Limping CdM is set for a break

Barry Faulkner

There was nothing heart-breaking or heart-thumping about Corona del

Mar’s 33-3 nonleague loss to visiting Valencia Saturday night at

Newport Harbor High.

But, after dropping two straight to highly regarded opponents, the

Sea Kings (3-2), are thankful their upcoming bye week will allow them

to skip a beat.

CdM, ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division IX, figured to

have an uphill battle against the Tigers (4-0), ranked No. 4 in

Division VI. The stiff competition, combined with an emotional

hangover from the Sea Kings’ deflating 21-17 come-from-ahead loss to

crosstown rival Newport Harbor in the Sept. 23 Battle of the Bay,

made Saturday’s outcome somewhat predictable.

Add to that formula the absence of two-way senior starters Kevin

Welch (one-game suspension after being ejected against Harbor) and

Tyler Lance (surgery on a broken right foot sustained against the

Sailors that renders him out for the season), and CdM was pushing a

big boulder uphill.

Despite all this, the Sea Kings drove 10 plays with the opening

kickoff to set up Andrew Hummel’s 31-yard field goal that opened the

scoring.

CdM then recovered two Valencia fumbles, both at the Tigers’

36-yard line, before a CdM fumble allowed the visitors to take the

lead for good.

Rashad Chambers cashed in on the first CdM turnover, collecting a

bounding fumble caused by a devastating hit on a CdM ballcarrier and

returning it 70 yards for a touchdown with 3:09 left in the first

quarter.

The opportunistic play helped Valencia take a 6-3 lead into the

second quarter, despite running only four offensive plays for a mere

16 yards in the first period.

Valencia went 86 yards on 13 plays for its second touchdown, then

cashed in a muffed punt and an interception for 14 third-quarter points to put the game out of reach.

The Tigers drove 98 yards on 10 plays to finalize the scoring

midway through the fourth quarter, leaving CdM to lick its wounds and

regroup before opening Pacific Coast League play Oct. 16 on the road

against Calvary Chapel.

“We had our chances tonight, but we couldn’t take advantage,” CdM

Coach Dick Freeman said. “And that’s a good football team. I can’t

say our kids didn’t work hard this week, but the emotion wasn’t

there. I think the bye week comes at a good time for us.”

There were mostly tough times for the Sea Kings’ offense Saturday,

as the Tigers held a CdM ground game averaging 276.3 yards per game

to 107 yards rushing.

Until senior tailback Wess Presson broke 25 yards on a draw on the

Sea Kings’ last possession, the hosts had only one run of at least 10

yards.

Presson finished with 63 yards on 15 carries, the former matching

his season low, set last week against Newport Harbor.

Senior quarterback Tom Welch completed 10 of 19 passes for 79 yards and rushed 10 times for 31 yards.

Senior wideout Shane Collins had five catches for 47 yards, taking

up some of the slack for Kevin Welch.

The CdM defense battled, holding heralded Tiger tailback Rylon

Thomas to 99 yards on 17 carries. Thomas had just 47 rushing yards

until late in the third quarter. He did, however, score two

touchdowns for the winners.