DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

A couple of times a year, an uncle teases Dillon Norton for playing football at Corona del Mar High.

“Hey!” Uncle Kirk tells Dillon. “You know, you should come over to [Newport] Harbor and come in and try to play some football.”

Dillon just laughs. He’s the first to tell you his parents, Nick and Julie, attended Newport Harbor.

Their two kids, Newport Harbor’s Back Bay rival.

“We were the first family to break the chain,” Dillon said proudly. “I still have some cousins that go to Newport.”

One of those is Parker Norton, who is Uncle Kirk’s kid.

The two Nortons will perhaps meet on the field tonight as Corona del Mar plays at Newport Harbor at 7.

Around town, the game is known as the Battle of the Bay. The 47th edition is more like the Battle of the Nortons.

Fifteen family members plan to show up and cheer for Dillon, a senior. The same amount for Parker, a sophomore.

On different sides of Davidson Field of course.

“It doesn’t matter if it is [against] family, you want to win that game,” Dillon said. “You’re going to go 100% to win that game.”

Everything is on the line. Throw out the family connections and the school records.

Coach Jason Hitchens is hoping the Sea Kings do. Against the Sailors, they’ve lost eight of the last nine meetings, including last year’s 41-7 loss.

But CdM, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division coaches’ poll, enters on a roll at 3-0. Newport Harbor not so much. The Sailors (1-1) lost, 26-2, to Long Beach Poly, the No. 2-ranked team in the state by CalHiSports.com.

This rivalry is all new to Hitchens, who’s in his first year at CdM. One thing he’s learned so far, Dillon can be a positive impact player all over the field.

He is a kickoff returner, a punt returner, a cornerback, a wide receiver and even a running back. In other words, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder is an all-purpose threat.

The other Norton rarely plays due to being young and on a deep and talented Newport Harbor team. Parker, a wide receiver and defensive back, can learn from Dillon.

Last week, in a span of 2 minutes, 10 seconds, starting at the end of the first half and resuming in the second half, Dillon scored three straight touchdowns to help CdM put away Troy and win, 49-20.

The first score came on a 20-yard pass from quarterback Mitch Sands. The second on a 92-yard kickoff return. The third on a 57-yard punt return.

So, how did Dillon celebrate?

“It always feels good to score, but you never act like it’s your first touchdown,” said Dillon, who amassed 256 all-purpose yards, 205 on returns, 28 receiving and 23 rushing. “You don’t want to get too excited. I just want to keep it low key.”

The subdued approach faded after finding the end zone for the first and second time in his high school career.

The third score proved to be more difficult than the others.

Dillon dropped a line-drive punt, picked it up with defenders nearby, broke some tackles, and scored.

At the end, Dillon made a gesture with his fingers.

“I threw a trident up in the air,” said Dillon, referring to the team’s mascot, who holds a three-pronged spear. “I actually got lucky I didn’t get called for unsportsmanlike conduct, because we’re not supposed to do that.

“But it was just one of those in-the-moment [things]. I just couldn’t help myself.”

Will Dillon flash a trident sign against Newport Harbor?

“I’m hoping to score,” Dillon said. “But Newport Harbor is not a team … you celebrate [against because] you [don’t] want penalties. We really need to go out there and execute perfect football.”

Win or lose, Dillon will seek Parker out when the game ends. After that, the two will go their separate ways.

“You never really hang out the night after the game,” Dillon said, “because if you win, they don’t want to hang out with you because you’re going to be talking trash.”

Dillon hopes he can to Uncle Kirk, so he can tell him why he stayed at CdM.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].