COSTA MESA – Chase Garbers and Corona del Mar’s offense has what one would call a good short game in golf.
The junior quarterback completed 32 of 41 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns as the Sea Kings opened the 2015 season with a 21-7 nonleague win over PalosVerdes in Jim Scott Stadium at Estancia High.
Peter Bush had 12 receptions, including both of Garbers’ touchdown passes, Reece Perez had nine catches and Dylan Tucker six as Corona del Mar worked the flats and slants of the Palos Verdes defense all night.
“We’re very comfortable and confident with our offense,’’ Garbers said. “Our short game wears teams down. We can usually get 6 or 7 yards every pass.”
The win was the first for first-year coach Dan O’Shea, who will have to watch the game on videotape. The former offensive coordinator for Scott Meyer missed his first game for a good reason: He was at Hoag Hospital with his wife, Elizabeth, welcoming his son, Jack Peter O’Shea, into the world. The birth came a few hours before kickoff.
“We exchanged a few texts during the game,’’ said assistant Kevin Hettig, who handled the duties for O’Shea. “He’s a very happy man right now.
“We pride ourselves on making yards on those passes. We have a good group of receivers and they’re very physical.”
Garbers needed just three plays and a Palos Verdes penalty to give CdM a 7-0 lead on its second possession, after the first ended in a missed field goal. He ended the drive with a 12-yard touchdown throw to Bush, the senior wide receiver.
The CdM quarterback had two clutch passes on the next possession. He rolled away from pressure and found Jaydin Moses for a 26-yard pass on a 4th-and-8 situation, then rolled again away from pressure on a third down to complete a 16-yard toss to Jack Blower.
Garbers scored from the one to make it 14-0 at the half.
CdM’s offense stuttered in the third quarter with a handful of dropped passes and two personal foul penalties. Palos Verdes, which alternated quarterbacks Bo Henderson and Jake Nolls, closed to 14-7 on Henderson’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Shane Irwin.
The offense regained its footing on its first possession of the fourth quarter. Garbers had an 8-yard lob pass to Bush to make it 21-7.
Nick Yi intercepted a Henderson pass on the next series to clinch the win.
Corona del Mar visits Dana Hills next Friday.
Contact the writer: bkeisser@ocregister.com
