NEWPORT BEACH- If ever a game turned on a single play, it happened Saturday in the CIF-Southern Section Southern Division semifinal at Newport Harbor High. One play, and 19 minutes, helped third-seeded Mayfair of Lakewood defeat second-seeded Corona del Mar, 14-6.

The play was a 41-yard fumble return by Ronald Kennedy Jr., to the 5-yard line. The 19 minutes was the amount of time the game was delayed when a Mayfair assistant coach was injured on the sidelines. After that, the game was one-sided.

It was all Mayfair.

“It seemed like we shifted gears defensively,” said Woodie Grayson, a co-coach at Mayfair with Mike Fitch. “And they had a few drops that helped us.”

Corona del Mar (10-3) was trying to reach the final for the first time since winning in 1988. Mayfair (10-3) will try to win its third title, its first since 2001, when it plays top-seeded Laguna Hills next week.

The game shifted because Kennedy recovered J.D. Abbott’s fumble and took it to the 5. Kennedy scored on the next play, and Nathan Silva’s point-after gave Mayfair a 7-6 lead with 7:37 left in the third quarter.

The game was delayed 19 minutes because Bryan Kennebrew, 31, the defensive coordinator for Mayfair, was injured on the fumble return. Standing with his hands on his knees watching, he was hit in the head by one of the players. He was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital.

Inspired, Mayfair dominated the rest of the way.

Mayfair added a score with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter on Kennedy’s 20-yard carry.

It capped a 50-yard drive after Joshua Gavert intercepted a Mitch Sands pass that bounced off the hands of Tyler Haly. Haly lost the ball because he was clobbered by Andre Allen Jr.
Corona del Mar, which had seven first downs in the first half, made only two more first downs, one with four minutes remaining, another in the final minute.

Going up against a bigger opponent, Corona del Mar’s game plan was all about field position and controlling the clock.

It worked beautifully in the first half and was never more evident than on the first possession.

It took over on its own 40, then used 15 plays to cover 60 yards and grind 7:39 off the clock.
They converted one fourth down and three third downs, including a third-and-11 at the 16 when Abbott ran to the 5.

Two plays later, Sands faked to Abbott and scored from the 3. Donald Dalton missed the point-after, hooking wide left, and the 6-0 lead with 2:48 left in the quarter was tenuous at best.

The lead held up through the first half.

Mayfair’s offensive line averaged 277 pounds, compared to Corona del Mar’s defensive three-man front of Will Ham, Daniel DiChiro and Ben Noe that averaged 202.

But with eight players going both ways, and playing special teams, the Sea Kings finally wore down.

And in the end, they were out of the playoffs.

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com