Beckman plays its game, beats CdM

TUSTIN - As the final seconds ticked away, a Beckman player screamed, "We're the real league champs!"

The Pacific Coast League football title still belongs to Corona del Mar, but after Beckman's 24-3 victory against the second-seeded Sea Kings on Saturday, the Patriots now have a chance to be CIF Southern Division champs.

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Quarterback Cameron Biedgoly passed for 266 yards and ran for a key 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as Beckman handled their league rival in a Southern semifinal at Tustin.

Beckman (8-5), which finished fifth in the Pacific Coast League, will make its first finals appearance Friday against top-seeded Garden Grove (12-1). The site has not been determined, though last season the game was played at Orange Coast College.

In league this season, Corona del Mar (10-2-1) defeated Beckman, 17-15.

"We prepared harder than ever and we know that we can come out and beat them," said Biedgoly, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior. "It was Beckman football."

Biedgoly scored on a 20-yard run on a fourth-and-6 with 4:53 left in the fourth to give Beckman a 17-3 lead. He rolled a few steps to his right before bolting untouched up the middle to land the decisive blow.

Beckman coach Fred Shambaugh said Biedgoly likes to joke in practice about running the quarterback draw but No. 19 usually doesn't get his number called.

Maybe that will change now.

"The offensive line blocked it tremendously," Biedgoly said. "There was a hole in the middle and it was just easy to walk through."

Biedgoly set up his run with a 56-yard completion to Andrew Flores to Corona del Mar's 19. Biedgoly had four completions of 35 yards or more in the game but Beckman's defense shared the spotlight.

Beckman held Corona del Mar to 23 yards rushing and 105 passing. The Patriots also recovered a fumble and got an interception from Elijah Steen with 1:48 left in the fourth. Steen's interception led to a 57-yard touchdown run from Zach Rivera with 46 seconds left.

In the first quarter, Beckman positioned itself to strike first. On its opening possession, Beckman drove from its 37 for a first-and-goal at the Corona del Mar 2. But two penalties and strong defense by Corona del Mar left Beckman with a 31-yard field-goal attempt. Beckman, however, couldn't get the attempt off and Corona del Mar grabbed the momentum late in the first quarter.

Corona del Mar scored on a 24-yard field goal by Andrew Boehm on the first play of the second quarter as the Sea Kings opened grabbed a 3-0 lead. Beckman responded with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive, which running back Jeff Kim capped with a 3-yard touchdown run.

Biedgoly converted a fourth-and-9 from Corona del Mar's 27 to keep the drive going. Flores made a diving 21-yard reception at the Sea Kings 6.