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Tough early schedule continues with 69-20 loss to Coronado. Santa Monica’s next Saturday.
By Matt Szabo
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With a small team numbers wise, injuries don’t help the Laguna Beach High football team.
And facing a San Diego Section powerhouse with three key players out due to concussion made it hard to play defense Friday night.
Coronado poured it on early in a 69-20 rout of the Breakers on Sept. 18 at Laguna Beach High.
“It was two things,” Laguna Beach Coach Jonathan Todd said. “We were down quite a few starters on defense and we just didn’t have a good game. We weren’t tackling. I think our biggest problem was we had kids playing out of position, and I think it showed.”
The Breakers (0-2) were down a trio of players who had suffered concussions in the season opener against Corona del Mar: middle linebacker/tight end Ethan Quirarte, lineman Chris Hilleman and cornerback/running back Norty Penney.
Coronado (1-1), which advanced to the CIF San Diego Section Division IV semifinals last year, struck fast. Kodie Englehart had two long touchdown runs in the first quarter and then threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Charles Westbrook to give Coronado a 21-0 lead after a quarter.
Englehart later added another touchdown run and also took an interception return to the house.
Laguna Beach was down 29-0 by the time it got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, when junior quarterback Austin Paxson found Chris Paul on a 78-yard touchdown pass.
Alec Jaffe and Rouzbeh Kazemian added touchdown runs in the second half for the Breakers. Jaffe, with 94 rushing yards and 90 receiving, finished with 184 all-purpose yards.
Todd said freshman Robert Clemons stepped up and made an impact at both receiver and cornerback for Laguna Beach. Clemons had 33 yards receiving, part of a 233-yard night from Paxson.
The Breakers are on the road Saturday night to face Santa Monica (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Santa Monica College. Last year, Laguna breezed by Santa Monica, 37-7, but Todd said this isn’t the same Mariners team.
“They run a no-huddle offense and pass a ton,” Todd said. “They do over 100 plays every game. They really just keep the pace going.”
Todd said he hopes to have Quirarte and Hilleman back in action this week, while Penney could return next week at Garden Grove.
