Reliving CdM’s ’88 drive

His high school football team was on the verge of the most

significant victory in Newport-Mesa Unified School District history

that December night at Orange Coast College, but the best was yet to

come.

Corona del Mar High’s Sea Kings had forged a 10-point lead over

the defending CIF Southern Section Division VI champion, Valencia,

and time was running out when a junior reserve named Phil Holland

made his way onto the field as part of CdM’s punt coverage and the

coach jogged onto the field for last-second advice.

“What do you say,” recalled the Sea Kings’ coach, Dave Holland.

“Everybody does their job and we’re walking home with the CIF

championship,” was the gist of his short speech.

Holland looked across the huddle and found his son’s eyes, a

moment the 69-year-old veteran still vividly recalls.

“It’s the greatest moment of my athletic career, playing, watching

or coaching,” said Holland, a disciple of Coach Don Coryell during

his playing days at Whittier College.

“Valencia called timeout when we were going to punt,” continued

Holland as he recalled that year of years, 1988.

“They needed a touchdown and field goal just to tie and I put my

son in on the punt coverage team,” said Holland. “It was basically

the last play of the greatest game in my life and he was there, on

the field with me. How good is that?”

Phil Holland was a dedicated, but career reserve in his junior and

senior seasons at CdM.

Moments later the Sea Kings were hoisting the CIF crown above

their heads after recording the first-ever CIF title in district

history. Sweeping to the championship was not something considered

out of the question as that season began.

The Sea Kings had won five of their last six games and advanced to

the second round of the playoffs in 1987.

CdM trailed, 12-7, deep in the fourth quarter against eventual CIF

champion Valencia before the wheels came off in an 18-7 season-ending

loss. And the roster was stocked with some 27 juniors.

For Holland, now the defensive coordinator at University High in

Mark Cunningham’s program, 1987 was clearly a gratifying year. “We

just got better and better,” said Holland. “We had three narrow

losses early (9-6 to San Clemente, 7-6 to Woodbridge and 14-13 to

Tustin) and it was 7-7 in the fourth quarter against Capistrano

Valley (a 27-7 loss). We sacked Todd Marinovich seven times.”

Clearly Holland was breathing easy at home, behind closed doors,

as he anticipated the upcoming season.

There was good reason.

First, he had an offensive coordinator named Larry Bryant, a

wizard in his field.

Secondly, there was Holland’s defense, which had been changed to

include five in the secondary, thanks to the strengths of senior

linebackers John Katovsich and Angelus League transfer Chris Deuchar,

as well as the versatility of free safety Bill Rauth, who could move

into a ‘backer spot when needed. Katovsich would eventually be named

Division VI Player of the Year.

Jerrott Willard, a junior, was switched to defensive end from his

strong safety post after six games, Jeff Blower was at tackle and Ron

Akin was the nose tackle, who at 5-foot-6, 160 pounds, wound up with

major defensive honors in the Sea Kings’ camp. The fourth defender

was Brett Allen on the split side.

“Those four really played well,” said Holland. Blower was the

anchor to the line, real sturdy at about 6-foot, 220.”

Brandon Bento was the strong safety, as well as soccer standout

Pat Callaghan. Rauth was at free safety, Greg Haack at one corner

with Warren Johnson at the other corner. Warren’s brother, Weston,

was often in the mix at corner. Bento was one of Holland’s favorites

with his unsung efforts.

How good were they?

They shut out five foes and the opponents’ average score over a

14-game season was less than six points a game. Nine foes were in

single digits. In four CIF playoff games the Sea Kings allowed three

touchdowns.

CdM disposed of Huntington Beach (7-0), San Clemente (23-0),

Santiago (52-8), Laguna Hills (14-11) and Costa Mesa (21-12) before

settling for a 14-14 tie with University, a 14-7 win over Estancia

and a scoreless tie with Saddleback.

What remained was a six-game winning streak ... 17-0 over Tustin,

and 27-8 over Newport Harbor, then the playoffs: Troy fell, 44-0;

Anaheim was a 28-8 victim; Pacifica was dealt a 14-7 defeat; and in

the finale Valencia was beaten, 17-7.

“We really got tested against University,” recalled Holland.

“After that we moved Willard from strong safety to defensive end, but

we stood him up with no real pass responsibility, and it really made

the defense solid.”

Offensively, the Sea Kings were giving their defensive-minded

coach all he could want.

“Bryant was a great assistant,” noted Holland. “He was the perfect

coach for a defensive-oriented program. He didn’t turn the ball

over.”

Nor did his backs and receivers.

Quarterback Ty Price, more noted for his volleyball prowess,

played his only season as a starter, and Haack was at tailback, often

spelled by an up-and-coming kid named Brian Lucas. At fullback was

Willard, the 195-pound bull who would end up starring at the

University of California for three years.

The wide receivers were all blue-chips. Jeff Clark was at split

end and Warren and Weston Johnson shared the other side. Rauth also

contributed.

Up front were Jeff Jackson at tight end, Mickey Cohen and Nathan

Craig at tackles, Pat Kelly and Morgan Ringwald at guards and the

center was Mike Kelly, a transfer from the Angelus League. Jackson

would also distinguish himself as an “enforcer” on the basketball

floor.

Others would surface:

“Scott Jurgensen really made an impact on the team,” said Holland.

“Every practice was like a game. Tempers were flying and Jurgensen

would not be denied.

“Against Anaheim at La Palma Stadium in the CIF playoffs Jurgensen

(a 6-2, 200-pound special teams player) was about 10 yards ahead of

our coverage on a kickoff and tackles this guy in front of the

Anaheim bench. The runner took about three steps and was flattened.

It was a real mood-changer.”

Another standout was a 5-7, 150-pound kick returner named John

MacMillan.

“You can’t let a punt drop (and roll),” said Holland. “MacMillan

never dropped one and I don’t remember him ever fair-catching a punt.

He just wouldn’t be denied and was our ‘Black Watch of the Year,’” a

part of Holland’s philosophy since 1987, which singles out just those

types of players ... undeniables.

Chris Borg was another big asset as a backup to Willard at

fullback.

Price did not take a snap as a junior, but was solid in ’88. “He

didn’t turn the ball over and he was able to run,” said Holland. “He

broke the game, scrambling for a TD against Anaheim in the playoffs,

and against Pacifica, he threw a play-action bomb to Clark that broke

the game up.”

Warren Johnson was banged up in CdM’s second game against San

Clemente, which caused Holland a lot of concern, until the Johnsons’

mom straightened him out.

“I told her I was really worried, Warren was the meat of our

secondary,” said Holland.

“She said, ‘Well, Weston will do just as good.’”

“In the next game against Santiago Weston Johnson had the greatest

game of any secondary,” said Holland. “He had like three touchdowns

and a couple of interceptions.”

Holland was a one-man gang at CdM for 20 years, going 105-93-10.

Yet it was just one year away from putting together the one-and-only:

Back-to-back, in unbelievable fashion.

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].