Football: St. Geme makes name for himself at CdM
Before Scott Meyer coached Bo St. Geme at Corona del Mar High, Meyer’s father coached against St. Geme’s dad in high school 36 years ago.
It happened twice during the 1978 season, and each time Meyer was there. Meyer, an eighth-grader at the time, stood on the sideline, his spot whenever his father, Jon Meyer, coached Long Beach Wilson’s football team.
That year Jon’s team tried to beat Ed St. Geme and his Rolling Hills team. The first time, Ed, who played cornerback, got over on Jon in a nonleague game. The second meeting came in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Coastal Conference playoffs. Rolling Hills went into the matchup undefeated and as the top seed. Jon’s team pulled off an upset to reach the semifinals. The finish turned out to be Jon’s best during his seven years at the helm.
Ed and Jon have relived those games in the last couple of years. They are on the same side now, Ed’s son is a wide receiver and Jon’s son is the head coach at CdM. With Bo St. Geme catching passes and Scott Meyer making calls, the two sons have accomplished a lot more than their fathers ever did in high school football.
The Sea Kings have won 29 straight games, a stretch that includes two CIF Southern Section Southern Division titles and one CIF State Division III title. The winning streak, currently the best in the state, began in St. Geme’s fifth game as a starter on varsity. That was two years ago, when St. Geme was a sophomore.
St. Geme is a senior now and one of the top players in Orange County. He has CdM one win away from matching the 10th longest winning streak in CIF Southern Section history.
Pushing it to 30 victories in a row will be a challenge with CdM (3-0) playing at rival Newport Harbor (1-1) in the Battle of the Bay game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The meeting marks the 53rd between the two schools, and history hasn’t been on the Sea Kings’ side as Newport Harbor holds a 38-14 edge in the series.
“I don’t think there’s ever really a favorite. It’s such a rivalry game. Anything can happen,” said Meyer, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division poll. “Going in, it’s a pretty even matchup.”
The Sea Kings’ 34-14 win against the Sailors last year might be a sign the tides have turned in the Back Bay. St. Geme looks to help CdM knock off the Sailors in consecutive seasons for the first time since the program pulled it off from 1985-88.
St. Geme, a 5-foot-11, 170-pounder, is a difference maker. He played big against the Sailors last year. The offense only completed eight passes, four to St. Geme. Two of those catches by St. Geme resulted in eight-yard touchdowns in the third quarter. The scores allowed CdM to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit and take a 21-14 lead.
Since that matchup, only six of the last 15 opponents have scored double-digit points against the Sea Kings. They haven’t had to pass much during that span, but when the Sea Kings do, they tend to go St. Geme’s way.
Last week, CdM went a lot to St. Geme during its 31-14 win against El Toro at Davidson Field. St. Geme posted impressive numbers, matching his single-game best reception total of nine for a career-high 155 yards. Fifty of those yards came on a score.
Quarterback Peter Bush wasn’t the one throwing the touchdown pass to St. Geme, and it wasn’t Bush’s backup, Chase Garbers, either.
Three players connected with St. Geme on passes that night. The longest hook-up was between receivers. Cole Collins found St. Geme for the 50-yard touchdown. It used to be the other way around three years ago, St. Geme throwing the ball to Collins, when the two played on CdM’s 10-0 freshman team. During the freshman team’s first perfect season in school history, St. Geme played quarterback and Collins lined up in the slot.
Last year, with St. Geme and Collins starting at receiver, CdM went perfect again, winning all 16 games. The best friends are back at receiver, and one of them isn’t only catching balls in their final year.
Late in the first half against El Toro, Collins and St. Geme extended the lead to 10 points when CdM called a reverse pass. Garbers handed the ball to running back Hugh Crance, who ran left and gave the ball to Collins. The team ran the trick play well in practice, and most of the time Collins targeted the player running the wheel route, not St. Geme.
“I was just supposed to kind of fake [as if I’m blocking] the corner, and wait until him and the safety kind of bit, and just take off [for a pass],” St. Geme said. “I didn’t really end up having to because [the corner] bit so hard on the reverse to Cole. I didn’t really have to do much beside just wait until Cole came around and [threw the ball] to me.”
The play worked to perfection as St. Geme was wide open. St. Geme’s dad and Meyer’s dad approved of the call.
Ed St. Geme, 52, and Jon Meyer, 78, attended the game. They have a lot to talk about when they watch CdM play.
Sure, the two reminisce about the past, how Ed’s Rolling Hills team featured four college bound players, Ed (Stanford), Duane Davis (Missouri), Howard McAdoo (Michigan State) and Kevin Moen (UC Berkeley). Yeah, that Kevin Moen, who went on to be part of the wackiest game-winning touchdown in college football history. Not even Stanford’s band could stop Moen from finding the end zone on the last play in the Golden Bears’ rivalry game against the Cardinal in 1982.
“Much to my chagrin,” Ed said of seeing Moen catch the fifth and final lateral on the Golden Bears’ kickoff return near the opponent’s 25-yard line, while dodging defenders and band members, before running over a trombone player. “I played in that game, but was not on the field for the play.”
The return is known as “The Play” and Ed and Jon haven’t discussed it, and with good reason. Jon is also a Stanford graduate.
Sometimes it’s good to stick to current events. What their sons are involved with at CdM is special.
“CdM’s won-loss record speaks for itself, but it’s all of the other things that Scott Meyer and the staff bring to the table that make them the best,” Ed said. “We consider them a community treasure. Scott and his [coaches] are true educators, in every sense, and we are so glad about all of the time [and] hours our boys get to spend with them.”
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Bo St. Geme
Born: Dec. 18, 1995
Hometown: Palo Alto
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 170 pounds
Sport: Football
Year: Senior
Coach: Scott Meyer
Favorite food: Cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger
Favorite movie: “Step Brothers”
Favorite athletic moment: Winning the CIF State Division III Bowl Game last year.
Week in review: St. Geme finished with nine receptions for 155 yards and one touchdown in CdM’s 31-14 win against El Toro at Davidson Field.