O’Brien, Santa Margarita Trash Corona del Mar

Sean O’Brien, Santa Margarita quarterback and thorn in the side of Corona del Mar, raised his hands and shouted for all to hear, friend and foe alike.

“We got their respect now. We got their respect now,” yelled O’Brien, after the Eagles’ 35-14 victory Friday night at Saddleback College.

So marked the Eagles’ entrance into the Sea View League. After two years of playing a freelance schedule, searching for opponents and praying for at-large berths into the playoffs, they have a league to call home. And they wasted little time in creating a rival.

Corona del Mar (3-1, 0-1) got the role by either:

--Being the Eagles first league opponent.

--Committing the terrible sin of trashing the Eagles, verbally at least.

“Oh, they were talking trash all week,” O’Brien said. “The guy who washes our uniforms also washes their uniforms. He said they were talking trash all week. They were telling him they were going to put in a new defense to stop me.”

Whatever, or whether, the slight, O’Brien took it out on the Sea Kings.

O’Brien passed, completing 12 of 18 attempts for 210 yards. Two went for touchdowns, 78 yards to Ryan Zinn and 35 yards to Brad Finneran.

O’Brien ran, gaining 109 yards in 11 carries. He burst through a seam in the defense on an option play for a 50-yard touchdown run that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game.

In all, he accounted for 329 of the Eagles’ 430 total yards.

“I love doing everything,” O’Brien said. “I love being out on the field all the time.”

He seemed as if he was in the first half.

The Eagles (4-0, 1-0), ranked fifth in Orange County, scored on their first four possessions. By halftime they had 348 total yards and a 28-0 lead.

“Our offense can score points,” Coach Jim Hartigan said. “We have so many plays in the system that sometimes we argue on the sidelines about what to call. They all can be effective.”

Most of them were against a Corona del Mar team that had won its first three games against so-so competition.

The Sea Kings were able to move the ball, getting inside the Eagle 25-yard line three times in the first half. All three drives ended without points.

Quarterback Matt Evans threw for 208 yards and a touchdown. But he also had two of his passes intercepted and fumble once. All three turnovers were in Eagle territory.

Corona del Mar could not afford the luxury of such mistakes against the Eagles’ offense.

O’Brien received plenty of support. Running back Chris Tiernan gained 78 yards and scored two touchdowns. Finneran caught four passes for 67 yards. His brother, Brian Finneran, and Kevin Duffy each caught three passes.

All of which meant one thing.

“The Sea View League better look out,” O’Brien said.