Laguna looks for some relief

With a small team numbers wise, injuries don’t help the Laguna Beach High football team.

And facing a San Diego Section powerhouse with three key players out due to concussion made it hard to play defense Friday night.

Coronado poured it on early in a 69-20 rout of the Breakers on Sept. 18 at Laguna Beach High.

“It was two things,” Laguna Beach Coach Jonathan Todd said. “We were down quite a few starters on defense and we just didn’t have a good game. We weren’t tackling. I think our biggest problem was we had kids playing out of position, and I think it showed.”

The Breakers (0-2) were down a trio of players who had suffered concussions in the season opener against Corona del Mar: middle linebacker/tight end Ethan Quirarte, lineman Chris Hilleman and cornerback/running back Norty Penney.

Coronado (1-1), which advanced to the CIF San Diego Section Division IV semifinals last year, struck fast. Kodie Englehart had two long touchdown runs in the first quarter and then threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Charles Westbrook to give Coronado a 21-0 lead after a quarter.

Englehart later added another touchdown run and also took an interception return to the house.

Laguna Beach was down 29-0 by the time it got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, when junior quarterback Austin Paxson found Chris Paul on a 78-yard touchdown pass.

Alec Jaffe and Rouzbeh Kazemian added touchdown runs in the second half for the Breakers. Jaffe, with 94 rushing yards and 90 receiving, finished with 184 all-purpose yards.

Todd said freshman Robert Clemons stepped up and made an impact at both receiver and cornerback for Laguna Beach. Clemons had 33 yards receiving, part of a 233-yard night from Paxson.

The Breakers are on the road Saturday night to face Santa Monica (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Santa Monica College. Last year, Laguna breezed by Santa Monica, 37-7, but Todd said this isn’t the same Mariners team.

“They run a no-huddle offense and pass a ton,” Todd said. “They do over 100 plays every game. They really just keep the pace going.”

Todd said he hopes to have Quirarte and Hilleman back in action this week, while Penney could return next week at Garden Grove.