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TWO-MINUTE DRILL

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Corona del Mar High began its CIF Southern Section Southern Division title defense on a high note.

The top-seeded Sea Kings blanked Anaheim, 35-0, in the first round last Thursday at Newport Harbor High.

CdM (9-2), winners of seven straight, advanced to the quarterfinals for the third straight year. Next is Los Amigos (8-3), which defeated Estancia, 41-14, in the first round at Jim Scott Stadium.

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The Sea Kings and Los Amigos will meet in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. But CdM is the road team this year in the quarterfinal matchup set at Bolsa Grande High for Friday at 7 p.m.

“We know we’ll have our hands full,” CdM Coach Scott Meyer said of the game against the Lobos, who finished second in the Garden Grove League.

CdM won last year’s game against Los Amigos, 45-7, and went on to claim its first section title since 1989.

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CdM senior kicker Grif Amies is still five successful field goals away from breaking the CIF Southern Section single-season record of 22 set by Chris Sailer of Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 18 years ago.

Amies got two tries to get closer last week, but he missed field-goal attempts from 36 and 38 yards. The senior is 18 for 23 in field-goal tries this year.

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Each time CdM has played Anaheim it has been in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Before last week, the Sea Kings shut out the Colonists, 35-0, in the Southern Division quarterfinals in 2010.

In 1988, CdM defeated Anaheim, 28-8, in the Division VI quarterfinals.

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The Sea Kings have posted an impressive overall record of 31-6-1 since 2010.

Only Newport Harbor has a better three-year stretch for a Newport-Mesa team when it comes to overall record, going 34-5-2 from 1999 to 2001.

The Sea Kings can get to 34 wins in three years if they win three more games in the playoffs.

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Talalelei Teaupa knew it had been a long time since Newport Harbor High last won a playoff game.

The senior tailback helped erase the Sailors’ postseason drought by running wild.

Teaupa rushed 26 times for a career-high 272 yards, lifting the Sailors to a 42-21 win against Troy in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs at Davidson Field. The postseason victory was Newport Harbor’s first in five years.

Newport Harbor (7-4) actually fell behind, 14-0, in the first eight minutes. The Sailors responded by feeding Teaupa the ball and he brought the team back as it scored the next 42 points, 12 points coming on Teaupa’s two touchdown runs.

Teaupa recorded the eighth-best single-game rushing performance in Newport Harbor’s history. He surpassed Chris Manderino’s 271-yard effort in 2000 against Dana Hills.

Next for the Sailors is a quarterfinal game against third-seeded Villa Park (10-1) at El Modena High on Friday at 7 p.m.

Villa Park gets to play host to a second straight playoff game because it won the coin flip against Newport Harbor.

Villa Park beat Yorba Linda, 21-12, in the first round.

Newport Harbor and Villa Park have one common opponent, Edison, which is the top seed in the Southwest. Both teams lost to Edison – the Sailors fell, 35-0, and the Spartans, 27-7.

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Before last Friday, the last time Newport Harbor opened the playoffs at home was in 2004. That same year the Sailors made a section title appearance.

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The Sailors defense performed at a high level after allowing two first-quarter touchdowns to Troy.

They intercepted two passes (Quest Truxton and Mary Taylor), recovered one fumble (Zach Cornwell) and stopped the Warriors on downs twice.

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Newport Harbor has won five straight games and the winning streak is the program’s longest since 2005, when the Sailors went on to claim a section title.

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The Estancia High football team made too many mistakes in its 41-14 loss to Los Amigos in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs Friday night.

The Eagles (7-4) fumbled the ball five times, muffed a punt and threw an interception. Seven turnovers made it hard for the Eagles to contend, as they trailed, 28-0, at halftime at Jim Scott Stadium.

A key turnover happened midway through the second quarter, even after Estancia got a gift. The Eagles got a favorable pass interference call on third-and-20 from the Los Amigos 34-yard line.

The pass to Henry Vasquez was well overthrown, but the referee threw the flag on the Los Amigos cornerback. It gave Estancia a first down at the Los Amigos 19.

But Estancia fumbled the ball on the next play, missing a chance to cut into what was a 14-0 Los Amigos lead at the time. The Lobos drove down for their third touchdown, then used a quick 46-yard fumble recovery for another touchdown to go up by four scores by halftime.

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Estancia senior running back Robert Murtha finished his sparkling three-year varsity career with a 207-yard, one-touchdown night. Murtha, who had 21 carries, scored the touchdown on a 27-yard carry in the fourth quarter.

Murtha ended the season with 1,588 yards and 15 touchdowns. He holds Newport-Mesa career records of 5,483 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns.

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Estancia Coach Mike Bargas walked away from the loss impressed with Los Amigos senior running back Jerry Saldivar. The 5-foot-6 Saldivar, who came into the game second in Orange County in rushing yards, added to the total with 222 yards on 38 carries. He scored three touchdowns. Saldivar now has 2,182 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.

Saldivar and the Lobos meet defending champion Corona del Mar in the Southern Division quarterfinals for the second straight year. Last year CdM defeated Los Amigos, 45-7, on the way to the title.

“He’s shifty, he’s really good,” Bargas said. “We missed some tackles on him and I think we were out of position a few times, but he’s good. There’s no two ways about it. They’re going to give CdM some fits next week. They’re big up front, and the guy just kind of hides in-between the linemen and looks for his opportunity.”

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