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Okwo's four TD's keeps Mustang streak running
by Steven Travers
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Redondo's Eddie Topps breaks through the Mustang line for a three-yard run into the endzone at the end of the first half.. Photo by Ray Valdes |
In the Battle of the Beach, before 1,200 fans at Redondo Union's Sea Hawk Bowl Friday night, the Mira Costa Mustangs upended their arch-rivals, the Redondo Sea Hawks, 36-21.
Costa running back Michael Okwo carried 27 times for 105 yards and four touchdowns.
Morgan Shaening added 94 yards on 10 carries for Mira Costa, while quarterback J.R. Martinez went to the air 11 times, completing five passes for 139 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown was a 70-yard first half bomb to Gregory Sabo.
"Our defense played great," said Mira Costa coach Don Morrow. "Both of our key runners (Okwo and Shaening) showed balance, and Martinez helps us to strive for a balanced attack. I think we got stronger in the second half, we condition for that, and we were pumped up playing before this big crowd. It was an exhausting game, but we finally got them in the end. I could tell Martinez would be on because of his pre-game accuracy."
Mira Costa is now 5-1 and 3-0 in the Bay League. Redondo is 5-1 and 2-1 in the Bay League. Morgan Ralls added 69 yards on four receptions for Costa, while Eddie Topps caught six passes for 30 yards for Redondo. Christopher Coleman went to the air 22 times for the Seahawks. He was intercepted twice while completing 10 passes for 92 yards. Redondo's lack of a ground attack, especially in the second half, was their undoing. It forced Coleman to thrown into a Costa secondary, which was able to pin their ears back and blitz. Nick Wynand had a key interception for Mira Costa, and added a perfect 4-for-4 extra points.
Aside from conditioning, Mira Costa was decidedly bigger than Redondo, a team they have beaten every year since 1992. Redondo had designs on bigger and better things, however, coming in to the contest with an undefeated record.
A key play occurred in the first half when Shaening broke free for a 59-yard run to help set up the score that allowed Mira Costa to go ahead in what, up until then, was a stalemate.
"We were anticipating a blitz," Morrow explained, and this allowed Shaening to break free of the congestion at the line.
Things started off well for Redondo. Coleman was accurate and moved his team down the field. In the first quarter Dustin Zamboni started things out with a 47-yard field goal.
Mira Costa held Redondo when they had to, got the ball back and drove for a touchdown, a two-yard scamper by Okwo in the second quarter.
Martinez was conservative, but when he put the ball in the air, good things happened. The first good thing was his second quarter, 70-yard strike to Sabo for the touchdown that gave Costa a 14-3 lead. Redondo closed out the first half strong, however, when Topps ran in from three yards out. The botched extra point worked into a two-point conversion, however, when Coleman picked up the errant football and found Mark Reyes in the end zone to make it 14-11.
Zamboni's 22-yard field goal for Redondo knotted things at the half, 14-14.
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Mira Costa's Morgan Schaening eludes Redondo defensive back Terrence Loving on his way to running up 94 yards against the Sea Hawks. Photo by Ray Valdes |
Redondo carried their momentum into the second half, when Matt Krumwiede picked up a poor punt, the result of a mishandled snap, and, behind a wall of blockers scored from 60 yards out.
The rest of the game was all about Mira Costa's size, defense and conditioning. Okwo ran in from one, four and one yards out. After the final touchdown, Martinez hit Wynand for two to put the game out of reach, 36-21.
The injury report was not good for Mira Costa. Early word on receiver Keith Ellison was that he suffered a broken arm.
Aaron Liggett also intercepted a pass for Mira Costa, while Terrence Loving picked one off for Redondo.