Reliving CdM’s ’88 drive
His high school football team was on the verge of the most
significant victory in Newport-Mesa Unified School District history
that December night at Orange Coast College, but the best was yet to
come.
Corona del Mar High’s Sea Kings had forged a 10-point lead over
the defending CIF Southern Section Division VI champion, Valencia,
and time was running out when a junior reserve named Phil Holland
made his way onto the field as part of CdM’s punt coverage and the
coach jogged onto the field for last-second advice.
“What do you say,” recalled the Sea Kings’ coach, Dave Holland.
“Everybody does their job and we’re walking home with the CIF
championship,” was the gist of his short speech.
Holland looked across the huddle and found his son’s eyes, a
moment the 69-year-old veteran still vividly recalls.
“It’s the greatest moment of my athletic career, playing, watching
or coaching,” said Holland, a disciple of Coach Don Coryell during
his playing days at Whittier College.
“Valencia called timeout when we were going to punt,” continued
Holland as he recalled that year of years, 1988.
“They needed a touchdown and field goal just to tie and I put my
son in on the punt coverage team,” said Holland. “It was basically
the last play of the greatest game in my life and he was there, on
the field with me. How good is that?”
Phil Holland was a dedicated, but career reserve in his junior and
senior seasons at CdM.
Moments later the Sea Kings were hoisting the CIF crown above
their heads after recording the first-ever CIF title in district
history. Sweeping to the championship was not something considered
out of the question as that season began.
The Sea Kings had won five of their last six games and advanced to
the second round of the playoffs in 1987.
CdM trailed, 12-7, deep in the fourth quarter against eventual CIF
champion Valencia before the wheels came off in an 18-7 season-ending
loss. And the roster was stocked with some 27 juniors.
For Holland, now the defensive coordinator at University High in
Mark Cunningham’s program, 1987 was clearly a gratifying year. “We
just got better and better,” said Holland. “We had three narrow
losses early (9-6 to San Clemente, 7-6 to Woodbridge and 14-13 to
Tustin) and it was 7-7 in the fourth quarter against Capistrano
Valley (a 27-7 loss). We sacked Todd Marinovich seven times.”
Clearly Holland was breathing easy at home, behind closed doors,
as he anticipated the upcoming season.
There was good reason.
First, he had an offensive coordinator named Larry Bryant, a
wizard in his field.
Secondly, there was Holland’s defense, which had been changed to
include five in the secondary, thanks to the strengths of senior
linebackers John Katovsich and Angelus League transfer Chris Deuchar,
as well as the versatility of free safety Bill Rauth, who could move
into a ‘backer spot when needed. Katovsich would eventually be named
Division VI Player of the Year.
Jerrott Willard, a junior, was switched to defensive end from his
strong safety post after six games, Jeff Blower was at tackle and Ron
Akin was the nose tackle, who at 5-foot-6, 160 pounds, wound up with
major defensive honors in the Sea Kings’ camp. The fourth defender
was Brett Allen on the split side.
“Those four really played well,” said Holland. Blower was the
anchor to the line, real sturdy at about 6-foot, 220.”
Brandon Bento was the strong safety, as well as soccer standout
Pat Callaghan. Rauth was at free safety, Greg Haack at one corner
with Warren Johnson at the other corner. Warren’s brother, Weston,
was often in the mix at corner. Bento was one of Holland’s favorites
with his unsung efforts.
How good were they?
They shut out five foes and the opponents’ average score over a
14-game season was less than six points a game. Nine foes were in
single digits. In four CIF playoff games the Sea Kings allowed three
touchdowns.
CdM disposed of Huntington Beach (7-0), San Clemente (23-0),
Santiago (52-8), Laguna Hills (14-11) and Costa Mesa (21-12) before
settling for a 14-14 tie with University, a 14-7 win over Estancia
and a scoreless tie with Saddleback.
What remained was a six-game winning streak ... 17-0 over Tustin,
and 27-8 over Newport Harbor, then the playoffs: Troy fell, 44-0;
Anaheim was a 28-8 victim; Pacifica was dealt a 14-7 defeat; and in
the finale Valencia was beaten, 17-7.
“We really got tested against University,” recalled Holland.
“After that we moved Willard from strong safety to defensive end, but
we stood him up with no real pass responsibility, and it really made
the defense solid.”
Offensively, the Sea Kings were giving their defensive-minded
coach all he could want.
“Bryant was a great assistant,” noted Holland. “He was the perfect
coach for a defensive-oriented program. He didn’t turn the ball
over.”
Nor did his backs and receivers.
Quarterback Ty Price, more noted for his volleyball prowess,
played his only season as a starter, and Haack was at tailback, often
spelled by an up-and-coming kid named Brian Lucas. At fullback was
Willard, the 195-pound bull who would end up starring at the
University of California for three years.
The wide receivers were all blue-chips. Jeff Clark was at split
end and Warren and Weston Johnson shared the other side. Rauth also
contributed.
Up front were Jeff Jackson at tight end, Mickey Cohen and Nathan
Craig at tackles, Pat Kelly and Morgan Ringwald at guards and the
center was Mike Kelly, a transfer from the Angelus League. Jackson
would also distinguish himself as an “enforcer” on the basketball
floor.
Others would surface:
“Scott Jurgensen really made an impact on the team,” said Holland.
“Every practice was like a game. Tempers were flying and Jurgensen
would not be denied.
“Against Anaheim at La Palma Stadium in the CIF playoffs Jurgensen
(a 6-2, 200-pound special teams player) was about 10 yards ahead of
our coverage on a kickoff and tackles this guy in front of the
Anaheim bench. The runner took about three steps and was flattened.
It was a real mood-changer.”
Another standout was a 5-7, 150-pound kick returner named John
MacMillan.
“You can’t let a punt drop (and roll),” said Holland. “MacMillan
never dropped one and I don’t remember him ever fair-catching a punt.
He just wouldn’t be denied and was our ‘Black Watch of the Year,’” a
part of Holland’s philosophy since 1987, which singles out just those
types of players ... undeniables.
Chris Borg was another big asset as a backup to Willard at
fullback.
Price did not take a snap as a junior, but was solid in ’88. “He
didn’t turn the ball over and he was able to run,” said Holland. “He
broke the game, scrambling for a TD against Anaheim in the playoffs,
and against Pacifica, he threw a play-action bomb to Clark that broke
the game up.”
Warren Johnson was banged up in CdM’s second game against San
Clemente, which caused Holland a lot of concern, until the Johnsons’
mom straightened him out.
“I told her I was really worried, Warren was the meat of our
secondary,” said Holland.
“She said, ‘Well, Weston will do just as good.’”
“In the next game against Santiago Weston Johnson had the greatest
game of any secondary,” said Holland. “He had like three touchdowns
and a couple of interceptions.”
Holland was a one-man gang at CdM for 20 years, going 105-93-10.
Yet it was just one year away from putting together the one-and-only:
Back-to-back, in unbelievable fashion.
* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.
He can be reached by e-mail at rogeranddorothea@msn.com.
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