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Tailback Michael Okwo leaves a wake of Notre Dame players, with help from Greg Szbo (40) and Nick Wynand (9). Photo by Ray Vidal
by Steven Travers
Mira Costa sophomore Michael Okwo is the best football player in Southern California.
Friday evening at Waller Stadium, before 4,500 packed in fans (plus more lining the fences and various "cheap seats" circling the field), Okwo ran for 244 yards and four touchdowns. The last earned the Mustangs a 41-38 overtime victory over Notre Dame and a trip to the CIF Division III championships.
44 carries?
Paul Brown used to say of Jim Brown, "If you have a big gun, use it." When the press quizzed John McKay about handing it off to O.J. Simpson so many times, the Irishman would smile and say, "The ball's not heavy and he's not in a union."
Mira Costa coach Don Morrow is a better coach than he is a quotemaster. But he has abandoned all attempts at downplaying the role of his young superstar. Earlier in the season, Morrow conceded that Okwo was a talent, but signed off with the caveat that "He's still only a sophomore." After the Arcadia victory two weeks ago, Morrow acknowledged that "it looks like" Okwo might be a Division I college player some day." Now, Morrow says Okwo is the best football player in the South Bay, and absent a demurrer one can assume that he does not disagree with the talk that he is even better than that.
This Friday night, in the Southern Section Division III championship game, fans can make their judgment on who is better -- Okwo or Hart High's senior All-American quarterback, Kyle Matter.
Up to now, Matter has gotten all the ink. But that will soon change. The City of Manhattan Beach is going to have to build an extra lane on Artesia Boulevard to handle all the college recruiters and prep pigskin press writers who will wear out a path to Manhattan Beach to woo and sell this quiet, hard-working "great kid," as his coach says of him, over the next two years.
As for the title game, a coin flip was won by Hart, and the game will be played Friday, 7:30 p.m. at College of the Canyon in Valencia. Hart dispatched the other two superstars showcased in Division III this year. St. Francis was led by All-American quarterback John Sciarra, and All-Southern Section running back Mathew "The Horse" Milton. But it was not enough. Hart shut them out easily, 13-0. With all due respect to Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly, Loyola and the other Division I schools who play their title games in a major stadium, Division III has as much talent as any this year.
Now Morrow must focus on Hart. Of Matter, he says, "The only thing I have to say is this: Who let a college quarterback play high school ball?" That is before he can address a defense that could stop Sciarra and Milton cold. Will Hart be able to do the same to Okwo?
The prognostication here is a flat no, and not just because of Okwo's talent. Okwo runs behind one of the biggest, most rugged offensive lines in the state, led by 6-3, 245-pound senior Chris Voltattorni; 6-4, 339-pound (no misprint) senior Sean Finnerty; 255-pound junior Matt Koppell; and 6-5, 295-pound senior Erik Curtis.
"We've got the big guys blocking," says Okwo. "They work hard in the weight room and on the field. It pays off. All the guys contribute, it's not just one guy."
Finnerty, a surefire college player after graduation, bench presses 355 pounds.
"Michael's got a ways to go to catch up with us on the bench," he said, smiling.
"I only go 245," said Okwo.
However, being only 15 years old, one can expect him to lift three wheels before his senior year is over. Just last year, he was a freshman who got called up to varsity for the play-offs. This year, he is not only an All-American candidate at tailback, but a linebacker who closes the gaps on defense.
Defense was not the name of the game on Friday, though. It started out all Mira Costa. Notre Dame brought their usual big contingent of students, family and alumni. They wear uniforms that looks like their South Bend namesakes, and their reputation for football excellence is a known intimidation factor.
Costa's beach boys looked like the intimidators in the first quarter, however. They were hitting hard, recovering a fumble and following that up with a 36-yard field goal by Nick Wynand. Vincent Espinosa, who is everywhere in every game, recovered another fumble at the Mira Costa 16. Costa picked up still another loose ball on their own 40 with 45 seconds left in the first period. These all contributed to another Wynand field goal from 40 yards out, and a 16-yard touchdown scamper by Okwo.
Mira Costa drove again in the second quarter, capped by a one-yard TD by Okwo to take a 20-0 lead.
"Up 20-0, that reminded me of the Warren game," said Okwo. "We were up early, then they scored and came back. Their quarterback has speed. I know as a linebacker how hard he was to tackle. They had three backs who could run, but the quarterback's a huge factor. Every play we had to keep our eye on all three of those guys."
The quarterback in question was Phil Beckman. He engineered Notre Dame's first score, resulting in a Carlos Portillo touchdown to end the shutout. (Portillo is all of 5-4, 155 pounds.)
Beckman,
like Arcadia's J.D. Ziska, is athletic and a threat to throw or run. He threw
one touchdown pass (a 45-yarder in the third quarter), compiling 131 yards in
the air and 73 on the ground. He scored on a beautiful 50-yard run in the second
quarter. That was a wake-up call for Mira Costa.
