NEWPORT BEACH – Summer football passing tournaments can help a team’s quarterbacks and receivers get more synchronized.
Winning the 7-on-7 tournament is a fine bonus.
Corona del Mar succeeded in both ways Friday at the Battle at the Beach passing tournament at Corona del Mar High. The Sea Kings defeated Cypress 30-14 in the tournament’s championship game and their quarterback David Rasor enjoyed the chance to improve quarterback-receiver timing.
“It was really good to go up against other competition,” Rasor said. “It was good to see other-colored jerseys and to get to run our receivers against other (defensive backs) and see how we match up against other teams.”
Rasor (6-1, 194), the Sunset League offensive back of the year last season as a junior, connected with senior receiver Cooper Hoch on two deep touchdown passes in the win over Cypress in the finals.
Corona del Mar scored on every possession as the Sea Kings went 4-1 in the tournament. Their loss was to La Habra 29-28 in pool play. The Sea Kings went 6-0 in a passing tournament at San Luis Obispo last week.
The tournament, in its first year, was an eight-team event that included Aliso Niguel, Corona del Mar, Cypress, Dana Hills, Foothill, La Habra, San Clemente and Tesoro. In the championship semifinals Corona del Mar defeated Tesoro and Cypress defeated San Clemente.
Like Rasor, Corona del Mar coach Dan O’Shea appreciated the opportunity to test his quarterbacks, receivers, linebackers and defensive backs in the 7-on-7 games that are touch-football games with no blocking or tackling but with so many fast athletes who are determined to make a play collisions do occur.
“When we played La Habra,” O’Shea said, “I was really blown away by their speed. That was a good challenge for our defense to see how they handled it.”
Corona del Mar was 9-3 last season. The Sea Kings finished third in the Sunset League and beat Warren in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs before losing to eventual champion Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals.
Cypress coach Rick Feldman is a recent convert to the 7-on-7 scene. Summer passing tournaments are not events he pursued for several years. O’Shea invited him to the Battle at the Bay a few months ago, and Feldman accepted.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Feldman said. “Then I saw everybody when we got here and I wasn’t so sure.”
Cypress played well enough to get to the championship game, going 3-2 in the tournament. San Clemente was 3-1 including sweeping Dana Hills, Foothill and Tesoro in the Wave Division. Corona del Mar, Cypress and La Habra were 2-1 in the Surf Division.
