Corona del Mar puts on offensive clinic in 62-13 win over Beckman

By Andrew TurnerStaff Writer

Oct. 6, 2017 11:25 PM PT

Another lopsided halftime score favored Corona del Mar High’s football team in its Pacific Coast League opener on Friday.

Glimmering gold numbers shone on the scoreboard in the west end zone, displaying the magnificence of the Sea Kings’ nine-touchdown attack.

Corona del Mar defeated Irvine Beckman 62-13 on Friday night at Newport Harbor High’s Davidson Field, with all the scoring coming in the first half.

The victory was the 26th straight in league play for the Sea Kings (5-1), who are unlikely to be challenged until the CIF Southern Section playoffs begin in November.

“It is the only thing that we talk about from Game 1 to Game 16,” CdM coach Dan O’Shea said of the task to remain sharp. “The only thing that we talk about as a team is that we play against ourselves. We never play an opponent.”

“It’s based on how we play our assignment, alignment, and technique.”

On this night, the Sea Kings (5-1, 1-0 in league) executed to perfection, scoring touchdowns on their first nine drives of the game before taking three kneel downs to run out the clock going into halftime.

CdM produced 568 yards of offense in the first half, putting four different quarterbacks on the field.

Nathaniel Espinoza drew the start, and he threw for 111 yards and two touchdowns — to John Humphreys and Mark Redman — in two drives.

After the other three signal-callers had seen the field, Espinoza rushed for a 70-yard score with 4:49 left in the second quarter that put CdM on top, 55-6.

Erik Zimmerman was second to take the snaps. Three of his four completions went for touchdowns. Humphreys’ second touchdown, a 13-yarder in the left corner of the end zone, was the first.

From there, Zimmerman connected with Harvard commit TaeVeon Le for scores of nine and 41 yards.

“Everyone’s battling,” Sea Kings running back JT Murphy said of the quarterback platoon. “They’re putting in effort every game. [A No. 1 quarterback] is something that we have to figure out in the next few games before we head into playoffs.”

Murphy carried the ball seven times for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Although CdM has often dominated the competition in PCL games, the streak is something to be cherished. The longevity is equally reflective of solid execution, something that the Sea Kings will need to take with them when they head into the Sunset League next year.

“We’ve put everything into it and not taken it lightly,” Murphy said of the streak. “We’ve executed and won 26 in a row, and next year, we’re going to have to do the same, hopefully with the same outcome.”

Humphreys had five catches for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Le turned his five grabs into 115 yards and two scores.

General Booty, the fourth-string freshman quarterback for CdM, threw for a 36-yard touchdown.

The offensive line of Jake Berkey, Sean Owens, Bryan Aceves, Colston Chacon and Vinny Provenza kept the Sea Kings’ offense running well. CdM did not punt in the first half.

“The big thing that we focused on this week was not blowing them out, but perfecting what we do,” Berkey said. “Doing our assignments perfectly, getting off the ball fast and just working as a team to perfect what we do.”

Some starters find it frustrating to play in just half the game, but they recognize that there are two sides to every coin. The flip side is that the Sea Kings can prevent the injury bug by getting other players in the game late. Experience is another benefit.

The entire second half was played with a running clock.

Nick Hill threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns for Beckman (1-5, 0-1). Mikael Mian caught seven passes for 169 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown.