Sailors Flatten Corona del Mar, 35-3

The Corona del Mar High football team brought a new league affiliation and a slightly new offensive look into Friday’s Battle of the Bay against Newport Harbor before an overflow crowd of 5,200 at the Sailors’ field.

But after the Sea Kings capped a 10-play opening drive with a 39-yard Rory McKeever field goal, it was pretty much the same old story for these two teams.

The result was a 35-3 nonleague triumph for Newport Harbor, keeping the Sailors (2-0-1) unbeaten and the Sea Kings winless, and extending Newport’s series lead to 26-12.

“They came out in a different attack,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said of the Sea Kings, who deployed a run-oriented, double-tight end alignment that will help them fit in perfectly in the Pacific Coast League.

After the Sea Kings had some initial success, however, Newport Harbor began stacking defenders near the line. And when starting quarterback Matt Moore left the game for good after Corona del Mar’s second series with a rib cage injury, the Sea Kings’ fate was virtually sealed.

Moore was taken to a hospital to check for possible spleen damage, said Dr. R. Stephen Jennings, the Sea Kings’ team physician.

Corona del Mar threw seven times, using four different passers, but did not complete a pass. Left to tee off between the tackles, the Newport Harbor defense limited their cross-town rivals to only two first downs in the final three quarters.

Senior tailback Andre Stewart helped Newport Harbor avenge last year’s 28-18 loss to the Sea Kings.

Stewart capped a nine-play, 61-yard drive with a three-yard scoring run with 8:28 left in the first half, giving the Sailors all the points they would need.

Later, after Dane Pfaff recovered a Sea King fumble, Stewart broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown run. Chris Bargas made the second of five conversion kicks for a 14-3 lead, and Newport Harbor never looked back.