"There's a natural tendency to let down," said Morrow, "although you still would rather be up 20-0 than tied 0-0. Still, if you're tied you tend to keep the pressure on. Against a good team you can't let down."
In the second period, the complexion of the game completely changed. Linebacker Jim Sharp, who made tackles all over the field throughout, recovered a rare Okwo fumble and ran it in 33 yards for a score that made the score 21-20 Notre Dame at the half.
All season long, Morrow's squad has out-conditioned opponents in the second half. No doubt the coach has outsmarted a few of his counterparts, too. Against Notre Dame's legendary Kevin Rooney, he had his work cut for him. For a while, it looked like Costa's magical season was going to end on this crisp, dark evening.
The teams came out hitting in the third. Costa laid so many hard licks to the Knights that a number of Notre Dame players had to be helped off the field throughout the game. Still, it was Notre Dame that was doing most of the hitting to begin the second half. A long touchdown run and a 45-yard TD pass from Beckman to Adam Weber (five receptions, 90 yards for the night) put the visitors up, 35-20. The title game was looking like an all Valley affair.
Not so fast.
Mira Costa regained its footing, drove the field, and (you guessed it) Okwo drove 15 yards with defenders draped all over his body to cut the margin to 35-26. Morrow opted to go for one, making it 35-27 at the end of three.
With 6:44 left in the last period, defensive back Nick Haley sacked Beckman for a 15-yard loss that set up Costa for a drive they needed to have. With all respect to Okwo, Mira Costa had other weapons. Senior co-captain J.R. Martinez is a cool, calm character at quarterback. He found the capable hands of receiver Morgan Ralls nine times for 61 of his 90 yards, including a seven-yard scoring strike, followed by another toss to Ralls for the tying two-point conversion.
Can
you say "excitement?"
Mira Costa held Notre Dame and got the ball back. But their drive to win the game in regulation ended when Martinez' pass was intercepted with 2:17 left.
Notre Dame scored on a 55-yard touchdown to win it -- except the play was called back on a penalty. They took the ball down the field again, and with six seconds left sent 5-5, 110-pound tenth grade kicker Michael Allen out on the field to win it with a 33-yard attempt.
Morrow called two timeouts to "ice" the diminutive sophomore. This week, Allen will be facing some razzing in the cafeteria, because he barely missed the attempt, forcing the game into overtime.
In overtime, Allen was on the mark, kicking a 36-yarder to give Notre Dame a 38-35 lead. No doubt he wished he could have had the earlier, shorter one, because Mira Costa was not to be stopped from 25 yards out (the spot given to teams in overtime).
Okwo pounded relentlessly on an exhausted Knight defense. But it all came down to a major decision on fourth-and two at the 17. Instead of lining Wynand up for a 34-yard tying kick, Morrow told Martinez to hand it off to Okwo, who had two yards and more in him to keep his team alive.
Three plays later, Okwo, seemingly carrying half the population of Sherman Oaks (and parts of Woodland Hills) on his back, refused to be tackled, taking the ball four yards for the touchdown that ended the game just before 11 p.m.
"Both teams made errors," said Okwo, "and both team's capitalized on the other's mistakes."
There may have been some errors, but this was one of the greatest high school sporting events anybody lucky enough to be there will ever see.
"This is history," said Okwo, who seems to appreciate his place in it. "After all the work we've gone through, it's paid off, and this is one of the greatest teams in Mira Costa history. They will be talking about this 20 years from now.
"Our coaches prepare us week in and week out. They set up a plan for us, and it's up to us to execute. I know Hart will be tough. I've heard a lot about Kyle Matter, and we respect him."
One freak play had the crowd on its feet at the beginning of the third quarter. Beckman took a snap, set the ball on the ground. Right guard Tim Volk picked up the "fumblerooski" and took it 80 yards for a score. Many fans, returning from the snack bar or rest rooms, missed the play, which Rooney had called earlier in a 0-0 tie vs. Damian.
Mira Costa advances with a record of 12-1, while Notre Dame saw their almost-perfect season end at 11-1-1. The Mission League champions were 3-0 in conference play.
Knight running back Jim Sharp ran for 61 yards, and played a great game despite having to be helped off the field after a first quarter hit.
"The
decision to run Okwo was easy," explained Morrow of the fourth down overtime
call. "It'll take me awhile to put this game in perspective. I just liked our
chances starting on their 25 (in overtime). There was an off-sides call that
set us back, but I felt no reason to panic. No matter the outcome, all year
we've had good second halves. We have senior maturity with those hogs (offensive
linemen) up front, and it made the difference."
Prediction vs. Hart: Mira Costa 30, Hart 27. ER