CdM earns crown

SAN CLEMENTE — Corona del Mar High can add another CIF Southern Section championship banner inside its gym full with section titles.

The latest will be for boys’ golf.

The Sea Kings’ perfect season keeps getting sweeter as they claimed the CIF Southern Section South Coast Team Divisional title on Monday, shooting a three-over-par 363 at Talega Golf Club. Coach Mike Starkweather said the section crown is the boys’ golf program’s first since 1967.

“When you look at the gym at Corona del Mar, where they don’t acknowledge league championships like they do at most high schools, you can only get a banner up for winning a section, state or national championship,” Starkweather said. “This is really something special. I’ve never seen the boys so excited. They all said they could’ve shot better.”

CdM’s Mike Moorhead (two-under-par 70), Chase Wheatley (72), John Davenport (72), Brian Mull (74) and Hale Furey (75) helped the Sea Kings finish 19 strokes better than the nearest team. Karick Brown, CdM’s sixth golfer, had a 77.

Villa Park placed second with a score of 382 and Orange Lutheran was third at 385. CdM, Villa Park and Orange Lutheran qualified out of a field of 20 teams to the CIF Southern Section Team finals at Rancho San Marcos Golf Course in Santa Barbara on Thursday.

Newport Harbor was tied for seventh with a score of 392. Carter Norris led the Sailors with a 74.

The section team finals features the top three teams from seven team divisional tournaments.

“Who knows?” said Starkweather, when asked whether CdM, which went 22-0 during the regular season, can win the 21-team tournament, the precursor to the CIF Southern California Golf Assn. Championship at Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena on May 31. “We’ll find out.”

CIF Team Divisional

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA — Estancia senior Jake Knapp fired a four-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors and help the Eagles finish in a seventh-place tie at the CIF Southern Section Southern Team Divisional at Tijeras Creek Golf Club on Monday.

The Eagles, who totaled 403, didn’t make the cut to the section team finals at Rancho San Marcos Golf Course in Santa Barbara on Thursday.

Long Beach Wilson (361), os Alamitos (366) and Huntington Beach (382) advanced to the CIF Southern Section Team finals.