Presenting one very long measuring stick

Barry Faulkner

After four weeks of inconsistent play, including what Corona del

Mar High football coach Dick Freeman termed a general lack of

improvement, Freeman used just four words to sum up Friday’s 7 p.m.

nonleague game against La Habra at Newport Harbor High.

“Who scheduled these guys?” Freeman asked, rhetorically, after

reviewing the Highlanders’ 24-20 loss last week to perennial power

Los Alamitos.

“They have an offensive tackle (6-foot-4, 265-pound junior Derek

Hunter) who looks like he plays for the Rams. He’s nine feet tall and

he runs real well. And their quarterback ... holy moly! I told our

guys this game is going to be a measure of where we’re at, because

these guys are in our division.”

La Habra (3-1) is ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division

IX, while the Sea Kings (2-2) are ranked No. 5, despite suffering a

14-12 upset loss to Cypress last week, a performance Freeman later

called scary.

“We’re not so much looking at this game in terms of a win or a

loss,” Freeman said. “But we want to play a good football game, our

best game.”

The Sea Kings will have to do so at less than full strength, with

senior safety-receiver K.C. Rawlins (groin) and senior running

back-outside linebacker Keith Long (strained back) most likely out

for the second straight week.

CdM should benefit from the return of senior fullback Matt Cooper,

who sat out against Cypress with a sprained ankle. Cooper, however,

will not start on defense at inside linebacker.

La Habra ranks in the top 10 in Orange County in scoring (No. 7

with 124 points) and scoring defense (No. 9 with 38 points allowed).

Coach Frank Mazzota’s Highlanders outscored Artesia, El Dorado and

California by a combined 104-14, before battling Los Al virtually

even in a game Griffins Coach John Barnes later said was no fluke.

The Highlanders have done most of their damage through the air on

offense, as junior quarterback Daniel Morales has completed 56 of 104

for 929 yards and eight touchdowns, with only two interceptions.

Four different receivers have TD catches for La Habra, including

6-4, 235-pound senior tight end Sean McDonough (12 receptions for 183

yards and two TDs) and senior Tony Magana (10 receptions for 177

yards and two TDs). Senior Trenton Sakioka has six catches for 143

yards and three TDs.

Defensively, the Highlanders held El Dorado to minus-12 yards

rushing and limited Los Al to just 70 yards on 29 rushing attempts.

CdM will try to attack La Habra’s defense with a ground game led

by senior Mark Cianciulli.

Cianciulli has rushed for 491 yards and five TDs on 104 carries

and has five receptions for 77 yards and another TD. He needs just 60

yards to reach the 2,000-yard plateau for his varsity career.

Senior quarterback Jonathan Hubbard has completed 23 of 46 for 166

yards and four TDs, while throwing two interceptions.

Kevin Welch is the Sea Kings’ leading receiver with nine catches

for 120 yards and three TDs.

Turnovers -- CdM is minus-four in turnover ratio -- and penalties

have plagued the Sea Kings thus far, while La Harbra is plus-four in

turnover ratio.

The Highlanders missed the playoffs last season, but appear to

have recaptured the magic that led to a CIF Division IX runner-up

finish in 2000.

This is the final preleague game for CdM, which opens its Pacific

Coast League schedule Oct. 17 against University.

This is the Sea Kings’ first meeting with La Habra.