SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : DIVISION VI : Corona del Mar Topples Valencia

With 26 years of sometimes hot, sometimes cold football in its past, Corona del Mar High School realized the season of its dreams Friday night with a 17-7 victory over Valencia for the Southern Section Division VI championship at Orange Coast College.

The Sea Kings (12-0-2) capped their first undefeated season by outplaying Valencia, the top-seeded team and the defending champion, on both sides of the field.

Quarterback Ty Price engineered the Sea King offense brilliantly. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 233 yards, and though he was intercepted twice, Price compensated with the big plays when they were needed.

With 9 minutes 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Price turned the game around for Corona del Mar. Trailing, 7-6, at the Sea King 25-yard line, Price lofted a deep, precise pass to John Katovsich for a 65-yard gain.

Three plays later, Katovsich scored on a 3-yard run, and Price hit Warren Johnson for the 2-point conversion pass to give Corona del Mar a 14-7 lead, which it would never relinquish.

Price, who hit Weston Johnson on a 53-yard scoring pass midway through the second quarter, was lauded by Corona del Mar Coach Dave Holland and his teammates after the game.

But, as it has all season, the defense made a significant difference as well.

Although Valencia, led by fullback Keef Leasure (93 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries), outgained Corona del Mar on the ground, 133-91, the Tigers tried to regain the lead in the air. But quarterback Tracy Garrett (7 of 24 for 92 yards) was continually harassed by the Sea King defense, which sacked him 4 times and intercepted him 3 times.

The first interception--by linebacker Pat Callaghan at the Sea King 25--ended a drive with 5:27 left in the game.

The second and the third interceptions--both by Warren Johnson--again saved the Sea Kings.

Warren Johnson, who finished the season with 11 interceptions--5 of which came in the playoffs--intercepted Garrett at the Sea King 2 with 5:03 remaining in the game. Then, on the final play of the game, Garrett launched a desperation pass from the Sea King 33 into the end zone and Johnson came up with the interception.

“Before the game, I told (the players) they’ve already arrived,” Holland said. “You don’t have to do anything. Just go out there and have a good time. Things will take care of themselves.”

For Valencia (12-1-1), the loss marked its first defeat in 25 games--dating back to October, 1987.

The Tigers, the Central Conference champions last season, lost their chance at becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships in this division.

“We let them have a couple of big pass plays,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said. “In a CIF championship game, you have to play well to win, and we didn’t play well.”