A smashing debut

NEWPORT BEACH — Some may laugh when Jason Hitchens says he’s at a disadvantage in his first year at Corona del Mar High.

He isn’t familiar with many of the teams on this year’s schedule. You can include Costa Mesa.

But Hitchens learned Friday night that his Sea Kings were too powerful for the Mustangs, beating them, 55-3, in the season opener at Newport Harbor High.

Season openers have been kind to Hitchens in his first year at a school, as he’s now 3-0.

For Costa Mesa Coach Jeremy Osso, none have during his three years, as he’s 0-3 in openers.

Osso said he felt good about the start of this season, the same way he did last year until Savanna won, 62-7.

This time CdM running back J.D. Abbott ruined his night.

Before the game, Osso was concerned about how the Mustangs lined up defensively. They were in position to make plays. Abbott just ran right through the defense en route to rushing for a career-best 205 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.

He totaled 185 yards by halftime, leaving him 112 yards short of breaking CdM’s single-game rushing record. Hitchens allowed the junior to carry the ball only once in the second half.

The defense set up Abbott’s 20-yard touchdown run by forcing and recovering one of its four fumbles. Fifteen seconds into the third quarter, Abbott powered his way to the right side, which was always good for huge chunks of yards behind right tackle Ben Noe.

With the Sea Kings up, 41-3, Hitchens took Abbott out. The 296-yard rushing record set by Blake Hacker in 2000 stayed intact.

“In a game like this, when you’re up by that margin, I don’t think records are as important as sportsmanship,” Hitchens said.

Abbott said he didn’t care about putting his name in the record books. All he was concerned with was helping CdM start 1-0 for the eighth straight season.

The way the defense stifled Costa Mesa, forcing five turnovers and sacking junior quarterback Todd Davis five times, there were many opportunities to run wild.

The backups did. Juniors Alex Swigert and Blake Burkhart combined for 93 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Sea Kings outrushed Costa Mesa, 334-57.

Abbott recorded the biggest run of the night, a 75-yard touchdown in the second. It began with him sliding to the right before breaking arm tackles and then running over a couple defenders near the 35 to set him free.

Osso, on the far sideline, shook his head. The Mustangs had no answers, even having Miguel Romo, who coached the line at CdM for many years, didn’t help slow down the Sea Kings’ attack.

“Lack of tackling. We didn’t wrap up,” Osso said. “It wasn’t anything they were doing. It was more us.”

The mistakes continued to mar Mesa, which actually led 3-0 after Hector Solis’ 35-yard field goal in the first quarter.

The defense ignited CdM. Linebacker Max Haase recovered a fumble around the 10 and gave CdM a 6-3 lead.

“I just saw the ball pop out,” the senior said. “Ben Noe made the tackle [on Davis and forced him to fumble]. Then Dutch Lamons came in and made the tackle and it popped out of the [Costa Mesa lineman’s] hands and I got it. I saw the end zone and ran for it.”

After that, everything spiraled out of control for Costa Mesa. So much so that Osso might want to consider having byes the first couple of weeks to work out the kinks.

“We held true to form I guess,” said Osso, whose team has been outscored, 172-17, in the last three season openers. “I never realized it was that bad.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.