when I saw him, because of everything he’s going through,” Bravo said. “I’m just glad he’s back, just the energy he brings to the team.”
Katella (1-0) forced three turnovers, including a fumble that was returned 39 yards for a touchdown by Raymon Perez.
Knights quarterback Daunte Bell had just five completions, but they went for a total of 200 yards and two touchdowns. Donnovan Arrington had three catches for 98 yards and a touchdown, with each grab going for more than 20 yards. He also returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for another score.
“Can’t even imagine it,” Arrington said of scoring a touchdown on the first play of the season for the Knights. He also credited his blockers on the runback.
Katella scored in the first and last minutes of the first half, as Gabriel Dawson ran in a touchdown from 40 yards out with 22 seconds to go before halftime, giving the Knights a 21-0 lead.
Aaron Ruiz also scored a 67-yard touchdown on his lone catch of the contest.
Nonleague
Katella 37, Costa Mesa 0
Katella 12 – 9 – 9 – 7 – 37
Costa Mesa 0 – 0 – 0 -0 – 0
FIRST QUARTER
K – Arrington 85 kick return (Channel pass failed), 11:46.
K – Ruiz 67 pass from Bell (Favila kick failed), 3:27.
SECOND QUARTER
K – Safety (Tackle in end zone), 2:07.
K – Dawson 40 run (Favila kick), 0:22.
THIRD QUARTER
K – Favila 22 FG, 3:15.
K – Perez 39 fumble return (Channel run failed), 1:56.
FOURTH QUARTER
K – Arrington 46 pass from Bell (Favila kick), 9:03.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
K – Dawson, 16-77, 1 TD.
CM – Jennis, 2-19.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
K – Bell, 5-12-0, 200, 2 TDs.
CM – Burton, 16-36-2, 95.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
K – Arrington, 3-98, 1 TD.
CM – Weinstein, 2-34.
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