Corona del Mar draws defending champions

Rick Devereux

The Corona del Mar High football team has experienced some highs and

lows throughout the 2004 season.

CdM (6-4) finished third in the Pacific Coast League to earn a

guaranteed spot in the CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs.

That is a high.

But the Sea Kings will visit two-time defending Division IX

champion La Habra (7-3) in the opening round Friday at 7 p.m.

That is a low.

La Habra, the No. 3 seed, also reached the Division IX title game

in 2000 and has won 11 of its last 12 playoff games.

CdM, on the other hand, has lost its last five playoff contests,

including first-round exits in 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1998.

If the Sea Kings can pull off the upset, the opponents get a

little easier, but not much easier.

“That whole draw is tough,” Coach Dick Freeman said. “[Our

coaching staff] was thinking of ways [CIF] could [mess] with us. We

couldn’t really think of anything, but they found a way. We’re not a

bad team, but we have a tough draw.”

Corona scheduled nonleague games against La Habra in 2003, a 45-0

loss, and 2002, a 41-14 setback.

“We’re going to look a little bit at those [game tapes] and see

what they think they can do against us,” Freeman said.

La Habra’s losses this season are to playoff participants South

Hills (Division VII), Los Alamitos (the No. 2 seed in Division I) and

Brea Olinda (Division VI). The Highlanders have won five straight,

outscoring league foes, 169-31.

CdM has defeated only one playoff team this season, pinning a

44-28 defeat on Troy Sept. 17.

But that does not dampen the spirits of the CdM coaching staff.

“Every year we get into the playoffs we think we’re going to go

far,” Freeman said. “Every year we think we have a legitimate shot at

winning the whole thing, and this year is no different.”

CdM has been its own worst enemy.

In its four losses, CdM is minus-three in turnover ratio, with

nine giveaways. In six wins, the Sea Kings are plus-three in turnover

ratio.

The Sea Kings have also been penalized for 762 yards this fall.

“We’ve shot ourselves in the foot in our loses,” Freeman said.

“[The other teams] didn’t really beat us as much as we beat

ourselves. If we could have trimmed down our penalties and turnovers,

we would have won some of those games.”

CdM won its final two league games to extend its season. The Sea

Kings have averaged nearly 32 points in their six wins, but just more

than 10 in their four losses.

The offense is led by a trio of seniors. Tailback Wess Presson has

1,114 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 150 carries. Quarterback Tom Welch

has 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns passing, with 500 yards and nine

TDs rushing. Receiver Kevin Welch has 35 receptions for 647 yards and

seven TDs.