Sea Kings’ title hopes take a hit

Barry Faulkner

Some believe rooters, coaches and players from the Corona del Mar

High football program have long pointed toward Friday as the night

when the Sea Kings would prove themselves to be 2004 Pacific Coast

League title contenders.

But it didn’t take long for that notion to go drifting off like a

wayward homecoming balloon.

Visiting Northwood took advantage of some early CdM miscues to

score on its first three possessions and take a 21-0 lead before the

first period had elapsed at Newport Harbor High.

And, try as they might, the Sea Kings (4-3, 1-1 in league), ranked

No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division IX, could never recover,

sustaining a 27-14 loss.

“We had a good week of practice and we seemed ready,” CdM Coach

Dick Freeman said. “Maybe our guys wanted it too much.”

If it’s a share of the title they still desire, the Sea Kings will

likely need to upset No. 3-ranked Tesoro next Friday to at least keep

pace with Northwood (4-1-2, 2-0), ranked No. 7 in Division IX.

Tesoro and Northwood are scheduled to meet Nov. 5 at Irvine High.

“They’re still alive for the title,” Northwood Coach Rick Curtis

said of CdM, which he called a great football team. “I think they

have enough talent to play with Tesoro.”

The same was thought of their chances against the Timberwolves,

but mistakes, a common lament this season in the Sea Kings’ three

losses, proved costly, once again.

It began with a high punt snap on CdM’s first series. The punter

recovered the ball and appeared to have plenty of time to get off a

kick. But he instead tried to run for the first and Northwood took

over at the CdM 44-yard line.

After an incomplete pass, Northwood senior tailback Jeff Keller

bolted 44 yards off right tackle to put CdM behind for good.

CdM went three-and-out after the ensuing kickoff and the visitors

drove 48 yards on seven plays, with quarterback Dan Selway sneaking

in from 1 yard out, to widen the lead. Brian Klucsar made the second

of his three conversion kicks and it was 14-0 with 3:58 left in the

first quarter.

After the two teams exchanged punts, CdM fumbled a handoff on

first down and Northwood’s Dylan Tasher recovered at the Sea Kings’

9-yard line.

On the next snap, Selway threw to tight end Jacob Miles for the

touchdown, and the PAT made it 21-0.

CdM responded immediately, marching 65 yards on eight plays for a

touchdown.

Quarterback Tom Welch hit his twin brother, Kevin, on a pair of

fade passes for gains of 23 and 26 yards to key the drive, which

ended when Tom Welch scored on a 1-yard sneak with 9:01 left before

halftime.

Another CdM fumble set up Northwood’s final touchdown, which

required a four-play, 33-yard mini-drive capped by another

Selway-to-Miles TD toss, this time covering 8 yards.

A 5-yard punt put CdM in position to cut into the lead late in the

third quarter. The Sea Kings, after taking over at their own 47, used

a 33-yard slant pass from Tom Welch to Shane Collins to key the

four-play scoring procession.

Senior tailback Wess Presson covered the final 4 yards of the

drive with a touchdown run with 2:33 left in the third and the CdM

faithful maintained hopes that a comeback was possible.

CdM drove to the Northwood 19 on its next possession, but the

Timberwolves turned away a fourth-down pass to regain possession.

After the CdM defense forced a three-and-out, however, the punt

banged off the shins of a return man who appeared to slip on the wet

grass while trying to get out of the way. Northwood recovered, took

more precious time off the clock, and CdM turned the ball over on

downs on its final two possessions.

Presson finished with 91 yards on 16 carries and Tom Welch threw

for 135 yards, 77 of them on four hookups with his brother.

Freeman said senior offensive guard Andrew Keligian was sidelined

with an unspecified knee injury and senior defensive end Taylor

Meehan sustained a rib injury.