Football: CdM tops Estancia, 35-6

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - The suspense ended early Friday night, but Corona

del Mar High football coach Dick Freeman might have a slight change in

holiday planning.

“I’m hoping I’m on Dick’s Christmas card list now,” quipped Estancia

Coach Jay Noonan, following the Sea Kings’ 35-6 Pacific Coast

League-opening victory over the host Eagles at Newport Harbor High.

Thanks to the Eagles’ first-quarter charitable efforts, Corona del Mar

pounced on Estancia with a three-touchdown lead 50 seconds into the

second quarter, then stuck it in cruise control and improved to 4-1-1

overall.

The Sea Kings, ranked No. 7 in CIF Southern Section Division IX,

scored on their first possession, recovered an Estancia fumble and scored

again, then scooped up another loose ball from Estancia’s offense and

scored again.

“We kind of let up after that,” Freeman said. “You know, we got

knocked out by these guys last year (27-24). They always play us tough.”

Junior running back Mark Cianciulli carried 20 times for 129 yards and

one touchdown to lead the Sea Kings, whose ground force (283 yards on 48

rushes) continually moved the chains (15 of their 23 first downs came on

the ground) against the Eagles (0-5, 0-1).

Even CdM left tackle Steven Russell got in on the action, picking up

15 yards on one carry. “He’s as close to a second-team fullback as we’ve

got,” said Freeman, whose quarterback, senior Dylan Hendy, also enjoyed a

big night, completing 12 of 18 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown (no

interceptions).

Corona del Mar marched 59 yards on eight plays to open the game,

capped by Hendy’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Steven Ward on a fade to the

right side. An 11-yard screen pass to Cianciulli, a 10-yard rush by

running back Keith Long and an 11-yard carry by Cianciulli set up the

first score.

On Estancia’s second play from scrimmage, Long, CdM’s outside

linebacker, recovered a fumble and the Sea Kings took over on the Eagle

41-yard line.

Seven plays and four penalties later, CdM fullback Matt Cooper plunged

into the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown, while K.C. Rawlins added the

extra point for a 14-0 lead.

Estancia, however, following a 33-yard kickoff return by Mitch Valdes,

fumbled again on its second play from scrimmage, this time with Cooper

getting the recovery to set up the Sea Kings’ third touchdown in three

series.

“We can’t keep making mistakes,” Noonan said. “It’s getting real old.”

Estancia lost its starting center, Joe Hernandez, for the week because

of an injury, and it appeared to make a difference as the Eagles fumbled

five times (losing two).

After recovering its second fumble, Corona del Mar set up shop on its

46 and ran out the final 3:01 of the first quarter, before scoring early

in the second on a 3-yard keeper by Hendy.

The Sea Kings missed a 45-yard field goal and lost a fumble in their

final two possessions in the first half, in which they had control of the

ball for 17:39.

After an Estancia punt to start the second half, CdM drove again and

scored on its first series, keyed by a 30-yard pass play from Hendy to

Ward and capped by Long’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Estancia, which had only one first down in the first half, gave CdM

excellent field position again, following a bad punt snap, which forced

punter Lewis Bradshaw into a 15-yard loss and allowed the Sea Kings to

take over at the Eagle 22.

Hendy hooked up with two receivers (Cooper and Ward) on two plays to

move the ball inside the 10, then Cianciulli carried for a 9-yard scoring

run with 7:45 to play in the third quarter. Rawlins kicked the extra

point for a 35-0 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Estancia got on the scoreboard as Bradshaw

ended a long drive with an 11-yard touchdown run on a keeper with 2:22

left.

In the drive, which started at the Eagles’ own 11, Bradshaw teamed

with Junior Tanielu on a 22-yard screen pass and found Jermaine Snell on

a 21-yard pass play, highlighting the 11-play series.