COSTA MESA – Garden Grove coach Willy Puga said he thought his team was ready for all the explosive players on Corona del Mar’s football team, but sophomore running back Anthony Battista turned out to be the big surprise.
The Argonauts fell behind by two touchdowns in the first quarter, but they battled their way back to tie it at halftime.
Corona del Mar coach Scott Meyer unleashed Battista in the second half and he ended up with 163 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries to help the top-seeded Sea Kings beat Garden Grove, 42-21, for their third consecutive CIF-SS Southern Division championship on Friday night at Orange Coast College.
“He just had a burst,” Puga said of Battista. “I don’t want to say we were sucking air, but he was fresh. There’s a little hole there and boom, he’s in the secondary.”
Battista had 143 yards on 10 carries in the second half as CdM (14-0) pulled away from the second-seeded Argonauts (13-1), who were making their fourth appearance in the finals in the past five seasons. CdM beat Garden Grove, 35-10, in last year’s championship game.
“I just had to be ready for when I went in,” Battista said. “I just had to do my best. The line did a great job. It feels good.”
Junior running back Cole Martin had been the Sea Kings’ rushing leader all season, but Battista got hot when the Sea Kings needed him.
“It was just huge night for him,” Meyer said of Battista. “It seemed like every time he touched the ball he was making huge runs for us. It was a great night for him. He’s been doing that all year for us. He had the hot hand.
“Cole has been our workhorse all year, and tonight Ant just had the hot hand for whatever reason. It’s great having both of those guys in the backfield.”
CdM, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern California Division 3 state bowl rankings, is expected to earn a bid to the Division 3 state regional bowl game on Dec. 14 when CIF announces the pairings Sunday.
“We’re going to enjoy this right here tonight,” Meyer said. “There’s nothing official yet from state. Hopefully, Sunday they call our name and we can keep playing. You don’t want the season to end with these guys. It’s a fun group to coach and it’s been a blast.”
CdM’s defense got a huge performance from defensive ends Parker Chase and Justin Hess. Chase had four sacks and Hess had one, but both players seemed to be converging on Garden Grove quarterback Angel Martinez every time he dropped back to pass.
Martinez was 8 of 17 for 104 yards and he got picked off once, by CdM’s Hoyt Crance.
“They have been doing that for us all season,” Meyer said of his defensive players.
CdM’s Hugh Crance blocked a punt on Garden Grove’s first possession and that set up Battista’s 20-yard TD run.
Hoyt Crance’s interception set up Martin’s 15-yard TD run and just like that the Sea Kings had a 14-0 lead.
Garden Grove rallied in the second quarter. Austin Christian scored on a 14-yard TD run off an inside reverse and Sione Masoe hit Alejandro Ceja for a 9-yard TD on a halfback option to tie it heading into halftime.
Battista scored on a 41-yard TD run on his first touch of the second half and Bo St. Geme caught an 11-yard TD pass from Luke Napolitano to make it 28-14 for the Sea Kings in the third quarter. Napolitano added TD runs of 2 and 1 yards in the fourth quarter.
Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com
