Prep football: CdM faces Trojan horse

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - The Corona del Mar High football team is hoping to

construct a “Pickett fence” to contain University High star Scott

Pickett, when the two schools square off tonight at 7 o’clock in an early

Pacific Coast League crucial at Irvine High.

Pickett, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior who earned first-team All-PCL

honors as a defensive back last season, has been a prolific performer on

offense this fall. He has rushed for 853 yards on 95 carries, nearly 9

yards a pop, and is also the team’s leading receiver with 18 catches for

382 yards. He has 10 rushing TDs, three receiving TDs and has returned a

punt to paydirt to total 84 points, nearly 60% of the Trojans’ scoring

output this season.

“He’s everywhere,” CdM Coach Dick Freeman said of the all-purpose

back, who rushed for 310 yards, amassed 419 yards total offense, and

scored seven TDs in a 56-35 nonleague win over Orange Sept. 27. “Before

you can stop him, you have to find him. They line him up in a lot of

different ways, but he usually shows up where the ball is. He has some

pretty good speed. He’s not real big, but he tends to get away from

guys.”

Pickett opened league with 210 rushing yards against a vaunted Laguna

Beach defense. He also scored two TDs in the defending PCL champions’

19-7 victory.

Complicating matters for Freeman, who coordinates the Sea Kings’

defense, is the diverse approach presented by Uni Coach Mark Cunningham’s

wing T.

“This year, they’re running some option in combination with the wing

T,” Freeman said. “It’s enough to drive you nuts.”

CdM (4-1-1, 1-0 in league) has driven itself into position to contend

for one of the league’s three guaranteed berths into the CIF Southern

Section Division IX playoffs. The Sea Kings are ranked No. 7 in Division

IX and their three-game winning streak includes a 19-14 triumph over

Westminster, which has already beaten Tustin and Costa Mesa.

The Sea Kings opened their PCL campaign with a 35-6 win over Estancia,

but now begin a make-or-break month with a 4-1 Uni squad ranked No. 4 in

Division IX.

“The four games we have coming up are all going to be big,” Freeman

said. “If we can get to 2-0 in league, maybe we can start to snowball a

little bit.”

CdM will attempt to keep the ball rolling with a balanced offense

triggered by senior quarterback Dylan Hendy. Hendy has completed 57 of

108 passes for 778 yards and six TDs with four interceptions. The last

three games, however, Hendy has completed 32 of 59 for 482 yards and four

TDs, without an interception. He also has four rushing TDs this fall.

“Dylan is going to be a big factor,” Freeman said, “because we’re not

going to be able to pound the ball on the ground against the big guys

they have up front, defensively.”

Junior running back Mark Cianciulli will be asked to get what he can

behind a line that could benefit from the return of junior guard John

Daley.

Cianciulli has 550 rushing yards on 85 attempts and has scored five

TDs.

Daley, who broke his wrist in a 47-7 loss to Newport Harbor in Week 3,

saw limited action last week. Freeman said if he continued to progress in

practice, he might even start at right guard.

When Hendy does take to the air, his favorite target will be senior

Steven Ward, who has 19 catches for 239 yards and four TDs.

Uni defeated Laguna Beach with starting quarterback Nick Gerakos

sitting out all but the first few plays with dizziness. Freeman said he

expects the 6-3, 178-pound junior to start tonight.

Gerakos has completed 40 of 68 passes (nearly 59%) for 686 yards and

five TDs, with only two interceptions.

Tonight’s winner will become the leading challenger to PCL title

favorite Northwood, which takes a 6-0 record and No. 3 ranking in CIF

Division IX into Friday’s clash with winless Estancia.

CdM leads the series, 12-7-1, but Uni won last year, 22-15, in the

final week of the regular season to clinch its league crown. The Trojans

have won seven straight PCL games.