The victory bell is back where it belongs. Corona del Mar High School and Newport Harbor High School faced off in the annual Battle of the Bay football game this past weekend, October 11th. Under the lights at Lebard Stadium, the Corona del Mar football team proudly brought the bell back home in a 21-6 win. From an outside perspective, the game is seen as another league game, but for both schools, it is a celebration of the 64-year-old tradition in which CdM and NHHS, whose players and students have grown up side by side, face each other in a well-respected yet fiercely competitive football game. 

CdM running back Chase Kuchera started the game strong, scoring a 26-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and raising the score to 7-0. With 11 minutes to go in the first half, quarterback Brady Annett threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Garret James, his 10th touchdown of the season. The Sailors answered, scoring a touchdown with 4 minutes remaining in the half, yet NHHS kicker Daniel Rico missed the PAT, resulting in a score of 14-6 going into the second half. Halftime performances from both CdM and Newport Harbor had fans on their feet, cheering, singing, and dancing. The second half brought more excitement for Corona del Mar. The third quarter ended with no change to the scoreboard, but a highlight of the quarter was Cash Pearsall’s crucial interception, which prevented the Sailors from potentially scoring another touchdown. With four minutes remaining in the game, the Sea Kings increased their lead through Kuchera’s second touchdown of the evening, resulting in a final score of 21-6. Corona del Mar kicker Joey Dibella had a great game as well, contributing to the great season he has had so far.

Corona del Mar cornerback Will Chavez shared his perspective as a player, “playing in BOTB was like nothing else I’ve ever been apart of…the energy of our student section and fans was so special because it felt like the whole community was behind us and that we were really playing for something bigger than ourselves.” Chavez also shared the team’s game plan: “as a team we realized that we needed to make harbor play to our standards and that we were just going to dominate from the very beginning to the very end.” With sheer determination, pride in their school, and resilience, the Corona del Mar football team broke the 2-0 record Newport Harbor held and restored honor and dignity to their side of the bay.