Seahawks look for playoff success

The Ocean View High football program has never enjoyed the luxury of having an abundance of players to shuffle in and out of games. Rather, it has traditionally relied on two-way players to go out and fight on almost every down.

Such is the case again with this year’s team, but the 2011 Seahawks have talent on both sides of the ball that could elevate them to another successful season.

Ocean View has 14 starters back from a 2010 team that last year won seven games and reached the CIF playoffs. Several players from that squad have graduated, but five all-league players are back for their senior seasons.

Taking over at quarterback for the graduated Nolan Tippy is Timmy Robinson. The 6-foot-1, 225 senior rushed for 1,272 yards and had 363 receiving yards and a total of 15 touchdowns last year as a running back. Ocean View offensive coordinator Eli Atol said that Robinson, who also plays middle linebacker and had the second most tackles (112) last year on defense, brings an “extra dimension to our attack.”

“He is a big, strong runner and he has a great arm,” Atol said. “He has the skills and football knowledge to lead this year’s team.”

Below is a capsule look at the 2011 Seahawks:

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League: Golden West

Head coach: Harold Eggers (10th year; 39-54)

Coaching staff: Eli Atol (offensive coordinator/defensive backs, ninth year); Trevor Martin (defensive coordinator/running backs, fourth year); Luis Nunez (offensive/defensive lines, second year); Jordan Miller (special teams coordinator/defensive line, third year); Chris Katsuki (wide receivers/defensive backs, second year); Robert Sigmund (linebackers/wide receivers, first year).

2010 record: 7-4

2010 league finish: 3-2 (third place)

2010 CIF results: Lost in first-round to Southern Division semifinalist Corona del Mar.

Type of offense: Spread

Type of defense: 3-4

Returning players: Six offense, eight defense

Returning with honors: Timmy Robinson (QB/LB, first-team all-league, Sr.);Travis Sparks (RB/SS, first-team all-league, Sr.); Ben Sumner (OL/DL, second-team all-league, Sr.); Colton Johnson (WR/CB, second-team all-league, Sr.; Eric Hernandez (OL/DL, all-league honorable mention, Sr.).

Key losses: Nolan Tippy (QB, first-team all-league, 1,878 yards, 14 TDs; now at Pacific University, Oregon); Michael Congilliere (LB, Golden West League defensive player of the year, all-CIF, 145 tackles, four sacks; now at Benedictine University, Illinois); Brian Hernandez (K/WR, Golden West League kicker of the year); Blake Walker (WR/CB, first-team all-league); Josh Clay (WR. second-team all-league).

Players to watch: Timmy Robinson (QB/middle linebacker, Sr.); Travis Sparks (RB/SS, Sr.; rushed for 300 yards, 2 TDs in a back-up role last year; 50 tackles, three sacks, four interceptions and two TDs on defense in 2010); Evan Perzanowski (left tackle, 6-6, 270, Soph.); Eric Hernandez (left guard/defensive end, Sr.); Ben Sumner (center/nose guard, Sr.); Carlos Islas (right guard/nose guard, Sr.); Speiser Alani (right tackle/outside linebacker, Jr.); Willy Jarus (RE/CB, Sr.); Rey Soria (DE, Jr.); Victor Faraji (OLB, Sr.); Tua Falelaulii (FS, Sr.).

View from both sides: The Seahawks have nine players who start on both offense and defense.

School ties: Assistant coaches Eli Atol, Trevor Martin, Jordan Miller and Chris Katsuki all played for Ocean View.

New look: The Seahawks have abandoned last year’s 3-3-5 defense for a 3-4 scheme.

Summer school success: “The team had a great summer and I was very happy with how quickly they picked coach (Trevor) Martin’s new defense,” said Eli Atol, who is in his ninth year at his alma mater as an assistant coach. Atol is the team’s offensive coordinator and coaches defensive backs.

Season outlook: “I have very high expectations for the 2011 season,” Atol said. “We have several returning starters and a few new players that should help us. Our offense will be anchored by a very experienced group up front. We should be able to run the ball, with all three of last year’s running backs returning for their senior season, including Timmy Robinson, who holds almost every school rushing record. Our biggest challenge this season will be to stay healthy. We have, as usual, a small group with few back-ups.

A goal: “To win our first (CIF) playoff game in school history,” Atol said.

Season opener: 7 p.m. Friday at home against Western

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2011 Schedule

Friday: Western, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9: Calvary Chapel, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16: at Laguna Beach, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23: Costa Mesa, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29: vs. Saddleback, 7 p.m.

(at Segerstrom High)

Oct. 14: at *Westminster, 7 p.m.

Oct. 21: *Orange, 7 p.m.

Oct. 28: *Loara, 7 p.m.

Nov. 4: *Santa Ana, 7 p.m.

Nov. 10: at *Segerstrom, 7 p.m.

* Denotes Golden West League game