Irvine football coach Tom Ricci meets with his players before Friday’s game. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Irvine High’s football team is back home again Friday night, looking to bounce back from two losses at home.
The Vaqueros (0-2) will host Huntington Beach (0-3) in a nonleague game at 7 p.m. at Irvine Stadium.
Irvine is coming off a 55-20 loss to Sunny Hills on Friday after opening the season with a 37-28 setback against Canyon.
Irvine Coach Tom Ricci and his players left the field shortly after Friday’s loss at Irvine Stadium.
On Tuesday, Ricci said by email to OC Sports Zone:
“We need to understand where we are as a team and move forward. Like I told them, it’s not about how hard you hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. Our job is to keep moving forward with sights set on league.
“Our team understands where we are and where we need to get to by league. The teams that we play during preseason are a big part of that process. I asked them if they wanted me to schedule weaker teams for preseason next year.
“When they said no, I told them, ‘good, because I just re-upped with Canyon and Sunny Hills for next year.’ Wins are great and losses take their toll, but we need experience and toughness. Our schedule provides both.”
Coach Brett Brown’s Huntington Beach team lost to Green Valley of Nevada 15-8, Western 14-0 and Long Beach Wilson 43-7.
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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