Sea Kings now must wait, see

Patrick Laverty

While University High’s football team broke its postgame huddle with

a chant of “CIF,” Corona del Mar’s players will have to sit anxiously

over the next two days before they find out if they will join the

Trojans in the playoffs.

University stole third place in the Pacific Coast League and the

final automatic berth into the CIF Southern Section Division IX

playoffs with a 20-13 victory over the Sea Kings Friday at Irvine

High.

The win puts the Trojans (6-3, 3-2 in league) into the postseason,

while the Sea Kings (5-4-1, 2-2-1 in league) have to hope for an

at-large berth when the playoff brackets are announced Sunday.

While University Coach Mark Cunningham told CdM players after the

game, “You’re going to the playoffs,” the Sea Kings will have to

tussle with Sunny Hills (6-4) for the lone at-large berth in Division

IX.

Corona del Mar’s best argument is that they beat Troy, 22-7,

earlier this season. Troy finished in a first-place tie in the

Freeway League and defeated Sunny Hills, the fourth-place team in

that league, Thursday, 14-0.

But the Sea Kings finished the season winless in their last three

games and that could hurt them because part of the selection criteria

takes into account how a team finishes the season. Sunny Hills won

one of is last three games.

Sea Kings Coach Dick Freeman isn’t necessarily as confident as

Cunningham about his team’s chance to play another game in 2003.

“I don’t know,” Freeman said. “We’ve got a pretty good football

team here. I hope we get in. I hope they pick us.”

The Sea Kings could have picked themselves for the playoffs with a

win against University, but twice came away without points after

earning first-and-goal situations at the Trojans 10-yard line.

Trailing 20-13 midway through the third quarter, Corona del Mar

marched deep into University territory after a 20-yard pass from Tom

Welch to Tyler Lance, a 22-yard run by Austin Brawner and an 11-yard

run from Brett Crowley. But the Sea Kings didn’t gain another yard

and a 28-yard field-goal attempt on fourth down sailed wide right.

Still trailing by seven points with six minutes remaining, Corona

del Mar once again took the ball down to the 10-yard line, this time

on a fantastic play by junior receiver Kevin Welch. After catching a

short pass from his twin brother Tom, Welch appeared to be surrounded

by three defenders. He took an initial hit and appeared to be going

down, but planted his hand on the ground, spun around and raced down

the right sideline for a 42-yard gain.

Again, the ensuing plays produced no yardage and on fourth down a

fade route from Welch to Welch was broken up by University’s Kendell

Young.

Young then did most of the damage in running out the final 4:43.

He carried the ball five times on the final drive for 20 yards and

gained two first downs. A third first down, on an option keeper by

quarterback A.J. Moskus, effectively ended the game.

University did an excellent job of clock management in the final

quarter in an attempt to hold off CdM. It’s final two drives of the

game took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. After gaining 121 yards

through the air in the first half, to take a 14-7 lead, the Trojans

threw just three times over the final two quarters.

The Sea Kings got back into the game when junior Shane Collins

opened the second half with an 87-yard kickoff return that put the

ball on the University 4-yard line. After going backward on

successive running plays, Kevin Welch made a sensational play on a

fade route, a diving catch in the back of the end zone that pulled

CdM to within one. But the point after failed, leaving the Trojans

ahead.

University added to the lead just over two minutes later on an

18-yard pass from Moskus to Rucky McKinley.

Corona del Mar’s missed opportunities weren’t limited to the first

half. The Sea Kings forced three turnovers in the second quarter, but

couldn’t turn any of them into points. Crowley recovered a fumble and

had an interception and Tyler Lance added an interception.

In the second half, Corona del Mar had trouble running the ball,

gaining just 23 yards, compared to 99 in the first half.

“They move people around a lot,” Freeman said. “We tried to throw

the ball to loosen them up.”

Tom Welch completed 6 of 11 passes in the second half for 105

yards, but the Sea Kings simply didn’t have the ball that much,

possessing it for just over eight minutes in the final two quarters.

When Corona del Mar did have the ball, it simply didn’t seize the

opportunities.