By DAMIAN CALHOUN
OCVarsity staff
ANAHEIM — The best thing for Corona del Mar to do was to get back on the field and try to put last week’s loss behind it.
That’s what the Sea Kings did.
They put together a solid effort to beat Magnolia, 27-6, on Thursday night at Western High.
CdM (4-1) lost to city rival Newport Harbor last week, 42-13.
“It was good to bounce back with a win,” CdM quarterback Mitch Sands said.
Sands completed 10 of 19 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.
The Sea Kings knew that they would have their hands full trying to slow Magnolia running back Robert Cruz. Cruz, a senior, entered the week as the county’s leading rusher with 705 yards.
“He’s a real good running back,” CdM coach Jason Hitchens said. “He gets a ton of yards after contact. We did a good job of corralling him inside the 20s.”
Cruz finished the game with 153 yards, but it was the 1 yard that he couldn’t get that made the Sea Kings proud.
In the fourth quarter, the Sentinels (2-2) moved the ball to the CdM 1-yard-line. Cruz was stopped on three consecutive runs to turn the ball over on downs.
“That was terrific,” Hitchens said. “Coming off of a tough game last week against Newport Harbor and for them to come out and get down there and hang tough like that, shows a lot of character.”
Magnolia scored its touchdown in the third quarter when quarterback Elijah Laulu connected with Desmond Talitiga on a 59-yard pass.
However, CdM put the game away when Sands hooked up with Noah Molnar on a 30-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the third quarter.
J.D. Abbott led CdM with 98 yards rushing.
Go Go SeaKings !!!