Prep football: CdM keeping its fingers crossed

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The Corona del Mar High football team’s bid for

the lone at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section Division IX

playoffs would appear to boil down to a comparison with Troy, which the

Sea Kings tied in Week 2, 34-34.

Both the Sea Kings (5-4-1) and Warriors (6-3-1) failed to secure one

of their league’s three guaranteed berths and are hoping to win over the

section’s playoff selection committee, which will choose the at-large

team based on established criteria.

The leading selection criteria include head-to-head meetings, strength

of schedule and how each team finished the regular season.

Presumably, weekly Southern Section rankings also factor in, but the

merit of rankings, compiled from votes submitted by media throughout the

section, is highly subjective.

Let the comparisons begin.

The head-to-head meeting Sept. 15, began well enough for the Sea

Kings, who led, 34-13, heading into the fourth quarter. But Troy scored

on the first play of the final period and pulled to within six with 8:10

left on a touchdown and two-point conversion. The Warriors then scored

the tying touchdown with six seconds left, only to see CdM junior Matt

Boyce, who has since quit the team, storm up the middle and block the

would-be game-winning conversion kick.

With its impressive final quarter, Troy earned the statistical

advantage in rushing yards (284-189), first downs (21-13) and time of

possession (27:21 to 20:39). Troy also won the turnover battle, 3-1, and

finished with the edge in total offense, 373-357. CdM had more passing

yards (168-89).

“If we’d have blocked better on that PAT, this (at-large conjecture)

would all be moot,” Troy Coach John Turek said Friday.

“I’d say we were pretty lucky to walk out of here with a tie,” CdM

Coach Dick Freeman said immediately following the game. “We were out of

gas and Troy knew it.”

The Sea Kings, however, appear to hold the edge in strength of

schedule, since their opponents’ combined record heading into Friday was

55-37-3. Included among the CdM victories is a 19-14 triumph over Golden

West League champion Westminster, as well as an additional 45-21

nonleague win over eventual playoff team Saddleback.

The Sea Kings’ league losses were to playoff qualifiers Northwood,

University and Costa Mesa, which take a combined 23-6 record into the

postseason.

“Northwood was ranked No. 3 (in Division IX) when we played them and

we did a pretty good job against them,” Freeman said of Thursday’s 35-21

loss to the unbeaten Timberwolves.

“And we beat a Westminster team that beat a (Tustin) team that scored

92 points last night (a 92-0 Golden West League win over Ocean View).”

University was ranked No. 4 in the latest CIF Division IX poll and

Newport Harbor was ranked atop Division VI.

Troy’s schedule included only three playoff qualifiers (unless CdM is

invited) and the combined record of Warrior opponents was 37-51-4,

heading into Friday night.

Turek, however, points to extreme parity in the Freeway League this

fall, as well as the fact that the Warriors’ biggest margin of defeat was

eight points (28-20 against Buena Park). Troy’s other two losses were

one-point decisions against league-champion Fullerton, a 15-14 setback

Oct. 19, and Sunny Hills, an 8-7 defeat Oct. 26.

Sonora is the only Troy victim with a winning record, while CdM’s

victims list includes winning teams Westminster and Laguna Beach.

In terms of comparative statistics, Troy has scored 263 points and

allowed 155, while CdM scored 247 and surrendered 242.

Troy finished the season with back-to-back victories over La Habra and

Sonora and Turek said Friday that the team is completely healthy after

enduring injury problems that began in the CdM game, including an injury

to its leading rusher, Jordan McCarthy. The Warriors have lost three of

their last five.

CdM finished with back-to-back losses to Costa Mesa and Northwood and

has lost three of its last four.

The Sea Kings have had numerous injuries and had two starters quit.

They are, however, as healthy as they’ve been all year.

In terms of rankings, the Sea Kings hold the clear edge, having been

ranked in the Division IX top 10 all season. CdM opened at No. 4 in the

preseason poll and remained there after the first two weeks. They spent

time at No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9, and were ranked No. 10 after last week.

Troy has not been ranked all season.

Another factor the selection committee might consider is how the

representatives from the Freeway and Pacific Coast Leagues have fared in

recent playoffs.

Freeway teams are 5-6 the last two postseasons, with La Habra

advancing to the Division IX title game last fall. In addition, Freeway

members Fullerton and La Habra have won the last two postseason meetings

against PCL representatives Estancia and University, respectively.

Fullerton hammered Estancia, 49-7, in a first-round battle last year

between the No. 2 league representatives, while La Habra topped Uni,

13-7, in a quarterfinal clash between league champions last fall.

PCL schools are 1-6 the last two years in the playoffs.

Additionally, Troy, which was passed over for an at-large berth last

season, despite having as many wins as at-large entry Baldwin Park, won

its first-round game in 1999, before falling in the quarterfinals.

Since joining the PCL in the fall of 1999, CdM is 0-2 in playoff

games, falling 34-3 to eventual champion South Hills last year and

losing, 23-15 to Valencia in ’99.