Northwood football team out to bring home Fence Post again

Northwood’s football team is focused on Friday night’s season opener a 7 with Gahr of Cerritos at Irvine.

But once the league season begins, the Timberwolves will be out to win the Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy for the second year in a year.

“Winning the Fence Post was a great accomplishment for our team, especially since we were picked to finish fifth in our league prior to last season,” said Northwood Coach Rick Curtis.

“It really gave us some great momentum and confidence going into the CIF playoffs and helped us make it to the CIF semifinals.

“We like our chances for repeating, however, we know that our league is one of the most competitive leagues from top to bottom in the CIF Southern Section. The games in our league were so close and exciting last year, even more than I envisioned it. To win in this league and to win the Fence Post trophy you are going to have to bring your A game each week.”

The winner of the Pacific Coast League will likely win the Fence Post, unless Corona del Mar takes first place.

The Fence Post is based on games between the Irvine teams and five of the six PCL schools are from Irvine.

The Fence Post, selected to reflect Irvine’s ranching history, is named in honor of the late youth football coach, Dennis Toohey, who died of cancer at the age of 56 on Nov. 2, 1990.

Irvine won the Fence Post in 2008 and 2009.

Fence Post winners year by year:

1978 – University

1979 – Irvine

1980-81 – University

1982 – Irvine

1983 – 3-way tie between University, Irvine and Woodbridge

1984 – Irvine

1985-88- Woodbridge

1989 – Irvine

1990 – 3-way tie between University, Irvine and Woodbridge

1991-94 – Irvine

1995 – University

1996 – Irvine

1997 – Woodbridge

1998 – Tie, Irvine and Woodbridge

1999-2000 – Irvine

2001 – Woodbridge

2002 – Irvine

2003 – Northwood

2004 – Woodbridge

2005 – Northwood

2006 – Woodbridge

2007 – University

2008-2009 – Irvine

2010 - Northwood