ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / PREP EXTRA : Corona del Mar Upsets Santa Margarita

Maybe it’s a stellar alignment, or maybe it’s a lucky charm, but there is something that makes Corona del Mar extremely fortunate when it plays Santa Margarita.

Without such explanations, it seems improbable that Eagles, ranked No. 4 in Southern Section Division V, would have fumbled on their first carry, or that their reliable kicker, Jeff Zaist, would have missed a 26-yard field goal attempt with two seconds to play.

But that’s what happened and Corona del Mar upset Santa Margarita, 18-17, Friday night before about 2,500 in a Sea View League game at Orange Coast College. It was the Sea Kings’ third consecutive victory over the Eagles in league play.

Trailing, 17-12, Corona del Mar put together a 15-play drive spanning the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. The drive devoured 7 minutes 31 seconds and was capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Tom O’Meara, lifting the Sea Kings to an 18-17 lead with 7:28 to play.

Chris Wills came up with a big tackle on the ensuing kickoff return, stopping Billy Newman at the 13-yard line. Five plays later, Santa Margarita faced a first-and-20 situation at its 16-yard line. The Eagles were aided by a 10-yard holding penalty against Corona del Mar and then Chris Collins completed a 13-yard pass to David Munoz for the first down at the Eagle 39-yard line.

“We kept getting penalties and stuff and shooting ourselves in the foot, but we made the plays when we needed to,” said Josh Walz, Corona del Mar quarterback and defensive back.

Two plays later, Newman, the Eagles’ leading rusher, was injured on a four-yard run. But Collins continued the drive, completing passes of 15, nine and 11 yards to move Santa Margarita to the nine-yard line, where it took a timeout to set up Zaist’s kick, which was wide to the right.

“I just turned around and looked up and I knew it wasn’t going to go in and I was so happy,” Walz said. “It felt so great.”

Walz completed seven of 13 passes for 103 yards, including one touchdown, and had a team-high 73 yards rushing in 10 carries. O’Meara finished with 66 yards in 16 carries and two touchdowns.

Although Corona del Mar failed to capitalize on Santa Margarita’s first fumble, the Sea Kings gained momentum and scored on their next possession on a two-yard run by O’Meara.

Newman caught Jim Keane’s kick on the ensuing kickoff at the five-yard line and tossed a lateral to Nickels at the 15. Nickels returned it to the Sea King 27. Three plays later, Nickels scored on a 31-yard pass from Collins to put the Eagles up, 7-6.

In the second quarter, Newman scored on 27-yard run and Wills scored on a seven-yard pass from Walz to put the Eagles ahead, 14-12, before Zaist made a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter to give Santa Margarita a 17-12 lead.