High school football: CdM dedicates win to tailback’s father

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - This one was for Hugo Cianciulli.

Cianciulli’s son, Mark, a Corona del Mar High running back, played in

his father’s memory, rushing for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 28

carries. Mark Cianciulli’s emotional performance led the Sea Kings

football team to a 33-14 Pacific Coast League victory over Laguna Beach

at Newport Beach High.

Hugo Cianciulli, 50, died of a heart attack, Friday morning.

CdM teammates dedicated the game to the Cianciullis and outscored the

Artists 26-0 in the second half to rally for the win.

“Whenever I called on him (Friday night), he was right there with me,”

Mark Cianciulli said of his father. “I played because he would have

wanted me to play. I couldn’t have done this without my teammates and my

offensive line.”

Laguna Beach (5-3, 0-3 in the PCL), which had outscored opponents,

60-7 in the third quarter, came up empty against the inspired Sea Kings

(5-2-1, 2-1), ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division IX.

Mark Cianciulli scored touchdown runs of 17, 27 and 9 yards, as he

broke at least two tackles on each of them.

His 27-yard scoring jaunt in the third quarter included a vicious spin

move at the Laguna 12 as he sped to paydirt to tie the score at 14.

In the fourth quarter, CdM’s John Daley came up with a smart play as

he noticed a Laguna Beach player touched the ball on a Sea King punt.

Daley recovered the live ball and on the ensuing play, Cianciulli

completed his best run of the night.

From his own 49, he bounced off a band of Artist tacklers,

straight-armed a defender, sprung to the outside and outran the Laguna

Beach defense for a 46-yard run before a touchdown-saving tackle brought

him down. Matt Cooper eventually punched it in from a yard out to give

the Sea Kings their first lead of the game.

“(Mark Cianciulli) has a lot of heart,” CdM Coach Dick Freeman said.

“He’s only 166 pounds, but he brings it and he just runs so well. He

hardly came off the field (Friday night).”

Corona’s Steven Ward intercepted two Laguna Beach passes after CdM

earned its 21-14 lead. After Ward’s first interception, which he returned

44 yards, he caught a near-perfect pass from quarterback Dylan Hendy for

a 36-yard touchdown play.

“We won this one for (Mark Cianciulli’s) dad,” Ward said. “We all

wanted to step up and help Mark. He played really well.”