* Tesoro High had an opportunity to...

* Tesoro High had an opportunity to pull off a rare free kick for

three points at the end of regulation in its 28-21 overtime victory

over Corona del Mar Friday.

Forced to punt out of his own end zone with four seconds

remaining, Corona del Mar’s Kevin Welch booted one 24 yards to the

Sea Kings’ 27-yard line. The punt returner did not signal for a fair

catch, but if he had, the Titans could have had a free kick, which

could have ended the game.

“I was surprised they did not [call for a fair catch],” Corona del

Mar Coach Dick Freeman said.

The field-goal attempt would have been 37 yards, but the Sea Kings

would have been forced to line up at the 17-yard line and could not

provide a rush. Tesoro also would have been allowed to kick without a

holder, using the same tee that is used for kickoffs.

* Despite the final score, Corona del Mar actually emerged from

the overtime game with a tie, a rule the Pacific Coast League coaches

put into effect this season.

The coaches got the idea, which allows for tiebreakers if the

teams finish with identical records but does not penalize the losing

team, from the Golden West League.

But the Golden West League eliminated the rule this year, Costa

Mesa Coach Dave Perkins said.

“It was that way until this year,” Perkins said. “Now it’s either

you win or you lose.”

Of course, the Mustangs lost an overtime game to Saddleback this

season and if the change hadn’t been made, Costa Mesa’s playoff

chances would be much improved.

* As it is, Costa Mesa’s playoff hopes rely on gaining the

at-large berth, but they will likely have one less victory than La

Serna.

Though Costa Mesa’s nonleague schedule appears stronger than La

Serna’s, the breakdown of their victories is nearly even.

The Mustangs have defeated teams that are a combined 12-33. La

Serna’s victories have come against teams that are a combined 17-44.

* If the Mustangs don’t make the playoff, it will be the first

time Perkins has missed out on the postseason since 1999, when he was

coaching Estancia.

* Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley lamented his team’s lack of

effort in the first half and Laguna Hills took full advantage. The

Hawks drove 85 yards on 15 plays with the opening kickoff and

outgained the Sailors, 119 yards to minus-1 yard in the first

quarter. At halftime, Laguna Hills held a 194-64 advantage in total

offense, had run 37 offensive plays to Newport’s 21, led, 14-3, and

had possessed the ball all but 7:10 of the first 24 minutes.

* The Sailors went with a new color-scheme Friday, wearing blue

jerseys with white pants, but Brinkley said it had nothing to do with

trying to break a three-game losing streak. Instead, the combination

uniforms (not worn by the Sailors, who usually wear all white or all

blue, since 1989) were used to provide a better contrast to the

Hawks’ light-gold home jerseys.

* Newport Harbor sophomore quarterback Tom Jackson completed 7 of

8 second-half pass attempts for 118 yards and a touchdown and ran for

the go-ahead TD to spearhead the Tars’ rally.

* Kevin Welch broke his own school record for longest pass play

with a 92-yard touchdown reception Friday, but this time he added

twin brother Tom to the record book.

Tom Welch hit his brother on a quick slant route midway through

the first quarter. Kevin tipped it to himself, then outran the Tesoro

defense for the first touchdown of the game.

Last season, Kevin scored on an 87-yard touchdown reception from

Jonathan Hubbard.

* Corona del Mar lost sophomore linebacker Shaun Mohler to a

shoulder injury after he was hit returning a kickoff with 6:16

remaining in the second quarter.

Mohler, one of the Sea Kings top defensive players, did not return

to the game. But Corona del Mar Coach Dick Freeman said Sunday that

the injury did not seem serious and Mohler should be in the lineup

for Friday’s pivotal game against University.

* Estancia High has been shut out two weeks in a row. The Eagles

have not scored since there was 8:40 left in Estancia’s 26-20 loss to

Santa Ana Oct. 24, when Bubba Kapko bulled in from 1 yard out. That’s

104 minutes, 40 seconds since the last time the Eagles have put

points on the scoreboard.

* Senior Mike Cahill, a running back and linebacker for Estancia,

did not play because of an ankle injury Friday against Orange. He

supported his teammates on the sideline. He was wearing a dress shirt

and tie with slacks.

“He looked sharp,” Estancia Coach Craig Fertig said.