Sea Kings Rally to Stun Western, 22-21

Corona del Mar rallied for 15 points in the fourth quarter to steal a 22-21 victory over Western in a nonleague game Thursday night at Newport Harbor High.

Erik Fisher capped a short drive that was set up by a botched Western punt, with a six-yard touchdown run around the right side that cut the Western lead to 21-20 with 4:51 left in the game. Earlier, Western had blocked a field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown and came close to blocking a point-after kick.

So Sea King coach Scott Meyer said they decided to go for the two-point conversion and the lead after Fisher’s touchdown. Fisher again got the call and ran through hole in the middle of the line for what would prove to be the winning score.

Western was able to get the ball twice after that, but the Sea King defense prevented the Pioneers from getting in scoring position and Corona del Mar improved to 3-0 on the season.

“We weren’t going to give him a chance to block [the PAT]. We were going to go for the win right there,” Meyer said.

Meyer was referring to Western senior running back Marcus Hays, who had blocked a first-quarter field goal attempt and then scooped up the loose ball and ran it back 77 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 Western lead.

Hays also had a 45-yard touchdown reception in the closing seconds of the first half on a third-and-16, which gave the Pioneers a 21-7 lead at intermissin.

The Sea Kings struggled to find their offense in the first half, with a fumble and several missed opportunities leading to the early deficit. A 26-yard pass from senior quarterback Brett Lawson to junior receiver Troy Reese, combined with a roughing-the-passer penalty, put the Sea Kings at the Pioneers' 17-yard line, and Fisher eventually scampered around the right side to tie the score at 7-7.

Meyer said his players refused to throw in the towel. “They were on the ropes a little bit and they just kept playing and playing,” he said.

In the fourth quarter, the Sea Kings finally got the spark they seemed to need. Lawson threw a deep ball down the middle and junior receiver Chris Johnstone out-jumped several defenders for the ball and found a seam up the middle for a 50-yard catch and run that cut Western's lead to 21-14 with 8:26 left in the game.

On the Pioneers' ensuing possession the Sea Kings held them to three plays and a punt. But the snap went over the punter’s head and he was forced to hurry a kick from near the goal line. The ball was grabbed by senior Aaron White and returned to the Western 16. That would set up Fisher’s go-ahead touchdown and point-after runs to give the Sea Kings the lead.

Corona del Mar now prepares for their annual meeting with Newport Harbor next week. The Sailors are 0-1 heading into their game against Loyola on Friday at Newport Harbor High. Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor will meet in the "Battle of the Bay" on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at Newport Harbor High.

The Sailors have had the upper hand in recent years, having won the past four meetings against the Sea Kings. But Meyer is hopeful his team will carry on the momentum of two big wins in the past two weeks.

"Our kids will be excited and we'll have a huge crowd there," he said. "Hopefully, it's a good game."