Roberto Kampfer
Nick Lee
Staff Writers
Both Mira Costa and Redondo fans gave it their all on Friday Nov 7, dressed in their school’s colors, cheering wildly, in an intense game proving who is superior football team.
In a packed game against cross town rival, Redondo, the Mustangs defense had trouble making the necessary adjustments to stop Redondo’s powerhouse offense.
“Obviously we would have liked to win the game but the fact that we gave up 17 points right away did not help,” Offensive Coordinator Chuck Arrasmith said. “The kids fought back to make it a close game by halftime and thats big deal.”
By the start of the second quarter, the coaches began to show frustration, and it was clear something needed to be done to turn the tide of the game. Costa finally got on the board after a 7 yard pass to Ta’utino Sione, providing a platform on which they were able to finish the first half 23-14.
“The first half we fought hard as a team,” Head Coach Don Morrow said. “The defense stepped up in the second quarter and cut down Redondo’s lead.”
Now, in a sporadic game mode, Costa managed to fight back and score two touchdowns, which gave the team confidence and boosted morale.
“We executed well and fought hard,” Morrow said. “We got two touchdowns in the second quarter which gave us a chance to comeback.”
Quarterback Jacob Silvera was sacked seven times by the Seahawk’s defense, throwing 9/28. Silvera had 8 carries for 82 yards and 130 passing yards.
“I thought the defensive guys played their hearts,” Morrow said. “We played decently on offense, Silvera threw a couple of good passes, we just weren’t consistent enough, especially in the third quarter.”
Throughout the game, the Mustangs were plagued by penalties, moving the ball the opposite way it was desired to go. Mira Costa had seven penalties in key moments of the game, allowing Redondo to gain momentum.
“I don’t know if it was rivalry game made the boys over excited,” Morrow said. “We haven’t had those problems all year, but we definitely did tonight.”
After a rough season, the seniors had an emotional post game discussion. Many went up to say their final goodbye to their coaches. Big time players leaving include Tre Searcy, Ben Verbrugge, Dylan Tyrer, Juwan Johnson, and Glen Mitchel.
“We are going to have to improve our linebackers and our secondary,” Arrasmith said. “We are going to lose three offensive linemen, so theres no doubt we have to work in those areas”
The Mustangs ended their season with a record 3-7 and struggled with many injuries. This is the first time since 2007 that Costa Football was not able to make it to the California Interscholastic Federation.
“This year we have a new system offensively,” Morrow said. “It was a rough year but it helps having some kids return with plays under their belt which helps us in the following year.”
The Mustangs have already started to prepare for next season, and they look forward to being able to test out the new offensive system.
“During the off season, we need to work on our new offensive system,” Junior Jacob Silvera said. “We also need to work on getting stronger and practice defensive strategies which will hopefully pay off next season.
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