T-wolves win defensive battle

Seldom have two plays formed more poignant parentheses around the

story of one football game as the ones that opened and, virtually

closed Northwood High’s 21-0 Pacific Coast League victory over

visiting Corona del Mar Thursday night.

On the first play from scrimmage, Northwood linebacker Mark

Bentrott hammered a CdM ball carrier, forcing a fumble. The

Timberwolves’ Michael Ciaccio scooped up the loose ball and sprinted

19 yards for a touchdown.

Alex Metskas kicked the first of his three conversions and the

hosts led, 7-0, with only eight seconds elapsed at Irvine High.

With CdM trying to muster some offense in the final minute,

Northwood cornerback Taylor Lucero intercepted a pass in the flat and

raced 32 yards for a touchdown with just 34 seconds remaining to

finalize the scoring.

In between it was mostly defensive dominance from both teams.

And CdM, which had built a plus-nine turnover ratio in its first

five games, had five of the game’s seven turnovers, to further hinder

its offensive efforts.

“That was a heck of a defensive football game,” CdM Coach Dick

Freeman, also the Sea Kings’ defensive coordinator, said. “We just

had to play defense a lot longer than they did. At some point, you’ve

got to play some offense.

On only two of its 15 possessions did the Sea Kings (3-3, 1-1 in

league), ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division IX, have the

ball in Northwood territory.

The first such occasion, CdM linebacker Mike Gratzinger recovered

a fumbled snap to set the visitors up at the Timberwolves’ 40-yard

line with 45 seconds left in the first half.

An 8-yard pass completion and a 15-yard personal foul penalty on

the Timberwolves moved the ball to the 17, before three plays

produced nothing and prompted a 35-yard field-goal try. But the kick,

which carried well beyond the crossbar, was wide left with nine

seconds left, allowing the hosts to retain a 7-0 halftime lead.

Northwood (6-0, 2-0), ranked No. 1 in CIF Division IX, opened the

second half with the most effective offensive possession of the game,

for either team.

Coach Rick Curtis’ squad needed just six plays to march 72 yards

to double its lead, with quarterback Stuart Sharpe rolling right and

finding Adam Garza alone in the end zone for a 27-yard scoring pass

with 8:51 left in the third quarter.

Familiar offensive futility followed for both teams, until Lucero

added the exclamation point on Northwood’s second shutout of the

season.

The Timberwolves have now won 21 of their last 22 league games.

But the CdM defense, which scored three second-half touchdowns in a

40-0 win over Calvary Chapel Sept. 30, kept the outcome in doubt by

consistently bottling up the hosts.

“It was a defensive battle,” Curtis said. “[The Sea Kings] played

real well defensively. Their kids played really hard. We knew it was

going to be like that coming in. Their linebackers really run and

hit. They didn’t let us have a big play.”

When it came to being stingy with yardage, however, the

Timberwolves’ defense clearly earned the upper hand.

CdM, which has been blanked in two of its last three games had

only two plays gain double-digit yards. A 16-yard run by senior

tailback Matt Loyd on the first play after the ill-fated opening

fumble, was the biggest damage done to the hosts.

Shaun Mohler, who once again shared quarterback duties with Colin

Wigley, scrambled for 10 yards on a bootleg to highlight the Sea

Kings’ only other journey beyond midfield.

The Sea Kings took over after a 21-yard punt on their own 49 with

8:35 left in the game. On third-and-five, Mohler bolted around the

left side for a first down, one of five by the visitors all night.

After Mohler connected with Steve Hillgren for 7 yards on

fourth-and-six, CdM had a first down at the Timberwolves’ 25.

But, fittingly, the possession ended when the officials shorted

the Sea Kings a down. After only two incomplete passes, the down

marker, and officials, indicated fourth down. Another incomplete pass

gave the ball back to the hosts.

Aside from the opening drive of the second half, Northwood failed

to do much with the ball, as well.

The Timberwolves had nine of the game’s 15 punts and a Hillgren

interception in the end zone halted another scoring opportunity in

the first quarter.

