By: Sophia Vaughn
After a tough loss to Palos Verdes last week, the Mustangs proved that even with a power outage in the fourth quarter, they can play lights out, defeating Peninsula, 35-28.
Mira Costa went up against the Peninsula Panthers at Waller Stadium on Oct. 11 at the annual Hall of Fame Game. A strong Mustang passing game and forceful defensive coverage allowed Costa to pull out the win.
“I feel our defense played very aggressive, blocking passes and stopping the ball quickly on runs which was very crucial knowing their quarterback was a very good athlete, “ senior linebacker Chase Harding said.
The Mustangs struggled to find their rhythm in the first quarter, and despite key runs by senior wide receiver Jackson Fischer and junior quarterback Sam Whitney, were unable to convert in the red zone. Costa also struggled with ball security, and fumbled at the two-yard line. However, all of that changes in the final minutes, as Whitney connected with sophomore wide receiver Kayle Marsh for a 70-yard touchdown, making the score 7-0.
“I thought that the defense operated really well and was able to shut down the run effectively,” senior offensive lineman Vincent Real said.
Costa’s dominance continued into the second quarter, when Whitney once again made a 17-yard pass to Fischer for another Costa touchdown. The Mustang defense also delivered, as junior safety Jaden MacDonald forced a Peninsula turnover, leaving the ball in Costa’s hands for a majority of the quarter. The Mustangs closed out the half with a 14-0 lead.
“Offensively, I thought the offensive line did a good job giving the quarterback time to throw, and I thought the receivers did a great job fighting for the extra yards, “ Real said.
The Mustangs started off the second half determined to put more points on the board, and executed a 17-yard passing touchdown to senior wide receiver Kian Towfighi, making the score 21-0. However, the Panthers refused to back down, and answered with three touchdowns, tying up the game, 21-21.
“I think we started the game really strong, but began to fatigue in the 3rd quarter and allowed too many unanswered points, “ Real said.
After a loss of momentum in the third quarter, Costa quickly bounced back when Whitney completed another 3-yard pass to junior wide receiver Thomas Southey, who was under tight coverage in the end zone, for a Costa touchdown. Peninsula answered with another touchdown, but the Mustang dominance continued when junior defensive back Bryce Carlisle intercepted a Peninsula ball, setting up a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Fischer. With three minutes left on the clock, the field lights went out, and after the light eventually came back on, Costa took back the power and a 35-28 win.
“I think we did an excellent job executing in the fourth quarter when we needed to come away with a win, “ senior linebacker David Bugdanowitz said.
The Mustangs, now 4-3 overall and 1-1 in Bay League, will face Leuzinger High School at Leuzinger on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. With only three games left in the regular season, Costa must secure at least two more wins to earn a spot in the playoffs.
“I think this next week we can definitely work on our endurance, we got a little worn out by the second half making the score a little closer than it should have been, “ Harding said.
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