SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: DIVISION VI : Price-to-Clark 34-Yard Pass Ignites Corona del Mar Victory

Take the catch of the year, the defense of the decade and a quarterback with enough composure to hold it all together and what do you have?

You have Corona del Mar High School earning a trip to the Southern Section Division VI championship game with a 14-7 victory over Pacifica Friday night at Orange Coast College.

For a team that has been led by its defense most of the season, the Sea Kings showed Pacifica offensive exploits it--and perhaps many in the crowd of 5,000--never expected.

The final surprise came with just 1:47 remaining in the game as Corona del Mar quarterback Ty Price launched the most important pass of his career, a 34-yard strike to receiver Jeff Clark, who beat a defender and made the catch with a sprawling dive into the end zone.

Pat Callaghan’s extra-point kick gave the Sea Kings a 14-7 lead.

But Pacifica came back to give the Sea Kings a scare as Mariner quarterback Bobby Anderson hit Tim Stevenson on a 20-yard pass play to bring Pacifica to the Corona del Mar 21.

With just 45 seconds remaining, Pacifica failed on 4 consecutive plays: a quarterback keeper, a pass, a run by its star back Chris Shockley, and another pass . . . as Corona del Mar’s defense stalled the Mariners at the 10-yard line.

The final blow came on a fourth and 6 with 5 seconds remaining: Anderson tried to hit one of several receivers in the end zone, but Callaghan batted down the attempt and Corona del Mar held on for the victory.

For third-seeded Corona del Mar (11-0-2), the victory pits it against top-seeded Valencia in the championship game next Friday at a site to be determined. Valencia, 12-0-1 and the defending champion, defeated Fullerton, 20-6, in the other semifinal Friday night.

For Corona del Mar Coach Dave Holland, the outcome of next week’s game may not be quite as important as the 1988 season as a whole. Prior to this year, Corona del Mar had never won more than 8 games in a season, and had never advanced further than the second round.

Much of the credit for Friday’s victory went to the Sea King defense, as it has all season, but also to Price, who completed 9 of 11 passes for 123 yards and the late-game touchdown. Price also scrambled for gains of 14 and 15 yards.

“We owe it all to our quarterback,” Clark said. “He’s pulled us through the entire playoffs. Without him, we could not have done it.”

Corona del Mar scored on its second possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead with 4 seconds left in the first quarter. A 13-yard pass play to Clark brought the Sea Kings to the Mariner 12, and John Katovsich scored 5 plays later on a 1-yard run.

Although Corona del Mar dominated the first half, outgaining Pacifica, 140-58, the Mariners came out in the second looking somewhat revitalized. Still, the Sea King defense, anchored by tackle Brett Allen and linebackers Chris Deuchar and Katovsich, held the Mariners until midway through the fourth quarter.

With 6:44 remaining, Anderson handed off to tight end Kevin Prentiss who hit Ray Straughter in the end zone for a 23-yard scoring play.