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Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - After his team opened Pacific Coast League play with its

first win of the season, Corona del Mar High football coach Dick Freeman

gave his Sea Kings a homework assignment.

“I told them to write down everything they did last week, and do it again

this week,” quipped Freeman, whose squad will try to duplicate last

week’s success against former Sea View League rival Woodbridge in a 7:30

p.m. nonleague game Friday at Irvine High.

Familiarity is indeed a theme this week for these schools, who share a

healthy history of competitive conflict.

“We like playing Woodbridge,” Freeman said of the 13-game series, which

Woodbridge leads, 6-4-3, after posting back-to-back wins. “There’s kind

of a rivalry there and we need to be able to compete with teams like (the

reigning CIF Southern Section Division VI champions), if we are able to

make the playoffs.”

The Sea Kings (1-5, 1-0 in league) proved they were worthy of playoff

contention with a 28-7 triumph over Laguna Beach. Now, they hope to

maintain that momentum, before returning to the PCL wars Oct. 29 against

fellow league leader Estancia.

“Last week’s win rejuvenated us a little,” Freeman said. “I think our

kids saw good things could happen and that they could win.”

Though the Warriors enter on a two-game losing streak, Coach Rick

Gibson’s squad, ranked No. 9 in CIF Division VI, knows a little bit about

winning. Until it was bested by unbeaten Orange Lutheran, then surprised

in the Sea View opener last week against Laguna Hills, Woodbridge had an

18-game unbeaten streak. It was also 25-2-2 in 29 games before the

back-to-back losses.

And while graduation took the core of the most successful team in the

school’s history, senior Shane Harris, on the short list of the best and

most dominant players in Orange County, is back with a vengeance.

“You have to account for him on both sides of the ball,” Freeman said of

the four-year varsity performer, who earned All-CIF laurels last fall.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder plays running back, quarterback and receiver

on offense and roams relentlessly on defense from his safety spot. He

also punts, place-kicks and returns kicks. He has rushed for 559 yards on

111 carries, has thrown for more than 200 yards and is approaching 200

yards receiving. He has scored eight touchdowns and has kicked three

field goals.

“Wherever he lines up on offense, he’s going to be involved in the play,”

Freeman said. “And on defense, they bring him up and he’s usually

unaccounted for. It’s tough to assign a guy to block him on every play,

so you have to hope he comes up and makes the wrong reads. He fills real

fast against the run and Laguna Hills caught him out of position on a

couple of passes.”

The Sea Kings showed, for the first time all season, the ability to throw

the ball down the field against Laguna Beach. Junior quarterback Evan

Burden connected on 6 of 10 attempts, mostly play-action, for 132 yards.

Included among those was a 36-yard TD to tight end Adam Cooper and a

50-yard bomb to Jon Schrank.

The Sea Kings, however, rely on the ground game, with senior tailback

Grant Estabrook and senior fullback Mike Hayes carrying the load.

Estabrook has 565 yards on 147 carries and has scored five touchdowns.

Hayes has 232 rushing yards and has five receptions for 54 more.

They operate behind an offensive front keyed by senior tackle Sean Fenton

and senior guard Jason Kurtz, a three-year starter.

The Sea Kings are averaging fewer than 10 points per game, but have had

five touchdowns nullified by penalties.

Woodbridge’s defense has surrendered 13.5 points per contest and has two

shutouts.

The Warriors offense is also keyed by 6-3 junior quarterback Jimmy

Pearson. He has thrown for 506 yards, completing 37 of 68 with two TDs

and two interceptions.

Senior Dave Delaney, a second-team All-Sea View defensive back last fall,

is the Warriors’ leading receiver with 16 catches for 220 yards.