SUMMER FOOTBALL UPDATE: Coach Curtis sees growth for Crean Lutheran program

Crean Lutheran’s Jack Fairchild heads to the end zone during the Saints victory over Valencia. (Photo courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs)

Crean Lutheran High School’s football team, led by Rick Curtis, has begun preparations for the season that begins in August.

It will be the first full season at Crean Lutheran for Curtis, who guided the Saints in the spring season which was limited to five games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Crean Lutheran opened the season with a 10-9 victory over Sonora and later captured its first Empire League victory in school history, defeating Valencia 38-21.

This year, Curtis is preparing his squad for a full 10-game regular season.

“We are a very young team so our summer camp is critical to the development of our character development, individual skills, leadership, and team culture,” Curtis said. “With only five seniors on our roster, we are fast-tracking a lot of our juniors and sophomores to get ready for varsity action. Our program is growing as we have 37 varsity players and have welcomed 31 freshmen into our program this summer. 

“It is exciting to see the enthusiasm and growth. These young men are very coachable and they are embracing the challenge that is before them.

“The kids are beginning to understand the work ethic that is needed to compete in the Empire League. Our summer workouts have really improved these last couple of weeks, after what I would call a ‘sluggish’ start to our summer training program. We do have a long way to go in our development as a cohesive unit, but I am confident that we will get there.”

Curtis said the team has been holding four-way passing scrimmages at Crean Lutheran.

“We have shown progress each week,” he said.

“We had a great youth camp last week with 48 (fourth through eighth grade) in attendance. With us not being able to run a youth camp last summer or this spring, we felt that it was a good start to the youth camps that we will offer in the spring and summer of 2022.” 

2021 CREAN LUTHERAN SCHEDULE

(Home games at either Portola or Irvine Stadium)

Thursday, Aug. 19, Ontario Christian (H)

Friday, Aug. 27, Northwood at Irvine Stadium

Friday. Sept. 3, Valley Christian (homecoming)

Thursday Sept 9 or Friday, Sept. 10, Village Christian at Burbank High School

Friday, Sept. 17, at Laguna Beach

Friday, Oct. 1, Cypress at Western

Friday, Oct. 8, Kennedy (H)

Friday, Oct. 15, at Valencia

Friday, Oct. 22, Pacifica (H)

Thursday, Oct. 28, Tustin (H)

–Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com