Newport Harbor rallies past Corona del Mar, 29-26
COSTA MESA -- In the final three minutes, Steve Michaelsen caught an 8-yard touchdown pass and then had a key sack to help Newport Harbor come back for a 29-26 victory over Corona del Mar on Friday night.
The Sea Kings scored on their first possession and never trailed until Michaelsen and Cole Blower connected for the Sailors’ go-ahead score with 2:48 left in the game.
“Our guys hung in there and made the plays at the end,” Newport Harbor coach Jeff Brinkley said. “We needed something good to happen and it happened for us tonight.”
After taking the lead, the Sailors stopped Corona del Mar’s final possession thanks to Michaelsen’s sack of Brent Lawson for a 16-yard loss and then Landon Gyulay’s interception near midfield on fourth down.
Newport Harbor’s offense was led by tailback Titus Hasson, who carried 28 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Blower ended up12 of 16 for 142 yards.
Lawson finished 8 of 19 for 137 yards. He also ran 16 times for 51 yards. Wide receiver Troy Reese caught five passes for 89 yards and two scores for the Sea Kings.
Corona del Mar left room for Newport Harbor’s comeback by missing two extra points and a field goal. The Sea Kings also were stopped inside the Sailors’81-yard line in the final 10 seconds of the first half.
“That stop was huge,” Brinkley said. “That was a momentum changer. We went into halftime feeling pretty good.”
Corona del Mar scored first on the game’s opening possession when Lawson and Reese hooked up for 18 yards to finish a nine-play, 80-yard drive.
After the Sailors tied it, 7-7, on a Hasson 6-yard run early in the second quarter, Cole Cottrell put the Sea Kings back up by a touchdown with a 95-yard kickoff return.
Newport Harbor answered right back on its next possession, Blower throwing 25 yards to Kory Cablay to make it 14-14. The short, 30-yard series was set up by Cablay’s 69-yard kickoff return.
Corona del Mar went up, 20-14, at halftime when Reese and Lawson teamed up again, this time on a 32-yard scoring pass.