The Sea Kings produced five sacks. Senior noseguard John Fairbanks

had a pair, while Matt Burgner and Erik Rask each had a solo sack and

shared another.

Burgner, a returning All-CIF end, has now been in on 33 sacks in

his varsity career, a school career record. He came in with 31, tied

with Roger Rolle atop the career sack list.

In addition to the sacks, CdM made another five tackles behind the

line and another for no gain.

Keaten Price, Mohler, Austin Ray, Max Prescott, Ford Noe and

Gratzinger all made resounding stops for the Sea Kings.

Burgner forced two fumbles, but both times, Northwood retained

possession.

Northwood managed only two plays of more than 16 yards. Besides

the 27-yard touchdown pass, the biggest gain was a 21-yard run by

senior Nick Greenlee, who came off the bench to produce a game-high

57 rushing yards on eight attempts.

Loyd, who came in with 573 rushing yards this season, finished

with 34 yards on 10 carries.

Wigley completed 7 of 11, but produced just 36 passing yards.

Without much time in the pocket, both Sea King quarterbacks were

relegated to short passes, mostly on three-step drops.

Mohler threw for 42 yards on five completions.

No CdM pass play gained more than 9 yards.

The five CdM turnovers were virtually the antithises of the game

plan Freeman has preached all season.

His aim has been to simplify things on offense, in an attempt to

decrease turnovers, and let his defense dictate positive

opportunities.

The defense did its share Thursday, but, like Freeman said, there

was little rest for the weary.

Northwood amassed nearly 29 minutes in time of possession, almost

10 minutes more than that attained by the visitors.

The loss is CdM’s fifth straight to Northwood, which most believe

will battle defending CIF Division IX champion Tesoro for the league

title.

The Sea Kings will try to rebound Oct. 14 at Tesoro.

Northwood and Tesoro are scheduled to square off in the final week

of the regular season, Nov. 11 at Tesoro.

Even with a loss to Tesoro, CdM can secure the league’s third

guaranteed CIF playoff berth with victories over Laguna Beach (Oct.

20), Beckman (Nov. 4) and University (Nov. 11).

Northwood 21, Corona del Mar 0

SCORE BY QUARTERS

*--*

Corona del Mar 0 0 0 0 - 0

Northwood 7 0 7 7 - 21

*--*

FIRST QUARTER

Nor -- Ciaccio 19 fumble return (Metskas kick), 11:52.

THIRD QUARTER

Nor -- Garza 27 pass from Sharpe (Metskas kick), 8:51.

FOURTH QUARTER

Nor -- Lucero 32 interception return (Metskas kick), 0:34.

A -- 700 (est.)

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CdM -- Loyd, 10-34; Ray, 4-5; Mohler, 3-3; Folks, 1-5; Yi, 4-2;

Burgner, 1-2; Wigley, 1-minus-5.

Nor -- Greenlee, 8-57; Lucero, 11-48; Laymon, 3-5; Eusey, 1-2;

Sharpe, 12-minus-6; Toon, 2-minus-5; team, 1-minus-1.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CdM -- Wigley, 7-11-1, 36; Mohler, 5-17-1, 42.

Nor -- Sharpe, 10-14-1, 91, 1 TD; Toon, 1-2-0, 11.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CdM -- Hillgren, 4-24; Meshkin, 2-16; Dupuie, 2-9; Mohler, 1-9;

Fenton, 1-9; Loyd, 1-8; Yi, 1-3.

Nor -- Curtis, 7-51; Garza, 1-27, 1 TD; Peterson, 2-13; Pollard,

1-11.

GAME STATISTICS

*--*

CdM Nor

First downs 5 11

Rushes-yardage 24-46 38-88

Passing yardage 78 102

Passing 12-29-2 11-16-1 Net return yards* 0 51

Sacks-yardage 3-12 5-47

Net yardage 124 241

Punts 6-30 9-31.7

Fumbles-fumbles lost 3-3 4-1

Flags-net yardage 4-20 9-74

Time of possession 19:18 28:42

*Punt returns, interceptions, fumble returns

*--*