TWO-MINUTE DRILL

Sept. 12, 2006 12 AM PT

The Corona del Mar High football team’s failure to intercept a pass or recover an El Toro fumble Friday ended a string of 18 straight games in which the Sea Kings had collected a turnover.

The Sea Kings (1-1) were plus-16 in turnover margin last season, but are minus-two through two games in 2006.

Sage Hill School Coach Tom Monarch, whose team is off to a 2-0 start for the third time in its five varsity seasons, said his players would use this week’s bye to heal some minor bumps and bruises.

The layoff, however, will not provide sufficient time for senior star Don Ayres to heal.

Ayres, an All-Newport-Mesa linebacker in 2005 who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, separated his shoulder in the season-opening win over St. Genevieve.

Initial estimates had Ayres returning for the Sept. 22 game against Western Christian, but Monarch said Ayres will now miss at least two more games and could miss the next five games.

Estancia High has poured on the first-half points in its first two games this season. The Eagles have outscored Mark Keppel and Bolsa Grande, 86-7, in the first two quarters.

Last year, Estancia didn’t reach 86 points for the season until a 34-7 win over Saddleback in the Eagles’ ninth game.

With Costa Mesa down, 28-0, early in the third quarter, senior two-way lineman London Sapolu helped get the Mustangs back in the game. Senior D.J. Lepper was in the midst of a kickoff return that started at the 10-yard line. Lepper was at the Mustangs’ 40 with only one player to beat 15 yards downfield and only one teammate to help him, Sapolu.

Sapolu held his one-on-one block in the open field for 20 yards, giving Lepper the room to dart up the sideline and score before any other Rancho Alamitos defenders could catch up.

Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said before the game he wanted his team’s running game to improve.

The Eagles did just that, rushing for 264 yards.

Bolsa Grande failed to complete any of its five pass attempts Friday against Estancia.

It was the first time in 17 games that an Eagles’ opponent failed to complete a pass.

Those who arrive early to a Corona del Mar game should not worry that it may have been canceled.

The lack of a crowd prior to a game is common for CdM, where being fashionably late is an art form. The crowd at Sea Kings’ games regularly goes from being outnumbered by the cheerleaders 20 minutes prior to kickoff, to packed from 20-yard line to 20-yard line 45 minutes later.

TWO-MINUTE DRILL

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