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Mira Costa puts away Palos Verdes
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Mira Costa and Palos Verdes are among the top contenders for the championship in the balanced Bay League and it proved to be a very tough game between the two teams last Friday at Mira Costa.
The Mustangs, who are the Bay favorites and ranked No. 2 in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division, led throughout the entire game but had to work hard to defeat the Sea Kings, 21-7.
Mira Costa started out well scoring the game's first two touchdowns. The Mustangs' first TD came with 3:30 left in the first quarter on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Demarco to running back J.R. Tavai.
The Mustangs made it 14-0 with 10:23 remaining in the second period on Demarco's one-yard scoring run.
Throughout the first half, Mira Costa (5-2 overall and 2-0 in the Bay League) held the Sea Kings in check but Palos Verdes got to within seven points after quarterback Max Baiz threw a lateral pass to wide receiver Alex Garrison at the Sea King 26-yard line and he raced to the Mira Costa one-yard line. Running back Victor Mancusi finished it off with the touchdown.
Palos Verdes (4-3, 0-2) continued to play a strong defense to hold down the very balanced Mustang offense but Mira Costa finally put the icing on the cake when running back Kellen Lockwood completed the 79-yard, eight-play drive with a 34-yard TD run with 8:03 to go in the game.
Lockwood sparked the Mustangs' offense rushing for 70 yards and one TD on 10 carries, while Rico Wright added 50 yards on 11 carries. Morgan Reece rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries.
Demarco completed 7 of 10 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown.
"P.V. played hard," Mira Costa head coach Don Morrow said. "Their defense did a great job. We had a great start which helped us."
For the Sea Kings, Baiz was 7-for-19 for 124 yards. Mancusi ran for 50 yards.
"Our kids tried real hard," Palos Verdes head mentor Guy Gardner, a 1983 graduate of Mira Costa who was also an assistant with the Mustangs several years ago, said. "Mira Costa has a real good football team. We played hard but not well enough to win."
The Mustangs face a Peninsula team which is being faced with one of its worst seasons since the school was merged from now defunct Miraleste and Palos Verdes High Schools (closed as a high school in 1991 but reopened in 2002) in 1991. The Panthers, who finished second behind Mira Costa in Bay action last year, are 0-7 overall and 0-2 in league after being shut out by host Leuzinger, 28-0, last Friday.
The Sea Kings also face another team 0-2 in Bay in West Torrance on the road last Friday. After a 4-1 non-league slate, the Warriors are 0-2 in league after losses to 2-0 Mira Costa (28-3 on Oct. 16) and Redondo (31-6 last Friday at West).
Mira Costa, Redondo and Leuzinger are all tied for first in Bay action at 2-0.
Serra 34, Harvard-Westlake 6: Serra High's football team from Gardena had little trouble at Harvard-Westlake in a 34-6 Del Rey League victory last Friday in North Hollywood.
The Cavaliers used a very strong defense, holding the Wolverines to just 123 yards total offense. They shut out Harvard-Westlake until it scored with 24 seconds left in the game against mostly reserves on a 73-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Max Heltzer to wide receiver Liguori Jackson.
Serra also had a defensive touchdown on a 60-yard interception return by Bene Benwikere.
Junior quarterback Conner Preston continued his strong showing, completing 21 of 28 passes for 298 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He completed a 20-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Paul Richardson in the first quarter.
Conner also had a 1-yard TD run early in the second period that gave the Cavaliers (7-0, 2-0) a 14-0 lead.
Shaquille Richard added a 3-yard scoring run.
Serra hosts league rival St. Bernard Friday at 7 p.m. The Vikings are 1-6 overall and 0-2 in Del Rey action after getting routed by host Cathedral, 46-10, last Friday in Los Angeles.
Lawndale 28, North Torrance 24: Lawndale High's football team is off to a good start in Pioneer League action after coming from behind to defeat host and preseason league favorite North Torrance, 28-24, last Friday.
The Cardinals scored the winning TD late in the fourth quarter on Aaron Belton's one-yard run.
Jamal Fleming rushed for 177 yards, including 43 in Lawndale's winning TD drive. He scored two touchdowns on runs of eight yards in the first period and 28 in the fourth that gave Lawndale its first lead at 21-17.
The Saxons came back with a TD on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Michael Oliver to Brandon Tobias for a 24-21 lead before Lawndale's winning scoring drive.
Lawndale will be seeking its first playoff berth since it first fielded varsity football in its second stint of existence (Lawndale High's first stint came from its opening in 1959 until closing in 1981.) as it visits Torrance High Friday at 7 p.m. The Tartars are rebuilding as they are 0-2 in Pioneer play and 2-5 overall after a heartbreaking 21-20 overtime home loss to cross town rival South Torrance last Friday.
Other Scores:
Thursday, Oct. 22: Carson 48, Gardena 18.
Friday, Oct. 23:
Marine League: San Pedro 14, Banning 7; Narbonne 77, Washington 14.
Western League: Westchester 34, Fairfax 7.
Bay League: Leuzinger 28, Peninsula 0; Redondo 31, West Torrance 6.
Pioneer League: Compton Centennial 14, El Segundo 10; South Torrance 21, Torrance 10 (Overtime).
Ocean League: Inglewood 56, Hawthorne 0; Culver City 56, Morningside 7.
Del Rey League: Cathedral 46, Serra 10.
Camino Real League: Mary Star 14, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 6.
Prep League: Rio Hondo Prep 43, Chadwick 7.
This Week's Schedule:
Bay League: Leuzinger at Redondo, 7 p.m.; Mira Costa at Peninsula, 3 p.m.; Palos Verdes at West Torrance, 7 p.m.
Camino Real League: Mary Star at La Salle, 7 p.m.
Del Rey League: Cathedral at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.; St. Bernard at Serra, 7 p.m.
Ocean League: Santa Monica at Culver City, 7 p.m.; Hawthorne at Morningside, 7 p.m.; Inglewood at Beverly Hills, 7 p.m.
Pioneer League: El Segundo at North Torrance, 7 p.m.; Lawndale at Torrance, 7 p.m.; Compton Centennial at South Torrance, 7 p.m.
Marine League: Banning at Carson, 7 p.m.; Narbonne at Gardena, 7 p.m.; San Pedro at Washington, 3 p.m.
South Bay Prep Top 10: 1. Serra, 2. Mira Costa, 3. Carson, 4. Culver City, 5. Leuzinger, 6. Narbonne, 7. Redondo, 8. Palos Verdes, 9. San Pedro, 10. Westchester.
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