Sea Kings blitz foe, 50-8

Steve Virgen

With each hit, each touchdown, each successful blitz, the Corona

del Mar High football team, as Sea King senior quarterback Jonathan

Hubbard said, came together and rose to the top in a battle of

Pacific Coast League unbeatens Saturday night at Westminster High.

CdM (5-3, 3-0 in league) developed some serious swagger on its way

to a 50-8 victory over Calvary Chapel.

“(Eagle quarterback Terry Mermer is) an awesome player,” said

Hubbard, who threw for 210 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-13 passing

with no interceptions. “I knew I would be the underdog. I knew the

spotlight would be on him, but I had to break through. I played to my

potential. I give all the credit to the receivers and the offensive

line. The O-line did their best job of the season. We came together

as a team and it felt really good.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Hubbard connected with sophomore

Kevin Welch for an 87-yard touchdown pass, the longest play from

scrimmage of the night. Welch recorded a dazzling catch near

midfield, broke away from his defender near the CdM sideline and

sprinted untouched to the end zone.

The Sea Kings then sent Calvary Chapel (4-4, 2-1) three and out.

And, CdM then delivered one of its best drives of the season. The Sea

Kings went 70 yards in 13 plays, that featured two fourth-down

conversions, including a fake-punt play. On fourth-and-16 from its

own 24, CdM lined up in punt formation, but Sea King sophomore Tom

Welch took the snap and heaved a pass to a wide open Wess Presson for

a 28-yard completion that kept the drive alive.

Later on the drive, Hubbard completed an 8-yard pass to Kevin

Welch on a fourth-and-three situation. Then, Welch, who caught five

passes for 154 yards and one touchdown, took the Sea Kings to the

Calvary Chapel 4, with his 16-yard reception. On the ensuing play,

CdM senior Keith Long ran in for a touchdown, and after David Del

Fante’s PAT, the Sea Kings went up 14-0.

Long was CdM’s workhorse Saturday night, rushing for 49 yards and

the TD on 19 carries. CdM senior tailback Mark Cianciulli sat out

most of the game because of an injured shoulder, which Coach Dick

Freeman said he will monitor this week.

Presson, a CdM sophomore, also contributed in the running game,

posting 67 yards and two touchdowns, which came in the second half,

on five carries. Hubbard also ran for a touchdown, as the Sea Kings

fed off momentum and turnovers provided by their defense.

“We got to (Mermer),” Freeman said. “Not many people have got to

him, but we did. We scored some points and made some plays and a lot

of that was our defense setting it up.

“When they were on defense,” Freeman continued. “They put like 10

guys in the box. We had to take advantage of it.”

Calvary Chapel nearly scored before the end of the first half, as

the Eagles ran one final play from the CdM 9 with four seconds

remaining. But, CdM junior Mordy Ornguze intercepted Mermer’s pass in

the end zone.

After halftime, the Sea Kings intensified their blitzing and gave

Mermer extreme pressure. CdM senior Jayson Skalla, who provided

constant pressure, teamed up with junior Cameron Campbell to sack

Mermer for a 10-yard loss to the Calvary Chapel 10 early in the third

quarter, forcing the Eagles to punt from their own end zone.

On the ensuing punt, CdM senior Kris Cooper broke through and

blocked the kick, slapping the ball past the back of the end zone for

a safety. The Eagles appeared to receive some life as they recovered

a fumble, during CdM’s ensuing drive. Calvary Chapel converted the

turnover into eight points, after a Mermer touchdown pass and

subsequent two-point conversion.

However, the Sea Kings answered right back with a 65-yard, 6-play

drive, that included a Hubbard-to-Kevin Welch hook-up for 37 yards

and ended with a Presson 9-yard touchdown run.

The CdM defense caused another turnover when junior Chris Reilly

jarred the ball loose from the Calvary Chapel quarterback and Cody

Perrott recovered at the Eagle 27. Hubbard later ran in for a 4-yard

touchdown off a bootleg play.

The Sea Kings’ defense recovered four fumbles in the second half,

as all led to points. Late in the fourth quarter, CdM junior Danny

Tarkesian grabbed the quarterback for a sack, while Cooper stripped

the ball and went the distance for a 45-yard touchdown, that led to a

44-0 lead.

CdM sophomore John Shanahan rounded out the scoring with a 14-yard

TD run, capitalizing off the fumble he caused, which Matt Warsaw

recovered.