High School Football: Season ends for CdM

BUENA PARK — Before Friday, Corona del Mar High had only played Buena Park once in a football game. The contest took place in 1962, the year CdM opened its doors for the first time.

The Sea Kings didn’t score in that game against Buena Park 53 years ago.

In the second meeting between the two schools, CdM had a hard time putting up points as well.

For the second time in as many years, it appeared CdM might be held without a touchdown in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Southwest Division playoffs. The Sea Kings managed to find the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, but by then, they were on their way to exiting the quarterfinals for the second straight year, losing at Buena Park, 35-17.

The Sea Kings (9-3) were the No. 3 seed in the postseason, but this wasn’t an upset. The college-type talent, athleticism and speed belonged to the Coyotes (10-2), who raced their way to a semifinal date next week at No. 2 San Clemente (10-2).

The Tritons survived a scared from Sonora, holding on for a 52-45 win. The Freeway League almost had three teams qualify for the semifinals. Many expected top-seeded La Habra to advance, and Buena Park is joining the Highlanders.

The Sea Kings’ run at a fourth section title in five years ended. The Coyotes shut down CdM record-breaking quarterback Chase Garbers, holding him to nine-of-25 passing for 116 yards and one touchdown. Buena Park hammered Garbers all night, sacking him five times.

“We just couldn’t protect the quarterback,” said CdM Coach Dan O’Shea, who saw Garbers finish with season lows in completions and passing yards, and rush 18 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. “Chase was getting hit all night, and with their speed and their blitzes off the edge, we had a tough time at the line of scrimmage controlling them.”

The Sea Kings also struggled catching the Coyotes, who jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first half. Elijah Bynum produced one of the scores, ripping a 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and the tailback finished with 20 carries for 193 yards.

The second half is when Buena Park blew the game open, and quarterback Zach Taylor played a vital role. The senior completed two touchdown passes to wideout Devon Cooley. They hooked up for 19- and 45-yard scores, and the longest put the Coyotes ahead, 28-3, early in the fourth quarter.

Taylor, not Garbers, turned in the better performance, throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Two of the touchdowns came on third-down situations.

The Sea Kings struggled on third down. Things didn’t start right for them.

On the first play from scrimmage, CdM lost right guard Bryan Samudro to a right knee injury. He limped off the field with the help of teammates, and the rest of the Sea Kings on offense hobbled as well.

The Sea Kings, who only punted once in the previous three games, went three-and-out on their first two possessions. Right after the first punt, Buena Park made something happen in a hurry.

Bynum took a handoff to the left and turned it up field for a 70-yard touchdown. The Coyotes were off and running, showing off their electrifying speed to take a 7-0 lead with a little more than four minutes into the game.

Almost four minutes later, CdM finally moved the chains for the first time. The Sea Kings wound up recording four first downs on the drive, but they had to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Jason Neiger after defensive end Cedric Dashiell II sacked Garbers for a seven-yard loss.

The Sea Kings, who trailed, 7-3, with 77 seconds left in the opening quarter, surprised Buena Park on the ensuing kickoff. Taylor Damron recovered Neiger’s onside kick in stride, and CdM took over in great field position, on the opponent’s 43.

But a false start on first down, followed by a dropped pass, and then Bynum and Alex Rojas sacking Garbers for a combined 12 yards, CdM was left in a fourth-and-27 situation on its 40-yard line. The Sea Kings punted for the third time.

The Sea Kings fifth possession began on the right note, a screen pass to running back Jaydin Moses went for 24 yards. The offense moved to Buena Park’s 35-yard line, and the Sea Kings decided to go for it on fourth-and-nine, but a false start made it fourth-and-14. That didn’t matter, as CdM went for it, and outside linebacker Andrew Wright sacked Garbers and the Coyotes took over on downs just inside their 40.

The lone action in the next 5½ minutes involved a punch. During a CdM punt return, Buena Park’s Rai’jon Purvis swung at CdM’s Sutty Barbato, and the referees saw it, ejecting Purvis from the game.

Tacked onto the 23-yard punt return by Peter Bush was the 15-yard personal foul, giving CdM the ball on Buena Park’s 42, the Sea Kings’ best starting field position in the first half. The Sea Kings got as far as the 27, where they brought on Neiger to try a 44-yard field goal.

With 2½ minutes left before halftime, Neiger’s kick came up a little short. Buena Park took over on the 20-yard line, and it went to the air, throwing it eight times during the nine-play drive. Taylor capped it off by firing a 12-yard touchdown to receiver Elijah Gates, who was near the pylon when he hauled in the pass with 18 seconds to go before halftime.

Gates’ most impressive work came on defense, as a cornerback.

The junior matched up with CdM standout receiver Peter Bush, who was averaging 5.5 receptions for 82.5 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. Gates, who has an offer from Cincinnati, held Bush to one catch for seven yards.

“Our coaching staff came up with a great game plan and our student-athletes executed it,” said Buena Park Coach Anthony White, who is leading the Coyotes to their second straight semifinal appearance. “Very proud of our program.”

—

Buena Park 35, Corona del Mar 17

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CdM 3 – 0 – 0 – 14 — 17

Buena Park 7 – 7 – 7 – 14 — 35

FIRST QUARTER

BP – Bynum 70 run (Moreno kick), 7:53.

CdM – Neiger 38 FG, 1:17.

SECOND QUARTER

BP – Gates 12 pass from Taylor (Moreno kick), :18.

THIRD QUARTER

BP – Cooley 19 pass from Taylor (Moreno kick), 7:59.

FOURTH QUARTER

BP – Cooley 45 pass from Taylor (Moreno kick), 11:05.

CdM – Perez 9 pass from Garbers (Neiger kick), 6:22.

BP – Je. Hawkins 10 run (Moreno kick), 4:02.

CdM – Garbers 12 run (Neiger kick), 2:37.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CdM – Garbers, 18-80, 1 TD.

BP – Bynum, 20-193, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CdM – Garbers, 9-25-0, 116, 1 TD.

BP – Taylor, 15-27-0, 210, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CdM – Perez, 3-40.

BP – Cooley, 3-88, 2 TDs.