Sea Kings take step up in class

After an easy season-opening win, the Corona del Mar High football team increases its degree of difficulty tonight when it faces visiting El Toro in a nonleague game at 7 at Newport Harbor High.

Sea Kings’ Coach Dick Freeman expects the Chargers, who last season advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs out of the tough South Coast League, to provide more of a challenge than Laguna Beach, a 34-7 victim last week.

The Sea Kings’ performance Sept. 1 has led to only minor tweaking, Freeman said.

The CdM defense’s inability to consistently finish off tackles — Laguna Beach quarterback Charley Bowman avoided would-be sacks for a team-high 52 yards rushing — was the main focus in terms of improvement.

“We didn’t tackle really well,” Freeman said. “We just need to hang on. We’re over extending. It’s a technique thing.”

El Toro, 5-6 last season, has yet to play a game. But Freeman scouted the Chargers’ scrimmage last week and was impressed by their offensive line, which averages 6-foot-3, 252 pounds.

El Toro, under second-year coach Jake Haley, runs the wing T, an offense built on deception.

“It’s assignment football,” Freeman said. “We can’t over-pursue. They can cut back. It’s tough. That’s why a lot of teams use it. If guys wander off, they might make a good play one time, but they’ll end up giving up a big play.”

On offense, the Sea Kings, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Division, will try to use the pass to set up the run.

Senior quarterback Taylor Hughes, a Mater Dei transfer, threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 11-for-17 passing in the opener.

Senior receiver Hunt Rychel had four catches for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the opener, including a 90-yard score.

“We’re going to try and stay balanced and open up the running game with passing,” Freeman said. “They’ll need to respect what we can do passing-wise.”

The Sea Kings had some success on the ground against Laguna Beach, as junior tailback Erik Rask collected 96 of the team’s 199 yards on his 12 carries, an eight-yard average.

Hillgren, also a cornerback who had 10 interceptions in 2005, procured his first pick of the season last week. Now with 11 career interceptions, he is only three away from Warren Johnson’s school career record.

Freeman added: “We want to play well. This is a step up. It’s a good judge of where we’re at.”