Jacob Verket
Staff Writer
In a game that saw 23 combined penalties, numerous special team follies, and just enough power shifts kept the game interesting finishing with one team finally prevailed with a relentless running attack. All this happened when Mira Costa faced off against Downey at Allen Layne Stadium on Friday.
Mira Costa won 36-15 behind three touchdowns from senior running back Sebastian Frank-Love. Quarterbacks senior Greg Brisken and sophomore Jacob Silvera both ran the offense throughout the evening. They performed the two-quarterback system and together they led the team to victory.
“We’ve been switching them all throughout training camp,” coach Don Morrow said. “I always think seniors deserve the opportunity but I also think Jacob’s a great player.”
In the first quarter, Brisken threw a 35 yard touchdown to senior Brandon Mills to put the Mustangs up 7-0. Silvera got his first playing time in the second quarter, and led Costa toward the end zone, where Frank-Love ran the ball in from five yards out.
“I think there are advantages and disadvantages to playing both of us,” Silvera said. “We both have different types of skills that can be useful and help us this season.”
Costa was at fault for 13 of the game’s 23 penalties. Costa got the ball back with 2 minutes remaining in the first half, but an excess of penalties stopped the 2 minute play dead in its tracks, and Costa was forced to punt it away.
“You just set up practice situation and try to iron it out,” Morrow said. “There’s a discipline side to football too.”
Downey had an aggressive play calling style on defense, and Costa had to make a few adjustments during the week to counter Downey’s defense. After the touchdown pass on the first drive, it opened up a few holes in the running game.
“We added in a few plays and we worked a lot on what to do when their linebackers blitzed in certain spots,” Silvera said.
Downey was trying to disguise the blitzes all evening to confuse Costa’s offense, but was unsuccessful in gaining the lead. The Mustangs came up on top through junior Tre Searcy’s fourth quarter touchdown run, Frank-Love’s three touchdowns, and Mills’ receiving touchdown.
“I thought they had a very good way of disguising what type of defense they were in which made it very hard to know where their defenders would be during the play and that is an advantage for them,” Silvera said.
The special teams unit for Downey was using fake after fake. A successful fake punt in the first quarter, one unsuccessful pooch kick, one successful pooch kick recovered after a touchdown in the third quarter, and finally, an incomplete fake punt pass in the fourth quarter.
“We were pretty prepared,” Silvera said. “Some of the fakes still worked on us, but we did practice them during our practices.
Costa got out to a quick one-touchdown lead after going for it on fourth down, and they never gave it up. Their passing game is solid, but the running game was what proved to be the clincher. The Mustangs next face South Torrance High School in their first home game on Sept. 20 at 7 pm.
“We had an advantage in the trenches,” Morrow said. “Although we want to be balanced the best we can, running is our strength.”
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