By Brian Lichterman | Sports Editor
Corona del Mar is the last Newport Beach high school still in contention for a CIF championship.
Over the weekend Sage Hill went down 45-27 to Twentynine Palms and Newport Harbor lost to the Bishop Alemany Warriors 27-7.
CdM and Ocean View played a close first half, but the Sea Kings defense managed to shut down Ocean View in the second half as they went on to win 21-13.
CdM now moves on to face the Anaheim Colonists, the runners-up in the Orange League, at Estancia High School tonight at 7 p.m.
At the half, the Sea Kings only led the Seahawks by a single point, 14-13. A third quarter, 2-yard touchdown run by Clay Reinhardt was the major blow to Ocean View that gave CdM the win.
Ocean View did pose a threat late when they drove from their own 24-yard-line all the way to the CdM 21 in only seven plays with 1:23 left on the clock. Down a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, the Ocean View quarterback lofted a pass into the end zone on fourth down but Sea Kings junior defensive back Cole Cottrell closed in and knocked the ball away from the Seahawk receiver at the goal line with 8 seconds left.
CdM quarterback Mitch Gardner then took a knee to run out the clock.
Head coach Jason Hitchens said, “Our defense once again played well and I think we are where we are at in this point of the season because of our defense, and special teams.”
He continued, “Offensively, we ran the ball pretty well and made some big passes when we needed to.”
Erik Fisher scored the Sea Kings’ first touchdown of the night with an 18-yard scamper, Gardner hit senior wideout Brent Gray for a 34-yard strike in the second quarter, and Reinhardt’s 2-yarder in the third sealed the game for CdM.
The Sea King defense harassed the Ocean View quarterback, Nolan Tippy, and held him to only 43 yards passing in the second half.
