Local teams bow out

The 2010 football season has officially come to a close for local schools.

Only Ocean View and Edison advanced to the CIF postseason playoffs this fall, and both the Seahawks and Chargers were eliminated from title contention following first-round losses last Friday.

A year after playing for the Pac-5 Division championship, Edison — which returned just one starter from last year’s 13-1 team — was given an early postseason exit by host Santa Margarita, which rolled to a 49-3 victory in Pac-5 Division action.

Ocean View played host Corona del Mar to the wire at Orange Coast College and had a last-minute drive deep in Sea Kings territory thwarted. CdM held on for a 21-13 victory.

“These guys played like this all year, fighting to the end in every game,” Ocean View Coach Harold Eggers said of his team. “When we’d get down in a game and we’d find a way to come back. I couldn’t be more proud of this group of kids.

“It was an exciting football game. We did a good job of keeping them in check, but we didn’t execute that well on offense.”

For every jab Ocean View threw CdM’s way, the Sea Kings responded with a quick counter punch. They even had the final knock down that would send them onto the 12th week of the season.

Pacific Coast League champion CdM (9-1-1) led just 14-13 at the half — Ocean View failed on a two-point pass play after its first touchdown — but scored the only touchdown in the final 24 minutes to take an eight-point lead.

“It doesn’t matter at this point in the season if you win by one point, or 40 points,” CdM Coach Jason Hitchens said. “We got the win and that’s what counts.

“Ocean View played a great game and gave us a battle. It was a good game.”

The Sea Kings were protecting a 21-13 lead late when Ocean View got the ball back with under three minutes to play. Starting from their own 24-yard line, the Seahawks moved to the CdM 16-yard line in the waning moments.

With no time outs left and facing fourth down, Ocean View senior quarterback Nolan Tippy threw to senior receiver Josh Clay at the goal line, but the pass was broken up at the last second by CdM defensive back Cole Cottrell.

The ball fell to the ground and CdM took over with eight seconds remaining.

“Major props to their receiver (Clay) for getting open,” Cottrell said. “I was fortunate to be able to get in position to knock the ball down. It felt like the ball took so long to get there and it was a very relieving feeling when I saw it hit the ground.”

Ocean View struck first in the game, going 80 yards in five plays to score. The big play was a 64-yard pass play from Tippy to senior receiver Brian Hernandez that brought the ball to the CdM 13. Three players later, Tippy hit wide-open senior receiver Blake Walker over the middle on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead.

That lead lasted less than three minutes.

CdM came right back to score on an 18-yard run by Erik Fisher for a 7-6 lead.. But Ocean View went in front again in the second quarter by converting three third-down plays on its scoring drive, the last conversion coming on a 12-yard scoring pass from Tippy to junior receiver Colton Johnson that gave the Seahawks a 13-7 advantage.

The Sea Kings took the lead for good late in the second half when senior receiver Brent Gray scored on a 34-yard pass from Gardner with 2:49 left in the half.

“They can be very explosive and they’re a good, solid football team,” Eggers said of the Sea Kings. “We battled hard and stayed with them, and I wish them nothing but the best the rest of the way.”

Ocean View, the No. 3 team from the Golden West League, was making its first postseason appearance since 2007.

The Seahawks, who were seeking the school’s first CIF postseason football victory, finished their year 7-4.

Edison fell behind Santa Margarita, 21-0, after one quarter and trailed, 28-3 at the half in its loss to the Mustangs. Cory Thomson rushed for three touchdowns and quarterback Adam Young threw two touchdown passes Cory Sweet and ran for another score for Santa Margarita (9-2).

Edison’s scoring came on a 41-yard field goal by junior Gavin Perdomo in the second quarter.

It was the widest margin of defeat and tied for second-most points given up by an Edison team in a single game.

Edison, the second-place team from the Sunset League, ended its year 7-4.

Santa Margarita, the No. 2 team from the Trinity League, advanced to play South Coast League champ and undefeated No. 2-seed Mission Viejo on Friday.

All three Sunset League teams were eliminated in first-round play. In addition to Edison, Sunset champ Los Alamitos lost at home to Crespi (Serra No. 3), 28-14, and third-place Newport Harbor lost in Mission Hills to Serra League champ Alemany, 27-7.