Corona del Mar Reigns Victorious Against Fountain Valley On Senior Night (2021)

Newport Beach – Davidson Field

The 2021 regular season came to a close for the Sunset League on Friday, and while some team’s schedule ends this weekend, others will be gearing up for the CIF Playoffs.

The Corona del Mar Sea Kings (8-2, 3-2), who defeated the Fountain Valley Barons (1-9, 0-5) 49-7 at Davidson Field on Friday night, will be one of those programs extending their play into November.

If there was any doubt on how this game was going to sway, it was promptly answered by a pick-six via CdM junior cornerback Oliver Ayala on the first drive of the contest.

After FV was forced to punt following a three-and-out on their very next attempt, CdM junior quarterback David Rasor connected with senior wideout John Tipton for a 30-yard score deep left.

Another FV punt set up a four-play Sea Kings scoring drive to extend the lead to 21-0. This time, it was junior running back Evan Sanders dashing up the middle virtually untouched for a 34-yard TD run.

Sanders finished the night with 111 yards from scrimmage and a rushing TD.

The Barons got on the board midway through the second quarter, after senior WR Tyler Nowicki slipped through the middle of the defense with a 61-yard TD off of a slant route.

Sea Kings junior linebacker Aiden Walsh cut the next FV drive short, after picking off the Barons’ QB late in the second quarter. On the very next play, CdM junior slot receiver Cooper Hoch dodged two FV defenders with ease, and pulled off a 20-yard TD reception. At this point in the game CdM led 28-7, and backup QB Kaleb Annett was getting reps behind center.

The Barons benefitted from a questionable call not too long after, as Hoch found the endzone once more, but the referees determined that he did not get a foot in bounds. Video replay of the would-be touchdown told a different story.

The Sea Kings, up 21 points at half, did not — and would not — sweat the loss of a potential score.

A thick marine layer rolled in at the beginning of the second half, but it did not hinder the CdM offense whatsoever.

Rasor came in for the last time in the 2021 regular season and promptly threw a 12-yard TD pass to senior tight end Scott Truninger to begin the third quarter.

Annett took over from that point forward, and found Tipton in the back of the endzone for the senior’s second TD reception of the game.

To conclude all scoring, Sea Kings senior WR Max Lane took a direct snap to the house for a 36-yard TD rush, finalizing the score at 49-7 in favor of CdM.

CdM junior CB Blake Stern picked off the Barons for the defense’s third interception of the game, and the Sea Kings chewed clock with running plays until the clock showed zero.

Head coach Dan O’Shea and the Sea Kings earned an automatic qualifier in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. The last time CdM played in the CIF tournament was in 2019, when the Sea Kings won the CIF division 3 championship and went on to take home a 1-A State Championship.

Seedings and schedules for the playoffs will be released this weekend.