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Mini Battle of the Bay: CdM handles Sailors

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This post has been corrected, as noted below.

Barely weeks into the school year, the freshmen football players in the Battle of the Bay high school rivalry between Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor are already enforcing learned behavior.

And while supremacy at this level can be cyclical, the Sea Kings added to their recent string of affirmation by topping the Sailors, 21-7, on Thursday at CdM.

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It’s the fifth straight win over their neighborhood nemesis for the CdM freshmen, who are now 50-1 in their last 51 games. CdM had a 46-game winning streak snapped by University late last season.

Newport Harbor had won six in a row at this level, before CdM went on its run, which has coincided with a change of fortune for the CdM varsity, which entered Thursday night’s crosstown showdown having won two straight over the Sailors, who had won the previous six over the Sea Kings.

“In the Newport-CdM rivalry, the guys grow up knowing each other,” said Newport Harbor Coach and former Sailors player Garrett Govaars.”These games are always about who plays the hardest and going out and hitting a buddy from across the bay. Whoever is willing to do that the soonest usually comes out on top.”

That was the case Thursday, as CdM posted a 121-29 advantage in first-quarter total offense on its way to a 21-0 halftime advantage.

The Sea Kings used a balanced running game to set the tone and take control into intermission, when it held a 271-65 edge in offensive yards.

Tailback Ben Coteen (103 yards on 19 carries), quarterback DJ Rodman (87 yards on 17 attempts), and running back Luke Fisher (86 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries) combined to spearhead a consistently productive running game for the winners, who improved to 4-0 and have now outscored opponents, 160-35.

Rodman also threw for 86 yards, completing six of 12 passes without an interception.

“We were able to come out and control the tempo on that first drive,” CdM Coach Jerry Jelnick said of a 15-play procession that was halted on the Newport Harbor nine-yard line.

Newport Harbor got its offense going in the final two quarters, when it had two drives of 15 and 12 plays halted in the red zone, before cashing in a CdM special teams error for its only score with 2:23 left in the game.

A high punt snap was retrieved by Rodman, the CdM punter, who was tackled at his own seven-yard line to allow the Sailors (2-1) to avert the shutout.

Tailback John Olmstead ran into the end zone on the first snap following the snapping error.

CdM recovered the ensuing onside kickoff and ran out the clock.

Running back Nick George stood out in the second half for the visitors, collecting 104 of his game-best 118 rushing yards in the final two quarters.

Receiver Dayne Chalmers was another highlight on offense for the Tars, hauling in five Sam Barela passes for 42 yards.

But the CdM defense did not allow a gain of more than 20 yards, as linebackers Fisher, Matt Schmitt and Ari Frochlich spearheaded an impressive performance.

Safety Jack Elliott recovered a fumble, while cornerbacks Luke Chelf and Connor Schimmelpfenning also contained things on the ground and in the air.

Additional defensive work was put in by outside linebackers Max Dunk (one sack) and Nick Meisenheimer, tackles Austin Jajonie and Tristan Troutman, as well as noseguard John Manly.

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For the record: An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified CdM noseguard John Manly as Sean Manly. Also, Corona del Mar High freshmen football players Ben Koteen, a running back, and John Manly, a lineman, were incorrectly identified.

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Offensively, tackles Jajonie and Tanner Boulton, guards Briggs Borland and Austin Rhee, and center Bismark Cajiles helped clear room for 261 yards and 13 first downs on the ground for CdM.

Chelf averaged 33.5 yards on his two receptions to help CdM overcome 10 penalties for 100 yards.

Newport Harbor had only six penalties for 61 yards, but one nullified a would-be touchdown pass from Barela to Chalmers on the Sailors’ 15-play march that produced nothing on the opening possession of the half. And two encroachment penalties on textbook hard-count execution by Rodman, gave the Sea Kings gift first downs on third-and-short situations to extend drives.

Middle linebacker Brian Bailey and outside ‘backer Olmstead stood out defensively for the Sailors.

Corona del Mar 21, Newport Harbor 7

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NH 0 0 0 7 – 7

CdM 7 14 0 0 – 21

FIRST QUARTER

CdM – Fisher 1 run (Bondra kick), 2:59.

SECOND QUARTER

CdM – Fisher 3 run (kick failed), 9:42.

CdM – Fisher 1 run (Griffin pass from Rodman), 1:06.

FOURTH QUARTER

NH – Olmstead 7 run (Schroeder kick), 2:23.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

NH – George, 17-118.

CdM – Coteen, 19-103; Rodman, 17-86, Fisher, 11-86, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

NH – Barela, 6-10-0, 48.

CdM – Rodman, 6-12-0, 86.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

NH – Chalmers, 5-42.

CdM – Griffin, 4-17; Chelf, 2-67.

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