Kehrli, Lucas Carry Corona del Mar

Todd Kehrli, Corona del Mar High School’s quarterback, accomplished quite a lot in the first half of the Sea Kings’ Southern Section Division VI championship game against La Quinta Friday at Orange Coast College.

He completed 10 of 14 passes for 159 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown pass to receiver Weston Johnson. The trouble was, that was all the scoring Corona del Mar could produce and the Sea Kings led by just four points at halftime.

Kehrli, a sophomore, accomplished much more just by turning and handing the ball to running back Brian Lucas on Corona del Mar’s first play of the second half. Lucas ran 94 yards for a touchdown that lifted the Sea Kings’ spirits and sent them on to a 21-10 victory in front of 7,500.

It was the second consecutive Division VI championship for Corona del Mar (11-3). Last season, the Sea Kings defeated Valencia for the school’s first football title.

La Quinta, which finished the season 9-5, was playing in it first championship game since losing to Saddleback in the 1985 Central Conference title game.

“You know at the start of the season I thought (winning another title) was a possibility,” said Corona del Mar Coach Dave Holland over a chorus of “Repeat, repeat.”

“We had those losses in league (to Estancia, Newport Harbor and Tustin), but I knew we would peak and the kids would get better,” Holland said.

Corona del Mar certainly peaked at the right time.

Corona del Mar’s defense limited La Quinta to just one touchdown, a 10-yard pass from quarterback Richard Weaver to Trent Julian, and a 30-yard field goal by Matt Logan.

Corona del Mar also had two interceptions, including one by Mark Perlmutter that snuffed a fourth-quarter drive by La Quinta.

The Aztecs had the ball on the Sea King eight-yard line and Weaver, trying to run away from pressure, threw the ball right to Perlmutter.

“I was surprised he threw it,” Perlmutter said.

Roger Takahashi, La Quinta coach, said the interception was the turning point.

“We still had a chance,” Takahashi said. “We needed two scores to win. We needed a touchdown and the two-point conversion and then a field goal.”

After Perlmutter’s interception, La Quinta never got close to scoring again and Corona del Mar held on for the victory.

“The offense really moved the ball in the second half,” Holland said.

The biggest play was the long touchdown run by Lucas, who finished with 164 yards in 20 carries.

“That was a big play,” Holland said. “There were a lot of big plays but that swung the momentum our way.”

Kehrli, who completed 11 of 17 for 159 yards and ran two yards for a third-quarter touchdown that gave Corona del Mar a 21-3 lead, had a good view of the play.

“I just looked up and hoped he wouldn’t get caught,” he said.

Lucas broke through a huge hole over the left side of the Corona del Mar line, then cut outside and race untouched down the sideline.

Until then La Quinta had clamped down on Corona del Mar’s rushing game, forcing the Sea Kings to pass. In the first half, Lucas had gained five yards in seven carries and Jerrott Willard, the other running back, had three carries for minus-seven yards.