Prep football: Fireworks alert

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Two football teams for which the offensive light

appears to have gone on in recent weeks, collide tonight at 7 when Corona

del Mar High hosts Northwood at Newport Harbor High in a Pacific Coast

League game that figures to light up the scoreboard.

The Sea Kings (3-3, 1-0 in league) have won their last three,

averaging nearly 38 points per game and steamrolling teams with a

rejuvenated running game keyed by senior tailback Blake Hacker.

Northwood (2-4, 0-1), a team with no seniors in its first varsity

season, attacks defenses through the air. The Timberwolves have amassed

907 yards total offense and averaged 39 points the last two weeks,

including a 41-36 setback to Estancia in their PCL debut.

“They’re a little scary,” CdM Coach Dick Freeman said of the

Irvine-based program, led by junior quarterback Dan Tomcheck. “The

passing game is something we’ve had problems with.”

Freeman’s defense yielded 245 passing yards in a Week 2 loss to Pomona

and also surrendered 302 aerial yards to Saddleback in Week 3.

The Sea Kings have, however, intercepted seven passes during the

winning streak -- four by senior cornerback Charlie Alshuler -- and have

won 4 of 5 league games since entering the PCL last fall.

Hacker has rung up close to 600 rushing yards in victories over

Saddleback, Westminster and Costa Mesa, jump-starting a running game that

compiled a combined 171 yards during the team’s 0-3 start.

Hacker has also scored all four of his touchdowns during the winning

streak, which has catapulted the defending PCL co-champions into title

contention once again.

“I think it’s slowly been building,” Freeman said of the steady

improvement. “We’ve gotten better every week at something.”

This week, the Sea Kings will try to put pressure on Tomcheck, who has

thrown for 937 yards and seven touchdowns, completing 75 of 147 with

three interceptions. Four of those TDs came against Estancia, which

yielded 252 aerial yards.

Coach Rick Curtis’ Timberwolves, however, also had success on the

ground the last two weeks. Kyle Keating rushed for 141 yards and three

TDs in a Week 5 victory over Martin Luther King High of Riverside, but

sat out the Estancia game with an injury. Andy Meyer filled in with 177

yards and a TD on 21 carries.

Hacker, operating behind an offensive line of tackles Dave Richardson

and Steven Russell, guards Matt Marston and John Daley and center Adam

Dunn, may have added pressure to carry the load, since junior starting

quarterback Dylan Hendy is sidelined with a broken wrist.

Junior Joe Barber, who has seen sizable action, including one start,

will take over at quarterback. He has completed 18 of 46 for 238 yards

and three TDs, with three interceptions.

Alshuler and senior strong safety Eric Snell will key the CdM

secondary, which also includes sophomore Mark Cianciulli at corner and

Bart Welch at free safety.

The Timberwolves’ receiving corps is led by Steve Lucas (24 catches

for 276 yards) and Bryan Bentrott (21 for 374). Bentrott had 17

receptions for 308 yards and four TDs the last two weeks.