Police vs. firefighters:Could be a tie

NEWPORT BEACH — Officer Tracy McKenzie helped organize the first annual football series between his city’s police and fire departments.

Now, two weeks into the matchup, he’s hoping neither side wins.

“I think the series might be tied, which wouldn’t be bad for the first official series,” McKenzie said Saturday at the Corona del Mar High School football field, where his squad had just defeated the firefighters 13-12. “It would be the most appropriate. But we’ll take the win.”

Right now, the police department is the only side likely to pull off a victory in the best-of-three series.

The sides tied 12-12 in the first game on Aug. 4, and if the fire department takes the final game on Aug. 25, the results would even out: one win for each team and one draw.

No one has any plans to stretch the series into a fourth match.

Police Chief John Klein, who stood on the sidelines Saturday as a dozen members of his force took the field, would be happy with an equal finish as well.

“It’s all friendly,” he said. “Because both departments have so many new people over the last two, three years, we want to get everyone working together on a personal level. They work so much in the city when they’re on duty.”

Saturday’s game, played on an overcast morning with a smattering of family members and onlookers in the stands, allowed the teams to strut their athletic skills.

Paramedic firefighter Cameron Hutzler ended the first half with a diving catch for a touchdown, which put his side up 12-0.

In the second half, though, the police did all the scoring, with parking control officer Tomas Diaz bringing home the winning touchdown.

“We try to get a little competition in there,” Hutzler said after the game. “Obviously, we’re all athletic. We love sports. So doing something like this is second nature to us.”