Football Squad Back from Japan
The 43 Laguna Beach High School football players returned home on July 14 and resumed their summer training program. In Japan, they had a few practices in this district/CIF unsanctioned break to the summer training program with visits to Tokyo and Kyoto. Summer practice ends Aug. 1, with the first day of practice for the regular season on Aug. 5. The season opens with the Frosh on Aug. 22 and Varsity on Aug. 23 against St. Margaret’s.
Summer Sports
Laguna Beach High School Athletics summer programs are underway. Check out the programs for all sports at lbhs.lbusd.org. Don’t miss out if you plan to play sports at Laguna Beach High School.
Indoor volleyball is having camps beginning July 22 with a session for six to eighth grade and girls indoor sessions for grades 6-9 and 10-12.
90 Years of Laguna Beach Football: Part 3: Orange County Urbanizes 1957 to 1987
Six weeks until the start of the 2024 season
Last week, we looked at the first 23 varsity seasons as Laguna went 117-63-8 during the Guyer era, taking six league titles and closing out with the 8-1 season in 1956 led by star player Bill O’Brian.
Guyer retired from his football coach duties after the 1956 season. Orange County has been changing rapidly since the opening of Disneyland in July 1955. Laguna was not immune to the growth, with enrollment jumping from under 500 students to reaching 1,000 in 1969. Enrollment would not dip below 1,000 students until 1987. League affiliation was either based on school size (Orange, Crestview, Pacific Coast) or geography (Irvine, Sea View, South Coast).
Replacing Guyer was the first Laguna alumnus to be head coach, Vern “Tom” Dugger, who was the most valuable player in the great 1946 CIF championship undefeated team. After his graduation in 1947, Dugger attended St. Mary’s, then a big national football power, and returned to Laguna in 1955 to serve as Guyer’s assistant until replacing Red in 1957. Dugger resigned after the disastrous 1960 season but remained in the district, serving in various administrative posts and finishing his career as the Laguna Beach High School assistant principal. He also served as head lifeguard for the city of Laguna Beach from 1959-72.
Dugger was followed by Washington State grad Harold “Hal” Akins, who was a part of Laguna football for thirty-plus years as a head coach, offensive coordinator (1979-81, 1993-94), and freshman co-head coach (1991). Akins served as tennis coach in 1962 and 1963, picking up two Orange League titles. Akins played professional ball with the Giants (1948) before becoming a teacher and coach. He came to Laguna from Fontana High School and also coached and taught at Columbia Basin junior college. A very talented artist, Coach Akins was an exhibitor at The Festival of the Arts and at the Sawdust for many years.
Laguna took one league title under Dugger (1959) and one under Akins (1968). The 10-1 1968 team captured the community with overflow crowds at Guyer Field following the squad led by Steve Klosterman, Jim Kuhn, Brian Bagley, and Steve Wiezbowski.
Laguna’s next title came in 1980 under Walt Hamera’s coaching. MVP Lance Stewart, at quarterback, led the Artists to a 7-3 record and a South Coast League co-championship with Mission Viejo. Laguna surprised the Diablos 12-10 at their stadium but lost to Corona del Mar in the opening playoff game.
Laguna’s final title in this era was the Danny Lane team of 1987, which went 10-2. Laguna’s run that year ended in an exciting playoff game before an overflowing, standing-room-only crowd at Guyer Field, which witnessed future NFL quarterback and coach Mark Brunell leading his St Joseph’s team to a 20-13 comeback victory.
Overall, the team went 137-160-6 during this period, and Laguna was still in the positive with a 254-223-14 mark for the first 55 seasons of play.
