Football falls to Pacifica in 1st Round of CIF Playoffs, 35-10

By: Sophia Vaughn

The Mustangs playoff run ended last Friday night, when, despite a hard fought battle, Costa was unable to topple the Pacifica Tritons, losing 35-10. 

Costa went up against the Pacifica High School Tritons on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at Pacifica High School. Going in, the Mustangs expected a challenging game, as the Tritons’ record was 9-1, and they were ranked as one of the top teams in the CIF Southern Division. The Mustangs were also in for a long road trip, and had to take a two hour bus ride to Oxnard for the playoff game.Costa struggled both offensively as defensively, as Pacifica managed to intercept five Costa balls and score five touchdowns.

“[We just went into the game thinking] You have to live it up playing football because you never get those moments back, “ senior offensive lineman Hank Dunlap said.

The first quarter was off to a rocky start for the Mustangs, as the Tritons quickly put two touchdowns on the board. Mira Costa’s junior quarterback Sam Whitney made some key pass plays, but Costa’s offense was unable to convert in the red zone, and the Mustangs ended the first quarter scoreless, with a score of 14-0.

The Mustangs continued to struggle in the second quarter, as the powerhouse Pacifica offense drove down the field for another touchdown, and the Costa defense was unable to stop the Pacifica run. However, the Mustangs refused to give up, and junior kicker Thomas Southey managed to score a Costa field goal as the seconds ticked down in the first half, making the score 21-3 heading into the locker room.

Costa entered the second half determined, and after another Triton touchdown, managed to answer with the first and only Costa touchdown of the night. Whitney took a shot deep downfield to sophomore wide receiver Kayle Marsh, who then sprinted into the end zone for a 31-yard pass play, putting the Mustangs back in the game as the third quarter came to an end, with a score of 28-10.

Unfortunately, the fourth quarter once again proved challenging for the Mustangs, and Whitney was injured early in the fourth quarter when Pacifica made their fifth sack of the night. A final Pacifica touchdown drive sealed Costa’s fate, and the Mustangs lost, 35-10.

“We just got to keep working hard, “ senior wide receiver Kian Towfighi. “Our younger Mustangs are really good at putting in the time and I think you’ve got a good younger team so it’s going to be a good year.”

Costa closes out their season with an overall record of 7-4. Despite a devastating close to the season, the Mustangs finish with a lot to be proud of, ending with a winning record, second place in Bay League, and their second consecutive win against rival Redondo. 

“They have a really great class coming up next year and they just need to keep playing like themselves and just being the leaders they are, “ senior wide receiver Jackson Fischer said. “I think they got this next year.”