Second-Half Burst Carries Sea Kings

A final pre-league dress rehearsal turned into an undressing Friday as Corona del Mar scored 28 points in the first 19 minutes of the second half and rolled to a 38-15 victory over Westminster at Newport Harbor High.

For the Sea Kings (2-3), the victory means they will take a two-game winning streak into their Pacific Coast League opener against Costa Mesa next week. After scoring a total of 39 points in its first three games, Corona del Mar has scored 38 each of the last two weeks.

“We played a pretty tough nonleague schedule,” said Sea King Coach Dick Freeman, whose team opened with losses to Cypress, Pomona and Newport Harbor before beating Saddleback last week. “We’ve gotten better every week. We’re starting to show that we can do some things.”

Westminster, on the other hand, is 0-4-1 heading into its Golden West League opener against Santa Ana. The Lions have been outscored, 112-37, for the season, and their self-destructive tendencies have to be troubling for Coach Ted McMillen. After committing six turnovers in a 41-0 loss to Marina last week, they were assessed 16 penalties for 137 yards Friday, and had three more turnovers.

Corona del Mar led, 10-7, at halftime, but Westminster’s first turnover--Nick Prosser’s interception of a Fidel Gonzales pass--set up a 27-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Hendy to Charlie Alshuler that gave the Sea Kings a 17-7 lead.

Hendy’s 62-yard scoring pass to Matt Moore, Joe Barber’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Matt Cooper and Mark Cianciulli’s 20-yard touchdown run turned it into a rout, 38-7.

Blake Hacker rushed for 141 yards in 21 carries for Corona del Mar, including a 42-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Jon-Luke Del Fante kicked a 43-yard field goal and five extra points.