Prep football: CdM suffers losses

CORONA DEL MAR - Corona del Mar High sophomore inside linebacker

and punter Dave Simon told Coach Dick Feeman Monday he was quitting the

team to concentrate on academics.

Simon, a 6-foot-2, 199-pound transfer from New Jersey, started one

game at defensive end before being shifted to linebacker the last two

games. He was in on 18 tackles in the Sea Kings’ Sept. 27 victory over

Saddleback and had become an emotional team leader.

The Sea Kings have also learned two-way starter Kris Cooper, a tight

end and outside linebacker, has a small tear of a ligament in his knee.

Freeman said there is still a chance Cooper, injured late in Friday’s

victory over Westminster, could play, possibly as soon as Friday night’s

Pacific Coast League opener against Estancia. But Cooper will likely

need surgery after the season, Freeman said.

-- By Barry Faulkner