Boys’ Lacrosse: CdM trounces Sage Hill

NEWPORT COAST — It began to rain hard as the Corona del Mar High boys’ lacrosse team waited for the fourth quarter to begin. While fans took cover, the Sea Kings looked giddy to play in the slick conditions.

The players wanted a challenge. They couldn’t find one on Friday. Someone said only lightning could’ve stopped the Sea Kings, and not the Lightning from Sage Hill.

The host Lightning struggled to keep up with CdM throughout the cold night. For Sage Hill’s sake, with the clock running, the final 12 minutes went by fast.

The Sea Kings won, 15-2, giving them their second lopsided decision of the season.

In its first two games, CdM has outscored the opposition, 32-5. This is what Coach G.W. Mix expected at the start, his Sea Kings (2-0) dominating. They are the defending U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section champions after all.

Dating back to last season, the Sea Kings have won 26 in a row. The games aren’t always going to be as one-sided. Their schedule looks more daunting.

The Sea Kings aren’t in a league this season. They left the Pacific Coast League.

“There were a lot of reasons,” Mix said when asked why CdM is an independent school. “We had sort of run our course in the league. Five years and … [going] 48-0 and [winning] five league championships, and I think for all parties it probably made more sense for us to try and put together a bit more of a competitive schedule for us and enable the rest of that league to have a chance to win the championship, with all due respect.”

The program that replaced CdM in the Pacific Coast League is Sage Hill. The Lightning quickly learned what it takes to be a league championship team.

CdM didn’t take it easy on Sage Hill (0-3), the small private school. In the first eight minutes, the Sea Kings led, 5-0. Jack Ortlieb and Todd Kitzens each scored twice in the opening quarter.

The game was CdM’s second on the road and Ortlieb was glad it was. The senior, who is bound for Holy Cross, loved Sage Hill’s turf field, which played to the Sea Kings’ strength.

They are fast. They can score goals in a hurry.

Right after Daschel Grammer recorded Sage Hill’s first goal with less than a minute left before halftime, CdM answered with not just one goal but two.

Casey Mix found the back of the net twice in a 27-second span, giving CdM a 10-1 lead at the break. Ortlieb assisted on both goals.

In the first half, CdM took 27 shots to Sage Hill’s one. The coldest player was CdM goalie Hoyt Crance, who didn’t have to do much but just stand around.

“It’s kind of tough to see three or four shots in a game when they come in intervals of 15 and 20 minutes apart,” said G.W. Mix, whose defense dominated, allowing Ortlieb and Casey Mix, CdM’s top two scoring threats, to do whatever they wanted.

Seven players scored for CdM, and Ortlieb (five goals), Mix (three), Kitzens (two) and Brett Nelson (two) led the way.

Ortlieb and Mix are looking forward to the Sea Kings’ schedule in the coming weeks, when they face tougher opponents.

“Get us a little more prepared for the playoffs playing a little harder competition,” Ortlieb said.

The Sea Kings expect a game in their home opener on Wednesday against Beckman. Yeah, they are playing a Pacific Coast League school, but G.W. Mix has seen Beckman make strides in recent years.

He said that’s a reason why CdM, ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section by laxpower.com, kept Beckman on the schedule. Other teams on the schedule are No. 5 Huntington Beach, No. 11 Santa Margarita, No. 12 Los Alamitos, No. 13 Thousand Oaks and No. 18 San Clemente.

The Sea Kings will also play teams from up north: Danville Monte Vista, Pleasanton Amador Valley and Danville San Ramon Valley, schools ranked No. 6, No. 11 and No. 12, respectively, in the CIF North Coast Section by laxpower.com.

“We’re just trying to build a little bit of depth and work on the things we’ve been working on in practice against somebody else and sort of build up to some bigger, more important games down the road here which [are] going to come fast and furious starting on Wednesday,” Mix said. “Our kids want to play against good players and against good teams.”

david.carrillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @DCPenaloza