It took 735 days for it to happen, but Corona del Mar’s football team finally came out on the wrong end of a box score.
Yes, after a 30-game winning streak that spanned two years and five days, the Sea Kings fell on the road last week to Tesoro, 28-14, ending the state’s longest winning streak.
After losing to the Titans, several young men wearing blue and white were at a loss.
“Our kids didn’t know what to do after the game,” Sea King coach Scott Meyer said with a laugh. “A lot of them have never lost.”
It was the first time the Sea Kings had experienced defeat since Sept. 21, 2012, when they fell to Capistrano Valley. Coincidentally, Matt Poston, the coach at Capistrano Valley then, is the head coach at Tesoro now.
During its winning streak, the team won two of its three consecutive CIF crowns and the 2013 Division III State Championship. Nineteen Sea Kings were named All-CIF players, and three players were named either CIF offensive or defensive player of the year in the Southern Division.
Losing to Tesoro was disappointing for Meyer and his players. The fourth-year coach won’t deny that. But it’s not because it ended the winning streak.
It’s because it was a loss in general.
Despite the attention it garnered, the streak wasn’t something that the coaching staff talked about with the players.
“I think (the team) was more disappointed in the loss,” Meyer said. “They wanted to beat Tesoro.”
While it didn’t come close to the national record of 151 consecutive wins held by De La Salle of Concord, it was the 13th longest streak in the country.
Perhaps what was most impressive to Meyer was how the team was able to win 16 consecutive games in a single season last year en route to the state title.
The Sea Kings became the first team in state history to go 16-0 when they defeated Sacred Heart Prep in December.
“I think to go 16-0 and play that many games, to have that kind of focus for 16 games, that’s a credit to the players,” Meyer said.
There is no fear of an emotional hangover for Corona del Mar going forward.
The Sea Kings have a bye this week before facing Irvine to begin Pacific Coast League play on Oct. 10. Meyer is confident his team will come out with a fire in its belly when they travel to Irvine Stadium.
“I think they’ll come back motivated,” Meyer said. “I have a feeling they’re going to be back pretty motivated to start another streak.”
Corona del Mar’s 30-game winning streak was something everyone except the team itself seemed to be talking about on a frequent basis.
Now that it is over and he’s had some time to ruminate, Meyer said he doesn’t feel any sense of relief now that the team has lost.
That would require it being on his mind in the first place.
After a bit of prodding, though, Meyer admitted it was pretty special.
“It’s a lot of wins in a row,” Meyer said. “It definitely puts a smile on your face.”
Contact the writer: mkatz@ocregister.comTwitter: @MichaelLKatz
