Alex Pourdanesh leads Corona del Mar’s football team past University, his former school

Reporting from Irvine —  The Pourdanesh brothers — Alex and Julian — had a homecoming of sorts on Friday. They came back to University High, but this time they represented a different football team.

The brothers used to play for University, just as their father, Shar, did in the 1980s. Alex and Julian transferred to Corona del Mar last spring, and as seniors, they’re experiencing what it’s like to win every time in the Pacific Coast League.

Alex got to play against his former school, while Julian was out with an ankle injury. Alex helped the Sea Kings win their 27th straight game in league by routing University 42-3.

Alex played running back and Julian, a right guard, watched. Alex Pourdanesh rushed five times for 127 yards and a touchdown and had one catch for 29 yards. He made an impact right away for CdM (6-1, 2-0 in league), which kept alive Orange County’s sixth longest winning streak in league.

The first player to touch the ball on offense was Pourdanesh. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage, and he almost went for a touchdown.

Pourdanesh ran the ball up the middle, breaking free, until the Trojans finally brought him down inside their five-yard line. Pourdanesh’s play went for 63 yards, his longest on the year.

“It was probably exactly what I needed to just like get the game going,” Pourdanesh said of getting his number called at the start. “I’ve been looking forward to this game for a really long time.”

In a first-place showdown in league, Pourdanesh almost matched his rushing total from his previous six games with CdM, ranked No 4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll. His first carry set up the first of three touchdowns by J.T. Murphy, who finished with four carries for 50 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 37-yard touchdown.

Late in the first half, as CdM began to run away with the game, Pourdanesh’s father had an issue with University’s PA announcer. As the Sea Kings were on their way to taking a 28-3 lead, Shar stuck his head through one of the press box windows, looking to ask the PA announcer a question.

“Is there a reason why you’re not announcing my son’s name?” said Shar, who came into the press box after University booster members invited him inside to talk.

Things turned heated before Shar left the press box.

There seems to be bad blood over Shar, a former NFL offensive lineman, and his sons leaving University. Shar used to coach the offensive line under University coach Mark Cunningham, who also coached Shar in high school.

Cunningham, in his 32nd year in charge of the Trojans, said he holds no animosity toward Shar and his boys.

“I’m happy that Alex Pourdanesh had the game that he had. I want nothing but the best for him,” said Cunningham, who lives in Costa Mesa. “I happen to really like CdM’s football staff. They’re really good guys. They just happen to have a whole lot of talent. They shouldn’t be in this league, and they didn’t want to be. CdM is class.”

With three games left in the regular season, the Sea Kings appear on their way to their sixth consecutive league crown. This is their final year in the Pacific Coast League, as they’re heading to the Sunset League next season.

The Sea Kings, who joined the Pacific Coast League in 1999, have won the league seven times. They have gone unbeaten in the league six times, the last five undefeated.

Besides losing Alex and Julian, two of his top players from last year, Cunningham lost two coordinators. His offensive and defensive coordinators didn’t return, and then two games into this year, his starting quarterback, Thomas Keeling, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Keeling, who was in a wheelchair at the game, said he had surgery on Thursday. The Trojans (5-2, 1-1) needed Keeling’s arm against CdM.

The Sea Kings made things difficult for quarterback Tristan Lucas, sacking him three times. He only completed 11 of 25 passes for 121 yards, with one interception.

CdM linebacker Luke Fisher picked off Lucas early in second quarter, returning it 56 yards for a touchdown. The Sea Kings took a 21-3 lead. They added another touchdown, coming on General Booty’s 15-yard pass to wide receiver John Humphreys, just before halftime.

Booty, a freshman, was one of four quarterbacks who saw action for CdM. He and the starter, Nathaniel Espinoza, threw a touchdown.

The ground game, with Pourdanesh and Murphy, carried the Sea Kings, who totaled 256 rushing yards. Alex said his brother was bummed to miss his second straight game because of an injury.

Julian cheered his brother on, especially after Alex finally found the end zone midway through the third quarter. Pourdanesh ran left, breaking a couple of tackles en route to a 38-yard touchdown. It would be the game’s final touchdown, and this time the PA announcer said Alex Pourdanesh’s name to the crowd.

“I definitely played for [Julian],” said Alex, before talking about why he and his brother left University for CdM. “[It was] definitely a life-changing decision to go to a program that I think would benefit me more in terms of preparation for the future. It was definitely hard at first, but I knew at the end of the day [that] in life you have to make tough decisions.”

Corona del Mar 42, University 3

Corona del Mar…….14 14 14 0 — 42

University……..3 0 0 3 — 3

FIRST QUARTER

CdM – Murphy 4 run (Casper kick), 11:13.

U – Kelley 27 FG, 7:54.

CdM – Murphy 37 pass from Espinoza (Casper kick), 6:00.

SECOND QUARTER

CdM – Fisher 56 INT return (Casper kick), 10:41.

CdM – Humphreys 15 pass from Booty (Casper kick), :23.

THIRD QUARTER

CdM – Murphy 39 run (Casper kick), 10:27.

CdM – A. Pourdanesh 38 run (Casper kick), 5:45.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CdM – A. Pourdanesh, 5-127, 1 TD.

U – Dolan, 5-72.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CdM – Booty, 4-4-0, 83, 1 TD.

U – Lucas, 11-25-1, 121.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CdM – Humphreys, 3-49, 1 TD.

U – Muniz, 5-55.

david.carrillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByDCP