Corona del Mar football slows Cypress to improve to 2-0
The Corona del Mar High School football team honored the Class of 2013 at halftime of Friday night’s game.
It may be hard for some to believe that it has been a decade since CdM won its first state title and became the first team in the state of California to complete a 16-0 season. This was a good reminder.
CdM coach Kevin Hettig was in his third year as CdM’s offensive coordinator in that season, which also featured the Sea Kings winning their third straight CIF Southern Section title.
“It was special to see those guys again,” Hettig said. “Some of those guys, we haven’t seen in 10 years. But you know, tradition doesn’t stop, and our guys know they’re part of something special. I think they appreciate that.”
The teams may change but the goals don’t, and the Sea Kings feel like they’re building a squad to be proud of this year as well.
Senior quarterback Kaleb Annett threw four touchdown passes Friday night as CdM pulled away for a 41-24 victory over a talented Cypress team at Davidson Field.
Two games into the season, CdM (2-0) has played both of last year’s CIF Southern Section Division 4 finalists. They opened last week with a 34-23 win over Division 4 champion Downey.
“We’re veteran guys, and we’ve kind of showed the first two games that we’re a tough team and we don’t quit,” said Annett, who has committed to Boise State and had 299 yards passing Friday night. “We fight until the end.”
Senior receiver Russell Weir and junior tight end Zach Giuliano each caught two touchdown passes for the winners.
Senior safety Thomas Telesco iced the game late in the fourth quarter with a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Sea Kings were challenged much of the night, however, by the passing and running skills of Cypress senior quarterback Aidan Houston.
Houston, last year’s Empire League MVP, had 247 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns, even playing without injured standout receiver Bobby Castillo. He also rushed 20 times for 141 yards and a score for Cypress (1-1).
His 65-yard touchdown bomb to Jonah Kim over the middle started the game’s scoring, and Houston’s three-yard keeper early in the second quarter gave the Centurions a 14-7 advantage, before CdM took a 21-17 halftime lead.
Hettig credited CdM’s defensive coordinator Brian Pearsall for some halftime adjustments. CdM blanked Cypress from the start of second half until late in the fourth quarter.
“It wasn’t a clean game on either side,” said Hettig after the contest, which lasted more than three hours. “We kind of did what we had to do to win. I’m proud of our kids for doing that, and hanging in there when it was getting tough to stop that Houston kid. He’s a heck of a football player.”
Senior middle linebacker Christian Brooks had a key fourth-down sack for CdM, and junior Breck Clemmer’s got his name called often as a disrupive force on defense. Junior defensive back Tre’von Short had a pass breakup in the second half that, like Brooks’ play, led to a Cypress turnover on downs.
Offensively, Weir finished with eight catches for 168 yards and the pair of touchdowns.
“Russell has been my guy since I can remember,” said Annett, who now has seven touchdown passes this season. “We’ve been playing together so long, whether it was in football or basketball or anything. It’s throwing to your best friend, and it’s super-special. He’s an absolute beast, so it’s awesome.”
Evan Sanders added a fourth-quarter touchdown run for CdM.
CdM returns to Davidson on Thursday for another nonleague clash against Palos Verdes (2-0).
::
Nonleague
Corona del Mar 41, Cypress 24
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Cypress 7 – 10 – 0 – 7 – 24
CdM 7 – 14 – 6 – 14 – 41
FIRST QUARTER
Cyp – Kim 65 pass from Houston (Kennedy kick), 5:06.
CdM – Weir 63 pass from Annett (Pene kick), 4:19.
SECOND QUARTER
Cyp – Houston 3 run (Kennedy kick), 11:55.
CdM – Giuliano 38 pass from Annett (Pene kick), 9:23.
CdM – Weir 16 pass from Annett (Pene kick), 2:58.]
Cyp – Kennedy 20 FG, 0:03.
THIRD QUARTER
CdM – Giuliano 13 pass from Annett (kick failed), 1:03.
FOURTH QUARTER
CdM – Sanders 7 run (Pene kick), 5:05.
Cyp – Portenueve 1 pass from Houston (Kennedy kick), 3:24.
CdM – Telesco 55 INT return (Pene kick), 1:20.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Cyp – Houston, 20-141.
CdM – Sanders, 10-48, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
Cyp – Houston, 21-43-1, 247, 2 TDs.
CdM – Annett, 16-27-0, 299, 4 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
Cyp – Kim, 4-88, 1 TD; Hubbard, 7-86.
CdM – Weir, 8-168, 2 TDs; Guiliano, 2-51, 2 TDs.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
