Prep football: CdM stumbles against Uni

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - Though many high school football games are won on the

ground, others are left there for the taking, in the form of a loose ball

waiting to be swallowed up by an opportunistic defender.

Host University High took advantage of two Corona del Mar fumbles

Thursday night to claim a 37-10 Pacific Coast League victory over the Sea

Kings at Irvine High.

The Trojans (5-1, 2-0 in league), ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section

Division IX, also benefited from some lapses in the CdM kicking game to

win, despite giving away the advantage in rushing yards (214-191), total

offensive yards (300-270) and time of possession (a whopping 29:25 to

18:35).

“We gave them 21 points and were still in the ballgame,” CdM Coach

Dick Freeman said. “We gave them the ball three times and we just have to

quit doing that.”

The first opportunity for the Trojans came when the CdM punter fielded

a low snap on one knee, downing the ball at his own 13.

On the very next snap, senior running back Scott Pickett burst over

right tackle and into the end zone for a touchdown. Chris Sprague’s

conversion kick gave the hosts a 14-3 lead with 8:53 left in the half.

That, however, was just the beginning of the Trojans’ good fortune.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, a CdM fumble was

recovered by Koji Chavez at the Sea Kings’ 15-yard line. Four plays

later, Pickett sprinted around the right side for a 2-yard touchdown and

the Trojans had 13 points in a 90-second span.

A three-and-out and subsequent 22-yard punt set Uni up on the CdM 40

for its next possession and the Trojans took just five plays to fine

paydirt. Rikus Pretorius bowled over from 4 yards out with 3:25 left in

the half.

Trailing, 27-3, the Sea Kings (4-2-1, 1-1) drove 80 yards on 13 plays

to muscle back into the contest.

Junior tailback Mark Cianciulli carried seven times for 47 of his

career-high 227 rushing yards on the march. Senior quarterback Dylan

Hendy completed three passes on the possession, including a 20-yard TD

toss back across the field to K.C. Rawlins. On the final play of the

half, Hendy scrambled out of the pocket beyond the right hash mark,

turned and delivered the ball to Rawlins in the end zone.

Rawlins, who gave CdM it’s only lead with a 31-yard field goal to cap

the visitors’ first possession, kicked the conversion and it was 27-10 at

half.

“That made us refocus, that’s for sure,” Uni Coach Mark Cunningham

said of the potential momentum-changing Rawlins reception to end the

half.

CdM appeared ready to seize that momentum when Cianciulli ran for 20

yards on the first snap after intermission. A lost fumble on the next

play, however, was cashed in for another Uni touchdown and the 34-10 lead

with 9:39 left in the third quarter proved insurmountable.

“If you get three turnovers (the two fumbles and downed punt snap),

you have to take advantage of them and we did,” Cunningham said. “If we

don’t take advantage, we’re in a mess after they score to end the half.

“Corona del Mar is a young, good, physical football team and the score

does not reflect what happened out there tonight. We knew, coming in,

this would be the toughest team we would play so far and it was. They

really went off tackle on us.”

CdM pounded away with Cianciulli, who carried a career-high 33 times.

“We knew we could run on them,” Freeman said. “There’s a reason people

don’t run an Okie (five-man front with two inside linebackers) anymore.”

Tackles Steven Russell and Steve Shipman, guards John Hayes and Brad

Sperber, center Matt Elliston, fullback Matt Cooper and tight end Tyler

McClellan punched holes in the Uni defense on most of the Sea Kings’ 70

offensive plays.

Uni ran just 46 plays, including its three punts, but had better

balance.

“The thing I liked about tonight was that we spread it around,”

Cunningham said. “It wasn’t just (Pickett).”

Uni quarterback Nick Gerakos threw TD passes to Ryan Tucker and Ryan

McMillen.

Freeman said the Sea Kings may take something to build upon from

Thursday’s game, despite the disappointing result.

“When we look at the film, I’m sure we’ll see some good things,” said

Freeman, whose team, ranked No. 7 in CIF Division IX, can still likely

assure itself a guaranteed playoff spot with wins over Laguna Beach and

Costa Mesa the next two weeks, respectively.

University, which received 138 rushing yards on 19 carries from

Pickett, who is now just 9 shy of 1,000 this season, moves on to meet

unbeaten Northwood Oct. 26 in what could be a PCL title showdown.