Football: CdM wins easily
On senior night at Davidson Field, Corona del Mar High football announcer Gary Almquist introduced each of the seniors pregame Friday before they took photos with their families.
Almquist had a lot to say, even before the game kicked off. The Sea Kings have 19 seniors this year, players who have been an integral part of a program that is going for its fourth straight CIF Southern Section title this year.
Against an undermanned University squad, they didn’t disappoint.
The Sea Kings blanked the Trojans, 35-0, in a Pacific Coast League game, moving a step closer to their third straight undefeated league title.
Corona del Mar (7-1, 3-0 in league), the top-ranked team in the Southwest Division, is now alone in first in league. The other undefeated PCL team before Friday night, Northwood, lost to Woodbridge, 24-7. The Sea Kings can clinch at least a share of the league title with a win Thursday against Beckman at Tustin High.
The class of 2015 doesn’t expect to be denied.
“I’ve had so many great memories at Davidson Field,” senior defensive lineman Justin Hess said. “It’s just another big win to add to that. Battle of the Bay games, everything. This could be our last home game here, so it was a really great experience. We all talked about that [before the game]. We all just wanted to have fun tonight, and I think we did.”
The Sea Kings did so at the expense of the Trojans (3-5, 0-3), who have lost five straight games. University is down to its fourth-string quarterback with starter Wesley Jordan (concussion), backup Neil Boudreau and the JV quarterback all hurt. Coach Mark Cunningham went with junior Andre Campbell, usually a receiver, at quarterback on Friday night.
The results were predictable against the stout CdM defense, which has allowed just 10 points through its first three league games. Though University turned the ball over just once, when CdM senior Brett Davidson recovered a fumbled snap late in the first half, the Sea Kings’ shutout was never seriously in danger.
Campbell attempted just four passes. University, which ran a considerable amount out of the Wildcat formation, had just 88 yards from scrimmage.
“They were running a lot of funky stuff,” Hess said. “We definitely played solid defense from the beginning. They started throwing a lot of different, weird formations at us, but we stuck to it and got after them. No matter who we play, we come out to try to get better and play to our level, not to anyone else’s level.”
CdM also was missing its starting quarterback, as junior Peter Bush sat out again due to a sprained ankle suffered in the league opener against Irvine. But sophomore Chase Garbers was again impressive in his second straight start, completing 12 of 13 passes for 210 yards and four touchdowns before Coach Scott Meyer brought in backups Mitch Haly and Spencer Hook late.
Garbers twice found senior receiver Cole Collins on touchdown passes. The first one was impressive, as he aired one out down the middle for a 47-yard score midway through the second quarter.
That set off a streak of four straight possessions where the Sea Kings scored touchdowns. Garbers, rolling to his right, found Collins again for an 11-yard touchdown on a play-action pass. Then, after the fumbled snap by University, he hit sophomore running back Dylan Tucker on a 14-yard screen pass that went to the house.
CdM also scored on its opening possession of the third quarter, when Garbers found sophomore Billy Shaw wide open in the end zone for a five-yard score.
“I think he played well again,” Meyer said of Garbers, who has completed 27 of 33 passes for 350 yards and six touchdowns in his two starts. “He threw the ball well, and we’re really happy with his progress.”
Meyer said that Bush could have played Friday night in an emergency situation, and that he thinks both quarterbacks have earned playing time going forward.
The senior night for those two quarterbacks is still to come. But Friday night’s was special for all 19 of the current seniors.
“This is a great group of seniors,” Meyer said. “They’re our first freshman class, and a lot of them have played varsity since sophomore year. It’s a special group, and that was kind of a point this week with the younger guys, to make sure that we send the seniors out on a real positive note tonight.”
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Corona del Mar 35, University 0
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Uni 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0
CdM 7 – 21 – 7 – 0 — 35
FIRST QUARTER
CdM – Barbato 3 run (Neiger kick), 8:08.
SECOND QUARTER
CdM – Collins 47 pass from Garbers (Neiger kick), 8:27.
CdM – Collins 11 pass from Garbers (Neiger kick), 4:03.
CdM – Tucker 11 pass from Garbers (Neiger kick), 2:16.
THIRD QUARTER
CdM – Shaw 5 pass from Garbers (Wysopal kick), 8:13.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Uni – Kang, 11-40.
CdM – Tucker, 9-29.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
Uni – Campbell, 2-4-0, 20.
CdM – Garbers, 12-13-0, 210, 4 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
Uni – Dickey, 2-20.
CdM – Collins, 5-86, 2 TDs; St. Geme, 3-86.
