By Eric Brodkin
Staff Writer
On Oct.14, the Mustangs beat Santa Monica High School, 42-6, in the Homecoming game.
The defense rebounded, holding the Viking’s offense at six points in the first half and scoreless in the second half. Senior wide receiver Cole Crotty was also recognized on the Homecoming court during halftime.
“After our game against PV, we made sure to keep our heads up and to practice hard for the next upcoming game,” sophomore safety Eli Cebula said. “We had a week filled with great practice, and we were able to bounce back with a good win.”
In the first half, the Mustangs were able to put 28 points on the board, with two passing touchdowns caught by Reese Leonard in addition to two rushing touchdowns by junior fullback Jacob Goldberg and senior running back Matthew Kraskouskas. According to sophomore quarterback Nico De La Cruz, Costa’s offense improved against Santa Monica after the Mustangs struggled to score against Palos Verdes High School in their previous game on Oct. 7.
“We just went back to the basic stuff in our offense,” De La Cruz said. “We knew that would work instead of trying new things.”
According to Cebula, having all of the students and fans show up to watch their team play created a supportive environment. The bleachers were energetic, and the Mustangs had a home field advantage for the entirety of the game, according to Cebula.
“The atmosphere at the game was amazing,” Cebula said. “We brought together so many students to cheer us on, which was great.”In the second half, the offense continued to score, but the defense was able to shut them down. De La Cruz contributed to the win, throwing one more touchdown and sealing the game for the Mustangs.
“We put in lots of preparation [for] this game,” De La Cruz said. “We wanted to come back after a bad performance against PV.”
The Mustangs had the opportunity to put in a few different players toward the end of the game. Senior quarterback Dylan Carr, junior running back Matt Miller, and junior offensive lineman Jaden Crow got field time, helping the team to close one of the biggest games of the season.
“It’s always great to see the guys that don’t get a lot of playing time go in the game, and especially our guys because of the bond that we have,” De La Cruz said. “It’s just special to see them play because they cheer us on every game, so us cheering them on is something that we can do to show our appreciation.”
The Mustangs will play Peninsula tonight at home at 7 P.M. According to Cebula, the Mustangs’ goal is to end the season with more wins.
“To win the rest of the games in our season we need to keep the same intensity we’ve had all year,” Cebula said. “We have to stay locked in and practice hard for these upcoming games.”
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