High School Football: CdM ‘D’ holds off Tars
Corona del Mar High senior Justin Hess said he has known Newport Harbor’s Cole Norris for eight years. But Hess and his fellow defensive line mates all made themselves unceasingly familiar to the Sailors senior quarterback on Friday to lead the visiting Sea Kings to a 28-18 nonleague football victory in the 53rd renewal of the Battle of the Bay.
Hess and the remaining members of CdM’s four-man defensive front all had a hand in the Sea Kings’ five sacks. And even when they didn’t reach their destination, they invariably made Norris scramble or at least shift in the pocket.
Hess had two solo sacks, including the game-clinching play with 3:15 left, when he advanced on Norris’ blind side and swatted the ball loose on fourth-and-nine from the Sea Kings 29-yard line. Newport Harbor tailback Riley Gaddis recovered the ball, but it was popped free once again and CdM senior end Chase Parker fell on it.
CdM then ran out the clock to earn its second straight win in the crosstown rivalry, only its fourth triumph in the last 21 meetings with the Sailors.
Hess also shared a three-way sack just before halftime that included Chase and senior end Harrison Carter.
Chase and senior tackle Matt Flores tag-teamed on a sack in the first quarter and Chase, who came in with five sacks in the first three games, added a solo sack late in the third quarter.
Chase also technically just missed a sack when he wrapped up Norris for no gain on the Tars’ final possession.
Norris, who heroically completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns, finished with 12 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Norris’ frequent scrambles produced only one run of more than six yards — an 11-yard scamper early on the Tars’ 14-play, 80-yard drive that pulled them within 21-18 with 1:19 left in the third quarter.
Hess, Parker, Carter and Flores were also integral in limiting the Sailors’ ground attack to just 81 yards on 33 attempts.
“The D-line got after it,” said Hess, who watched CdM’s offense produce touchdown drives on its first two possessions of each half to extend the state’s longest winning streak to 30 games. “It was a collective effort and we had some great pass-rushing. Newport Harbor’s offensive line was very strong, way better than we thought it was on film. They really got after us, but we got a good pass rush and got after the quarterback.
“[Norris] is a stellar athlete — baseball, football, everything,” Hess said. “Man, he’s very elusive and hard to tackle.”
Hess said the clinching final sack and forced fumble was an answer to a collective call from the entire defense to stop Harbor’s comeback attempt once and for all.
“We got a little defensive huddle before the play and said ‘Best play of the game right here,’” Hess said. “We got after it, I was lucky enough to get through and get the strip and the rest is history.”
CdM recorded a sack to help halt Newport Harbor’s second possession of the game, which ended in a punt, just like the Sailors’ opening offensive sequence.
Pressure in the pocket on Norris helped force an incomplete pass on third-and-three and the Sailors punted from the CdM 47, trailing, 28-18, with 8:08 left in the game.
In addition to the sacks and pressures, Flores batted one pass attempt down at the line.
Other defensive stalwarts for the Sea Kings included linebackers Hugh Crance, Karl Donovan and Blake Kormos, cornerbacks Brett Greenlee and Taylor Damron, as well as safeties Barrett Barbato and Luke Gardner.