CdM breaks away

LAGUNA BEACH — Where was No. 1 in the maroon jersey Friday night at Laguna Beach High?

For much of the third quarter, Laguna Beach junior receiver Chris Paul was on the sideline with what appeared to be leg cramps. For much of the rest of the game, Paul was in the end zone, perhaps serving notice to Corona del Mar that this game wouldn’t be a blowout like past years.

But in the end the Sea Kings were too deep and too balanced as they took control in the second half for a 65-34 nonleague victory.

It was a school single-game scoring record for CdM, which scored 56 points twice (2000 and 1968).

J.D. Abbott had a career-high 215 rushing yards on just 14 carries for the Sea Kings. The senior captain also scored three times, helping offset Paul’s four touchdown catches.

Probably the most impressive run wasn’t even a touchdown. On the second play of the second half, Abbott was stood up in the backfield, but kept his legs moving and ended up rumbling down the sideline for a 60-yard gain.

“I was really happy with J.D.,” Corona del Mar Coach Jason Hitchens said. “It was the first time in many games that I saw him really put the team on his shoulders and say, ‘Look, I’m going to get the yards that we need on this particular play or this drive.’ He did a good job running hard, and boy, a lot of yards even after contact.”

Corona del Mar (2-0), ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division coaches’ poll, was behind late in the first half. The Sea Kings trailed the Breakers, ranked No. 8 in the Southern Division, 20-13, late in the half before senior quarterback Michael Borchard hooked up with Justin Tam on a 65-yard pass play to the Breakers five-yard line.

With 14 seconds left, Borchard ran it in himself from 10 yards out, then added a two-point conversion run to give CdM the 21-20 halftime lead. The Sea Kings added an Abbott eight-yard score to start the second half then, after Laguna Beach fumbled away the kickoff return, senior Alex Swigert scored from 14 yards out to push the lead to 35-20.

In all, it was three touchdowns in just 98 seconds, and the Breakers never got closer.

Borchard also ran for three touchdowns and junior Donald Dalton had his second kickoff return for a touchdown in as many games, helping relieve the nerves of some CdM fans who may have been used to rolling over Laguna Beach in the past.

“We’re going to have to have to tighten up defensively,” Hitchens said. “We’ve got some work to do on the defensive side of the ball. Hopefully at least by league, we’ll have some of that stuff settled.”

Corona del Mar 65, Laguna Beach 34

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CdM 6-15-23-21--65

Laguna 0-20-0-14--34

FIRST QUARTER

CdM – Borchard 19 run (kick failed), 4:06.

SECOND QUARTER

LB – Paul 28 pass from Paxson (kick blocked), 9:44.

CdM – Abbott 22 run (Boehm kick), 7:07.

LB – Paul 11 pass from Paxson (McInerny kick), 3:36.

LB – Paul 24 pass from Paxson (McInerny kick), 0:43.

CdM – Borchard 10 run (Borchard run), 0:14.

THIRD QUARTER

CdM – Abbott 8 run (Boehm kick), 10:49.

CdM – Swigert 14 run (Boehm kick), 10:36.

CdM – Boehm 35 FG, 7:15.

CdM – Christian 7 pass from Borchard (pass failed), 2:49.

FOURTH QUARTER

LB – Paul 6 pass from Paxson (kick blocked), 11:05.

CdM – Dalton 83 kickoff return (Boehm kick), 10:52.

LB – Jaffe 18 pass from Paxson (Paul pass from Paxson), 7:38.

CdM – Abbott 35 run (Boehm kick), 6:51.

CdM – Borchard (Boehm kick), 5:13.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CdM – Abbott, 14-215, 3 TDs; Borchard, 7-32, 3 TDs; Swigert, 4-32, 1 TD; Gardner, 2-23; Condino, 2-3.

LB – Jaffe, 8-59; Hyden, 5-31; Kazemian, 3-20; Paul, 2-16; Quirarte, 1-minus-1; Paxson, 3-minus-10.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CdM – Borchard, 6-12-0, 135, 1 TD.

LB – Paxson, 17-27-0, 263, 5 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CdM – Tam, 2-62; Dalton, 1-37; Christian, 2-30, 1 TD; Jones, 1-6.

LB – Paul, 7-125, 4 TDs; Jaffe, 6-58, 1 TD; Jackson, 1-42; Quirarte, 2-27; Penney, 1-11.