November 21, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

PHOTOS: CdM powers past Huntington Beach in critical Sunset League game

Corona del Mar wide receiver Russell Weir makes a catch to extend the Sea Kings drive in the second quarter as Huntington Beach linebacker Nicholas Loboda pursues. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).

 As Corona del Mar and Huntington Beach High football teams reach the midway point of their league schedules, each game grows in intensity and importance. Friday’s Sunset League matched two teams with identical 5-2 records with the CIF playoffs looming. 

CdM (6-2, 2-1) took a major step forward as quarterbacks David Rasor and Kaleb Annett combined to throw for 388 yards and six touchdown passes – three to Cooper Hoch and two to Russell Weir – to lead the Sea Kings to a 50-7 victory over the Oilers at Huntington Beach.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

“This was a good bounce-back win after losing to Los Al,” said Hoch. “We’re now looking forward to next week’s Battle of the Bay against our city rival Newport Harbor.”

CdM covered 76 yards in eight-plays on its opening possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. Two plays keyed the scoring drive, the first was a third-down shuffle pass from Rasor to running back Colin Pene that avoided a big loss. On the following play, on fourth-down, Rasor completed an 18-yard TD pass to Hoch.

CdM added three more touchdowns in the second-quarter to take a commanding 29-0 halftime lead. 

The duo of Rasor-to-Hoch hooked up two more times in the second-quarter on touchdown passes of 14 and 13 yards as the Sea Kings built a 21-0 lead with 2:22 to play in the half.  Annett took over at the helm on the final drive of the second quarter for CdM and promptly led the Sea Kings down field in seven-plays for another touchdown. Annett capped off the drive with a 28-yard TD pass to Weir.

CdM outgained the Oilers 340-108 yards in the opening half. Pene finished the game with 158 yards rushing. Weir and Hoch combined to catch 14 passes for 263 yards.

“The defense, the offense, especially Colin Pene, who had his best game of the season, and our special teams all played exceptional and really clean,” said CdM Coach Dan O’Shea. “We’re getting back to playing the kind of football CdM knows how to play”.  

Huntington Beach (5-3, 1-2) moved the ball in the first half, but CdM cornerback Michael Lynch picked off two Daunte Bell passes, foiling a pair of Oilers drives. For good measure, Lynch also blocked a first-half Huntington Beach field goal attempt. 

“We’re on a roll; our defense stepped up,” Lynch said. “The interceptions helped stop a couple of their drives, and I got a good jump coming off the edge to block the field goal. We played with a lot of energy.”

Annette added TD passes to Pene and Weir in the second-half. Tyler Young (106 yards rushing) scored on a 63-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for the Oilers.

“We moved the ball but we had trouble finishing,” said Huntington Beach Coach Brett Brown. “We missed a touchdown on our first possession and we had trouble with their passing attack, but we have to come back next week and learn from our mistakes.”

—-Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone

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