LeBard’s Mt. Tucker about to be scaled

ROGER CARLSON

I find it surprising, in these days of conservation activism, that we

are in the midst of losing Mt. Tucker, the scenic hill sprouting from

the valley of LeBard. And there is virtually not a word being said.

No pickets, no protests, no calls for an environmental impact study,

zippo.

Instead, students at Orange Coast College go along their merry way

obtaining an education and act as if they’re totally unaware of the

demise of this historical natural land mass, named for one of the

Pirates’ great football coaches, the man who led the Bucs to a 21-0

Jr. Rose Bowl victory over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M; before 44,044 in

1963. One of many conquests for Dick Tucker in his 24-year reign.

Fact is, Coast’s football field is about to be flattened and the

massive hump will be no more, giving way to a slope with a 1%

variation.

It’s all part of the renovation at Coast, which includes the

introduction of FieldTurf. The plan is to expand the overall surface

considerably, putting the stadium in compliance with the disabilities

act with various ramps, including a “world-type” soccer field and

some major improvements to the press box facility and regular soccer

field.

It’s all paid for, the money coming from the approved bond issue

known as Measure C awhile back.

Additionally, the current soccer field is being groomed with the

FieldTurf, which appears to be the class of the fake grass people.

It’s “player-friendly” and the clear choice of major NCAA schools

and the NFL. The long-disdained injury factor that prevailed when

playing on “rugs,” has been virtually eliminated with this proven,

pliable material.

The contractor has been agreed upon and, come September, it’s

scheduled to be ready for play.

Orange Coast College Athletic Director Fred Hokanson, however, is

well aware of potential pots in the road and has placed LeBard

Stadium off limits until October, providing a cushion for something

not counted on.

Maybe Davidson Field at Newport Harbor High will serve as a site

for the Pirates. Or maybe Sheue Field at Huntington Beach High, which

was OCC’s home field when it all began in 1948 under Coach Ray Rosso.

Or, just maybe, it’ll be ready to go and there will be no need to

look elsewhere.

If it is ready, the Pirates will host Glendale on Sept. 4 and

Saddleback College on Sept. 18 at LeBard.

The positives for this new field leave little room for negatives.

There’s an initial cost, of course -- for a regular football

field, somewhere in the neighborhood of $800,000, with a 10-year

guarantee, the same guarantee which is given to the University of

Nebraska, or Irvine High, or Mater Dei, or Santa Margarita.

Long Beach City College is going for it, too, while Cerritos

College settled on another brand.

With no snow and temperatures in the 70s in Costa Mesa, that

guarantee works out to more line 20 years of actual use, at least.

Or, around $50,000 annually.

It’s basically about $6 per square foot, so it figures out to

$600,000, plus goodies, which probably works out to something less

than $1 million.

It’s made to accept day-in and day-out use, 365 days a year, and

the only maintenance normally required is to drag a “roller-sweeper”

with a golf cart to pluck out various leftovers from the gladiators.

“Our field has been there for 50 years,” said Hokanson. “Every

time when the season was over and it was reduced to mud and dirt,

grounds people would put topsoil and seed on it and the crown just

kept getting higher and higher. The crown has got so high the water

just runs off immediately.”

The Pirates vacated LeBard Stadium a few days ago, leaving the

territory to the work crews. Hokanson said the FieldTurf was the

“best and safest we could find,” and they’re rubbing their hands with

glee at Irvine High, where the Irvine District Stadium is about to

have the same type of facelift.

They’re supposed to start work at Irvine High on July 5 and the

plan is for the opening kickoff to be performed as scheduled in early

September.

Irvine High’s field has taken a beating, serving as the home field

for Irvine, Woodbridge, University and Northwood high schools, but

the arrival of FieldTurf appears to be the solution, far outweighing

the costs of another stadium.

At Irvine, it will be “from curb-to-curb,” which includes almost

all of the field events in track and field.

Not only are football requirements satisfied, but the never-ending

rub between football and soccer is eliminated. Additionally, and

since the Irvine District Field is a combined cost-sharing endeavor

by the school district and the city of Irvine, many city-based youth

endeavors, as in football and soccer, will be available.

And, why not? The stuff is virtually indestructible. Just pull the

“roller-sweeper” around at the end of the day and you’re ready for

tomorrow.

About the only negative I have heard is that when it’s a really

hot day, the playing surface gets hot, too.

And there will be no pregame striping, no re-seeding or re-sodding

and the maintenance costs are cut dramatically.

When it’s finished at Coast, the Pirates’ facility will surely

enhance their reputation as the crown jewel of Orange County, with

its 7,600-seat facility accommodating football, as well as soccer on

an international level.

And, the current soccer field will be finished with its updated

FieldTurf and up-to-date drainage, as well.

Still to come in the near future at Coast, according to football

coach Mike Taylor, are new locker rooms, new weight rooms and new

practice facilities.

Costa Mesa uses Coast as its primary home field, so this is pure

gravy.

Estancia, I suppose, will continue to settle for Coast as its home

field until the Eagles complete their on-going aspirations for their

own on-campus football facility, whenever that might be. Mesa and

Estancia have Davidson Field at Newport as a second option.

Another beneficiary will be Corona del Mar High’s Sea Kings, who

use LeBard as their home field when they are the home team in the

annual Battle of the Bay against Newport Harbor.

Also, Corona del Mar will see it when on the road against

Northwood and University in games at Irvine in 2005.

Newport Harbor will be on this surface at Irvine High twice this

fall, against Irvine and Woodbridge.

Also said to be in line for a synthetic surface is Laguna Beach,

which is really an eye-opener.

Should the Pirates need help in September, Newport Harbor is open

on Sept. 4, but filled on Sept. 18 with the Estancia-Buena Park game.

Taylor said another possible site for the Sept. 4 matchup with

Glendale could be Sage Hill School. Would that not be a novel site?

So, protest or not, and whether it all starts as scheduled or not,

Mt. Tucker will be nothing but a memory this fall.

Well, there’s price tag for everything, I guess.

Hey! See you next Sunday!

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

His column appears on Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at

[email protected].