CdM defense answering bell

Patrick Laverty

The primary question for the Corona del Mar High football team coming

into the season was how its young, inexperienced players would react

under the Friday night lights.

The answer Sea Kings Coach Dick Freeman received in a 19-14

season-opening victory over Costa Mesa couldn’t have been better.

The juniors that make up a majority of the starting lineup played

well, particularly quarterback Tom Welch. But it was a trio of

sophomores on defense that stood out.

Linebacker Shaun Mohler was named the team’s defensive player of

the week and lineman John Fairbanks and Matt Burgner were often in

the Mustangs backfield.

“They’re all really hard workers,” Freeman said. “They’re all

really dedicated guys. They’ve all played well in practice, but

you’re never sure how they’re going to show up in a game. They came

up big in a game, which is nice. It shows maturity on their part.”

After allowing the Mustangs to score a touchdown on their opening

drive, which ate up 12 plays and more than six minutes, Corona del

Mar’s defense only allowed two field goals the rest of the way.

But the Mustangs did roll up 236 yards of offense and Corona del

Mar will face a similar system this week against Troy (1-0), which

defeated Westminster, 23-13, in Week 1.

Troy’s wing-T offense is fairly similar to Costa Mesa’s, Freeman

said.

“It’s good because we’ve seen some stuff,” Freeman said. “It’s bad

because we didn’t do it real well.”

Last season against the Warriors, the Sea Kings were outgained on

offense, 266-222, but prevailed, 21-12, behind 123 yards rushing and

two touchdowns from Mark Cianciulli.

But Cianciulli graduated last spring and Corona del Mar had

trouble establishing a running game against Costa Mesa, picking up

just 49 yards on 19 carries.

Freeman thought that Wess Presson, Austin Brawner and sophomore

Brett Crowley ran well, but the holes just weren’t there. Presson and

Brawner were also sidelined for portions of the game because of leg

cramps.

The Sea Kings undersized line could have difficulty once again

against a Troy team that has six guys who weigh more than 280 pounds.

But Freeman is hopeful that Corona del Mar may be able to spring

receiver Kevin Welch loose for big gains, like it did in the opening

game. Welch, a junior who was second-team All-Pacific Coast League

last fall, caught four passes for 109 yards last week, including

touchdowns of 65 and 20 yards.

“[Troy has] good size and good athletes,” Freeman said. “[The

Warriors] do man up, so maybe we can break somebody long. If they

single Kevin, that’s always a plus.”

The biggest plus in the opener was the development of Corona del

Mar’s young defense. But that unit’s effort will be difficult to

match against a Troy team that had two running backs, David Perry and

Ron Blanco, surpass 100 rushing yards in Week 1.

It’s just another question that Freeman hopes his young players

can answer in the affirmative.