New faces help Corona del Mar football beat Downey in season opener

Colin Pene spent his freshman year in the Corona del Mar High School football program on the freshman team.

That makes sense, but what was unusual was that the six-game season was played last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s just a few months later, then, that Pene begins to try to make his mark on varsity. On Friday night, the running back found himself with an opportunity as his sophomore year begins.

Returning junior running back Evan Sanders is working his way back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which gave Pene a chance to shoulder the workload.

“I felt so excited, man,” Pene said. “It took off a ton of distractions from my life, just being out here under the lights with my boys again. They’ve got my back every single time. I go down, they pick me right back up. I just keep running for them and running for my team.”

He did not disappoint.

Pene had 24 carries for 129 yards as the Sea Kings dominated at Downey 36-20 in a Week Zero opener that was not as close as the final score would indicate.

CdM’s Colin Pene runs for tough yardage against Downey on Friday night.

(Spencer Grant)

Corona del Mar built a 27-0 halftime lead. Junior quarterback David Rasor had three touchdown passes in the first half, two to junior Cooper Hoch and one to senior Max Lane.

Rasor also scored himself on a five-yard rush on the Sea Kings’ first possession, capitalizing after Downey went for it on fourth-and-two from its own 28-yard line on its first possession.

Vikings quarterback Aidan Chiles couldn’t convert on the keeper, with CdM’s Tyler Brown and Finian Tran leading the tacklers.

CdM’s defense impressed through much of the contest. The Sea Kings pitched a shutout until Andrew Garcia’s interception return for a touchdown early in the third quarter for the hosts.

CdM defenders combine to bring down Downey quarterback Aidan Chiles during Friday night’s season opener.

(Spencer Grant)

“They didn’t scrimmage last week, so it’s a little bit of an unknown who you’re going up against,” said CdM coach Dan O’Shea, whose team scrimmaged Tesoro.

“Talking to Jack [Williams] before the game, their head coach, they are extremely big up front and they’re extremely athletic at the skill positions. But I thought we played really well … For some reason we were really calm and collected tonight. For an opening game, I was blown away how solid we were in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams. I was really pleased, against a really good football team.”

Kaleb Annette, a sophomore, played a few series at quarterback in the second half for the Sea Kings. He led a scoring drive in the third quarter, capped when he found John Tipton over the middle on a 36-yard touchdown pass.

“David’s our starter but Kaleb has earned the opportunity, when the situation is right, to get some snaps,” O’Shea said. “We’re very confident with him.”

CdM quarterback David Rasor stretches out to score a first-half rushing touchdown.

(Spencer Grant)

O’Shea said building depth overall is a goal early in the season. He added that the team had 11 returning starters on the field Friday night, but also 11 newcomers.

CdM tallied its final points on a safety in the fourth quarter, when a high snap on a Downey punt went out of the back of the end zone.

Senior receiver Tryse Redford had a pair of touchdown catches for Downey.

The Sea Kings return to nonleague action with a home game against Paramount on Friday at Newport Harbor High.

Expect Pene to be ready.

“He was tough,” O’Shea said. “He took some tough licks, and we were incredibly impressed with him.”

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Nonleague

Corona del Mar 36, Downey 20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CdM 14 – 13 – 7 – 2 — 36

Downey 0 – 0 – 14 – 6 — 20

FIRST QUARTER

CdM – Rasor 5 run (Pene kick), 8:10.

CdM – Lane 10 pass from Rasor (Pene kick), 4:08.

SECOND QUARTER

CdM – Hoch 4 pass from Rasor (kick failed), 8:07.

CdM – Hoch 20 pass from Rasor (Pene kick), 0:52.

THIRD QUARTER

D – Garcia 35 INT return (kick failed), 8:25.

CdM – Tipton 36 pass from Annette (Pene kick), 3:01.

D – Redford 29 pass from Chiles (Rosales pass from Chiles), 2:14

FOURTH QUARTER

CdM – Safety (Downey snap went out of back of end zone), 10:51.

D – Redford 11 pass from Paez (kick failed), 2:05.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CdM – Pene, 24-129.

D – Chiles, 6-54.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CdM – Rasor, 11-22-1, 104, 3 TDs.

D – Chiles, 10-19-0, 92, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CdM – Tipton, 7-96, 1 TD.

D – Redford, 10-113, 2 TDs.

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