Sea View League : Sea Kings Stun Sailors to Give Saddleback Tie

Nothing excites the partisans of Corona del Mar High School quite like seeing their rivals at Newport Harbor in the throes of defeat.

Sea Kings fans got a season’s worth of gloating in when Corona del Mar pulled off the upset of the season in the Sea View League Friday night by edging Newport Harbor, 15-14, in front of 2,500 fans.

The Sea Kings overcame a 14-0 deficit by rallying late in the game and then saw their tenuous one-point lead hold up when a 22-yard Sailors’ field goal attempt was just wide of the mark with 59 seconds to play.

The end result was a long celebration on the LeBard Stadium field by the team and its followers, all savoring the biggest win in Corona del Mar’s 3-4, 4-6 season.

For Newport Harbor, the defeat was especially painful, because the Sailors (6-1 and 8-2) must share the league title for the second consecutive year with Saddleback, a team they had beaten by a field goal earlier this season.

Newport Harbor had taken a 14-0 lead midway through the third quarter and appeared ready to win the league title outright, but Corona del Mar was able to rally for a touchdown in the third quarter and a touchdown and two-point conversion in the fourth to pull out the win.

With Newport Harbor leading, 14-7, and 5:28 to play, Corona del Mar linebacker Bill Artukovich intercepted a Shane Foley pass, giving the Sea Kings the ball at Newport’s 20-yard line.

Corona del Mar then moved to the three-yard line, where it faced a fourth-and-two situation with 2:40 to play.

The Sea Kings got the touchdown on a pass from Mitch Melbon to tight end Chris Greco, who was open in the right side of the end zone after all of the other Corona receivers flooded the left side.

The two-point conversion came on a similar play, this one a Melbon pass to fullback Sean Turner coming out of the backfield into the right side of the end zone.

Newport’s Foley then drove his team from his own 34-yard line to Corona del Mar’s 5, where the drive stalled, and a Sterling Coberly field goal attempt was just wide of its mark.

In other action:

Woodbridge 21, University 21--The Trojans held off a late Warrior rally for a tie before 2,100 in Irvine Stadium.

Woodbridge (4-2-1, 6-3-1) had already secured a Central Conference playoff berth going into the game. University finished 0-6-1 and 1-8-1.

After taking possession late in the game, the Warriors moved the ball to the University 24-yard line on a nine-yard pass from Mike Juarez to John Evers with 18 seconds to play. But Brian Harty sacked Juarez at the 35 on the next play as time expired.

Dave Townsend led the Woodbridge attack by rushing for 230 yards and 1 touchdown in 35 carries.

Estancia 40, Costa Mesa 7--The Eagles routed the Mustangs in the season finale for both on Davidson Field. Estancia finished with a 3-4 league record, and 5-5 overall. Costa Mesa is 2-5 and 3-7.