by Colin Costigan
The Crean Lutheran Saints made a statement in the Bravo League with a late-stage 31-17 victory over the Corona del Mar Sea Kings Friday night at Davidson Field.
Coming off just their second-ever league championship last season — a perfect 10-0 regular season record and a peak OC Ranking of No. 7 — the Saints have soared to new heights this year.
Entering this Bravo League bout, the Saints were the No. 6 team in the OC Rankings. They boasted an offense that ranked near the top 50 in the entire CIF-SS with over 222 passing yards per game, paired with a ground game that produced at least 190 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns over their previous four games.
In similar fashion to their comeback victory last week over La Habra at SoFi Stadium, the Saints rallied with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after the Sea Kings missed a potential go-ahead field goal that would have kept it a 17-17 affair.
Backed by an all-around effort, the Saints flourished on both sides of the ball when it mattered most — an imperative trait needed to last in the Bravo League.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Every game in the league is just like this,” said Saints head coach Rick Curtis. “The kids bore down in the fourth quarter, and we came away with the victory.”
After a stagnant first quarter that featured a Sea Kings turnover on downs and a Saints punt, the second quarter lived up to the billing.
The Saints got the scoring started with a short field goal inside eight minutes after Sea Kings quarterback Luca Dinapoli’s pass was bobbled and picked off by the Saints, with a return into short field position.
Within the next three minutes, both squads traded touchdowns on huge chunk plays. The Sea Kings found their answer in the form of a 51-yard touchdown pass on a deep ball to their two-way talent JJ Haley to take a brief 7-3 lead.
Across his three previous league games, Haley was held under 50 receiving yards and did not have a single touchdown. He would later grab a 43-yard reception to move them down the field on their ensuing drive.
The Saints found their response from quarterback Caden Jones. The field general used his legs for a season-long 73-yard rushing touchdown to put them back in front, 10-7.
For the reigning First Team All-County passer and the No. 1 player on the OCVarsity Hot 150 heading into this season, Jones continues to impress. After completing every pass for 190 yards along with a rushing touchdown last week against La Habra, Jones did not skip a beat this week, contributing in more ways than one when called upon.
“We’ve been in these situations all year. We don’t really back down from that stuff,” Jones said. “Us just being able to go through that and face adversity, I think we know how to handle those situations.”
After the Sea Kings knotted it up with another field goal, Jones rifled another pass to his receiver Damari Hall, who then took it to the house on the run for an 83-yard touchdown to take a 17-10 lead into the half.
A hit that forced a fumble, which the Saints coughed up in the third quarter, eventually led to a 19-yard touchdown pass for the Sea Kings to even it up at 17 apiece. While the Sea Kings were later set up in prime position for the lead following an empty possession for the Saints, their botched field goal was ultimately their fatal flaw.
En route to their game-winning touchdown drive, Jones converted three third-down plays, moving around the pocket and finding multiple targets.
He soon found his fellow backfield teammate and running back Caleb Bey Jr. in the back of the end zone for a 24-17 lead. A turnover on downs from the Sea Kings also set up another passing touchdown from Jones to Hall to put the nail in the coffin.
For a program that was once at the Division 12 level less than a decade ago, the Saints have risen to a competitive powerhouse that can pose a consistent threat in the Division 2 playoffs.
“They’ve really worked hard, and they’ve really learned how to play at this particular level,” Curtis said. “A lot of these kids want to play at the next level, and it’s been exciting to see that happen.”
The Saints are now 30-2 all-time when they score at least 30 points. More importantly, they improve to 7-2 on the season and 4-0 in league play to sit atop the standings and are one win away from claiming the outright Bravo League title.
With the league title on the line, they will take on Villa Park back at home on Friday to wrap up the regular season.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
![](https://jpwestmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/league-2.jpg")
