The Patriots (6-3-1 overall, 3-2 in league) will find out their first-round playoff assignment Sunday.
Corona del Mar saw its season come to an end Friday.
The Sea Kings finished 0-5 in league and 4-6 overall.
“It’s tough to lose but I think we have played better football the past couple of weeks,” Hitchens said. “We were stagnant for about a three-week period but in the past few weeks, I felt that we found a bit of rhythm.
“The kids played pretty well tonight and I thought that our defense did a better-than-decent job of containing their big back (Lawson). The key for us was stopping the run and making them beat us with the pass, and they were able to come up with some big pass plays.”
The Sea Kings never did let Lawson break long or loose, but the senior running back did reach the end zone three times. He scored the game’s first touchdown on a 10-yard run four minutes into the second quarter. It turned out to be the lone score in a low-productive half for both teams:
Corona del Mar mustered just 65 yards of offense, while Beckman had 98.
Of the Patriots’ 21 first-half plays, Lawson’s number was called upon 15 times.
The Patriots upped their lead to 14-0 by taking the second-half kickoff 80 yards on a nine-play drive, converting a 12-yard pass play on fourth-and-four. On the next play, Lawson broke to the outside and went 13 yards untouched for his second score.
The Sea Kings got back into the game by answering Lawson’s score. They responded with a 10-play drive that covered 80 yards.
Senior running back Alex Swigert kept the drive alive with a four-yard run on fourth-and-one from the Beckman six-yard line and scored on a two-yard run on the next play.
Andrew Boehm’s kick made it 14-7 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
