DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:CdM’s Hillgren not just about interceptions

When the Corona del Mar High football team takes the field this season, it can be certain senior Steven Hillgren has done his homework.

The same assumption does not apply for opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks, who have continued to test the cunning cornerback, despite his reputation as the most prolific pilferer of passes in many a year.

“I’m really surprised,” Hillgren, who had nine interceptions last season and has five already this fall, said of opposing teams’ persistence on throwing his way. “We haven’t really played too many opponents we played last year [half of the six foes thus far are new to the schedule].”

When it comes to scouting the opponent, Hillgren leaves no videotape unseen.

“He has a [free] period every day during fifth period and he’s in every day watching film before practice,” said Sea Kings Coach Dick Freeman, who is also the team’s defensive coordinator. “He’s a football junkie and he wants to get better all the time. He sees what he needs to do and he goes out and gets it done.”

The 5-foot-11, 168-pounder, who earned All-Pacific Coast League and All-Newport-Mesa laurels last season, gets things done on defense, to be sure. But he is also a productive receiver and kick returner for the Sea Kings (4-2), ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division.

In the Sea Kings’ 21-10 nonleague win over Villa Park Friday at Newport Harbor High, the Daily Pilot Player of the Week procured another interception.

He leaped high on the play, plucked the ball from the receiver’s outstretched hands and returned it 25 yards to the Spartans’ 27-yard line.

It was the 14th interception of his career, tying him with Warren Johnson for the school career record.

But that was only one portion of the diverse contributions made by Hillgren, who was playing on his 18th birthday.

After CdM, trailing, 10-7, stopped the Spartans on fourth-and-one at the CdM 18-yard line with 5:19 left, Hillgren took a short pass in the right flat and followed precision blocks for an 82-yard go-ahead touchdown.

He finished with three receptions for 94 yards, carried twice for seven yards, returned one punt for 11 yards and returned a pair of kickoffs for a combined 69 yards.

In addition, he completed a double pass for 44 yards, though he was less than impressed with his passing form.

“In practice, I had always thrown without a glove,” he said. “But in the game, I had my glove on and I threw a duck. I definitely would have picked myself off on that one.”

Hillgren said he enjoys each of the myriad ways in which he contributes, but cornerback is where he feels most at home.

A standout student, Hillgren said he would like to mix football with his studies at the next level.

“I’d love to play at Georgetown,” he said, “And I’m also looking at Princeton, Tufts and Wesleyan.”

As sparkling as his numbers are — in addition to his interceptions, he has 18 catches for 364 yards (a 20.2-yard average) and four touchdowns and also has a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD — they might be even better if he was healthy.

“I’ve had a bulging disc since last year,” Hillgren said. “I tried to get it fixed in the offseason, but I aggravated it the first week of practice. I wear a brace, which helps me out, but it takes away some flexibility. It’s usually fine, but any wrong movement can cause it to tighten up. It’s a grabbing sensation and it’s painful. It can happen at any time.”

Hillgren, also, can strike at any time, a possibility made all the more dangerous by his painstaking preparation.

“He’s very smart, he pays attention and he’s almost always in the right position,” Freeman said. “You better make sure the ball is where it needs to be thrown, or he’s going to go after it.”