Sea Kings take an aerial view

Steven Hillgren found his way into the Corona del Mar High record book last season because of his penchant for catching passes. The fact that a lot of those passes came from opposing teams’ quarterbacks is one reason why the Sea Kings’ defense allowed just 14.1 points per game and nearly catapulted the team to the CIF Southern Section Division IX semifinals.

Hillgren, a returning senior, tallied 10 interceptions last season, including four in a 27-0 victory over Laguna Beach to set a school single-game record. His season total was one shy of Warren Johnson’s record.

CdM Coach Dick Freeman said Johnson, a 1990 graduate, also holds the CdM career mark with 14 interceptions. Hillgren figures to make a run at that record this season.

The 5-foot-11, 168-pound Hillgren returned interceptions 78, 71 and 27 yards for touchdowns. He is primed to be a standout cornerback on a CdM team that plans to go with a three-five-three defensive scheme exclusively for the second straight year. Last year, the defense totaled 23 interceptions.

Hillgren, a first-team All-Pacific Coast League pick on defense last year, could make an even bigger impact at receiver. Last year, he caught 27 passes for 453 yards and six touchdowns for an offense that, at times, struggled through the air.

“He’s going to be huge for us offensively and defensively,” Freeman said. “He’s definitely a playmaker.”

If Hillgren makes a big impact on offense, it’ll be good news for CdM, because it’ll mean first-year starting quarterback Taylor Hughes is getting him the ball.

Hughes is a 6-2, 176-pound senior transfer from Mater Dei. Freeman said Hughes was a starter on Mater Dei’s freshman and junior varsity teams.

“He has a strong arm,” Freeman said. “He’s a hard-working kid, has good mechanics, is quick and can run the ball.”

Hughes has the edge in the battle for the starting quarterback job over sophomore Mitch Sands and junior Hunter Alder, who played quarterback as a freshman but didn’t play football in 2005.

“Taylor is the front-runner because of his experience,” Freeman said.

Taylor would replace the tandem of Colin Wigley and Shaun Mohler, who combined to throw for 888 yards last year.

Ford Noe, who moves from tight end to receiver, and Charlie Albright, who will play both receiver and running back, figure to be other key options in CdM’s offense.

Albright also will do the kicking and return kicks for the Sea Kings. Freeman said Albright has improved as a kicker after attending a couple of football camps during the summer.

The Sea Kings will be hard-pressed to replace the production of running back Matt Loyd, who had 1,336 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Loyd, who was a first-team All-Pacific Coast League pick last year, moved on to Georgetown.

But the addition of former Dana Hills High and Santa Ana Valley assistant coach Brent Melbon, a former CdM standout, as the team’s offensive coordinator should help.

Melbon has options at tailback, where 5-7, 155-pound senior Tom Folks appears to be the front-runner. Folks, who also plays linebacker, had 15 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns as a backup tailback last year.

Junior Erik Rask (6-1, 185) and Albright could see time at both tailback and fullback. Returning senior Austin Ray (6-0, 197) figures to start at fullback.

“We have good, hard runners,” Freeman said. “We don’t have a lot of speed, but we’re strong and work hard.”

CdM’s offense should get a boost from an experienced line that will boast at least four players with varsity experience, including second-team All-Pacific Coast League guard Arion Lapuz (5-10, 219), who returns for his senior season.

Freeman envisions a good balance between passing and running.

“We need to do a lot of both — mix it up,” Freeman said. “Our offensive line is back. We’ll throw the ball. We have a couple of good receivers. We should be able to throw the ball better than last year.”

Defensively, the Sea Kings will miss Mohler and Matt Burgner, who continue their football careers at the next level this season.

Mohler, now at Orange Coast College, led the Sea Kings with 113 tackles, including 76 solo stops and five sacks as an inside linebacker.

Burgner, a two-time All-CIF performer at defensive end, finished his varsity career with 36 sacks, a school record. He is also at Georgetown.

“Mohler and Burgner, along with John Fairbanks, did a really good job defensively for us,” Freeman said. “When we had Burgner on one end and Fairbanks on the other, our defense was really good.”

Last year, the Sea Kings had a plus-16 turnover margin.

Freeman hopes Rask, who will be moved from outside to inside linebacker, can help fill the void left by Mohler.

Rask was a Newport-Mesa Dream Team performer a year ago.

Senior Hunt Rychel, who saw some time at receiver and linebacker last year, as well as junior returner James McKennon are among the candidates to step in as defensive ends to replace Burgner and Fairbanks.

“We need to find guys to step up,” Freeman said. “We don’t really have any starters right now on the defensive line.”

CdM’s schedule includes a home opener against former Pacific Coast League foe Laguna Beach at Newport Harbor High and features a Sept. 21 game at Back Bay rival Newport Harbor.

New to the nonleague schedule is El Toro, South El Monte and Villa Park.

The revised Pacific Coast League includes CdM, Beckman, Laguna Hills, Irvine and University. Laguna Hills earned one-third of the Sea View League title last season.

CdM, which finished 6-6 and ranked No. 7 in the final CIF Division IX poll last season, figures to be right in the thick of things in the Southern Division.

“It’s hard to say we’re the team to beat,” Freeman said. “It’s pretty much a toss-up.”

The Sea Kings expect to start the season with 12 to 14 players in both their senior and junior classes, and close to double that in the sophomore class.

“We have a pretty small junior and senior class,” Freeman said. “We need to get a lot of help from our sophomore kids.”

THE SEA KINGS

Colors: Blue, silver and white.

League: Pacific Coast.

2005 record: 6-6; 3-3 in league.

Type of offense: Multiple I.

Type of defense: Three-five-three

Head coach: Dick Freeman (11th year, 51-56-1).

Staff: Freeman (defensive coordinator); Brent Melbon (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks); Mike VanderWeerd (defensive line); Scott Uhl (linebackers, strength and conditioning); Miguel Romo (offensive line); Mike Conway (outside linebackers); Brandon Crosby (receivers).

Returning starters: Six offense, four defense.

Returning lettermen: 19

Returning with honors: CB Steven Hillgren CB; G Arion Lapuz.

2005 ResultsOpponentScoreEstancia 26-6 WCosta Mesa 37-7 WTroy 25-18 LNewport Harbor 14-0 LCalvary Chapel (forfeit)* 2-0 LNorthwood* 21-0 LTesoro* 32-10 LLaguna Beach* 27-0 WBeckman* 45-0 WUniversity* 47-17 WGarden Grove** 28-7 WLa Habra** 8-7 L

2006 ScheduleDateOpponentSiteTimeFridayLaguna BeachNewport Har.7 p.m.Sept. 8El ToroNewport Har.7 p.m.Sept. 15TroyFullerton7 p.m.Sept. 21Newport Har.Away7 p.m.Sept. 29South El MonteAway7 p.m.Oct. 6Villa ParkNewport Har.2 p.m.Oct. 12Beckman*Newport Har.7 p.m.Oct. 20Laguna Hills*Mission Viejo7 p.m.Oct. 27Irvine*OCC7 p.m.Nov. 2University*Irvine7 p.m.

* denotes league game; ** denotes playoff game