Corona del Mar Crushes University

Grant Estabrook scored on a 69-yard run in the second quarter and finished with 181 yards in 28 carries to lead Corona del Mar to a 31-12 Pacific Coast League victory over University Friday night at Irvine High.

Corona del Mar (3-6, 3-0 in league) can clinch the league title with a victory over Costa Mesa next Friday.

University (3-6, 1-2) didn’t score until the fourth quarter. Ben Messelbeck caught a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Pat Josten with 6:41 left in the game to make the score 24-6.

The Trojans then recovered the onside kick and trimmed Corona del Mar’s advantage to 24-12 on a 17-yard touchdown run by Jacque Newsome with 5:14 left.

University again tried an onside kick, but Corona del Mar’s Matt Gulley recovered the ball and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, putting the Sea Kings ahead, 31-12, with 5:11 remaining.

Corona del Mar took a 7-0 lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass play from Evan Burden to Jon Schrank with 10:04 left in the half.

The Sea Kings took a 14-0 lead on Estabrook’s 69-yard run with 53 seconds left in the half. Rory McKeever kicked a 29-yard field goal with 3:50 left in the third quarter to put Corona del Mar ahead 17-0.

University went for a first down at the 50-yard line on a fourth-down play. But Josten was stopped shy of the marker on a keeper and the Sea Kings took over.

Estabrook ran for 11 and seven yards to move the ball to the University 33, and the Sea Kings moved out to a 24-0 lead when Mike Hayes ran it in with 9:28 left to play.

Newsome gained 112 yards in 15 carries, Josten completed 11 of 23 passes for 150 yards and Messelbeck had six catches for 65 yards for University.

Burden completed two of seven passes for 70 yards and Hayes rushed for 59 yards in seven carries for Corona del Mar.