Sea Kings tune up against Beckman

CdM football preview vs. BeckmanA Corona del Mar win tonight would set up Nov. 11 league showdown with University.Corona del Mar High football coach Dick Freeman said his team used its bye week to heal and tinker.

Both were necessary, he said, after three straight Pacific Coast League losses, including one forfeit, put the Sea Kings on the brink of being eliminated from the CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs.

The Sea Kings (3-5, 1-3 in league) will end their 15-day layoff tonight at 7 when they play host to Beckman for homecoming at Newport Harbor High.

Corona del Mar, ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division IX, will clinch one of the league’s three CIF playoff berths with wins over Beckman and University.

Beckman, in its first varsity season, is playing its final game of the year. The Irvine-based Patriots, playing without seniors this season, are on a three-game losing streak.

Freeman said his staff used the bye week to begin preparation for University. The coaches also used the extra preparation time to implement some minor changes on offense.

“We tried to find some things that may give us an advantage set-wise,” Freeman said. “We will try to use some motion to maybe outman people and get another player in position to block to help our offense line.”

Freeman said that rather than save the offensive adjustments for University, the Sea Kings will try them this week in order to polish their execution for the regular-season finale.

“We’ve been having problems getting people to line up correctly, so it will be good to try to get used to [the new formations],” Freeman said.

Freeman’s lineup will include senior Matt Burgner and junior Keaten Price, who each missed the Laguna Beach game with a pinched nerve and an elbow problem, respectively.

The Sea Kings have relied on their defense to help keep things close all season, while the offense has struggled.

Burgner’s 34 career sacks are a school record, while junior cornerback Steve Hillgren has nine interceptions this fall, including four against Laguna Beach. Senior inside linebacker Shaun Mohler and senior lineman John Fairbanks have also stood out on defense for CdM.

CdM senior tailback Matt Loyd has 686 yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries. But, hampered by a sore knee, he has just 162 yards on 35 carries in four league games.

Beckman is led offensively by sophomore running back D’Amato Tyson, the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. The younger Tyson has 932 yards and 13 touchdowns on 126 rushing attempts.

CORONA DEL MAR STARTERS