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Hart breaks Mira Costa in championship game
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Mira Costa’s defensive line halted Hart’s running game, but couldn’t stop quarterback Kyle Matter from passing. Photo by Ray Vidal |
Defending CIF Southern Section Division III champion Hart, one of the nation's top passing outfits, posed problems right off the bat for Mira Costa coach Don Morrow when the Mustangs traveled to the College of the Canyons Friday night for the Division III finals.
Hart’s no-huddle, shotgun/spread offense and multiple sets was just too much. Hart quarterback Kyle Matter completed an incredible 27 of 31 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Indians (12-2) ended the Mustangs (12-2) dream season. It was Hart's third section title in four years. The final score was 34-11.
"Matter was just incredible," said renowned Hart coach Mike Herrington, "especially with the pressure of a title game like this."
Matter completed 10 passes in a row in one series and 12 in a row in a second series.
"Kyle Matter is the best quarterback in the country," said Herrington.
Matter is definitely the best quarterback in the Southern Section, finishing with 1144 yards in four playoff games, with over 3,800 and 33 touchdowns in this, his senior year. The 4.6 GPA student will be at Stanford next year.
He follows Kyle Boller, who guided Hart to the title a few years back and is currently the starting quarterback at California. The two Hart alums could be facing each other in The Big Game soon. With all due respect to Matter, who is a top prep signal-caller, this reporter found his throwing motion slightly stiff, and lacking the fluidity seen in most great passers. However, it should be noted that another Stanford man, 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, threw the ball in a similar manner.
"There's a lot of tradition at this position here," said Herrington.
Mira Costa struck first. With sophomore running back Michael Okwo pounding into the line in his usual aggressive manner, the Mustangs drove to the Hart 20 to set up a 34-yard field goal by Nick Wynand.
Hart immediately threw the ball, spreading the defense with their no-huddle defense, not giving Mira Costa a chance to rest. They start close to the line of scrimmage and a substitute brings in the first call from the sideline -- a variety of plays are at their disposal.
"They did what we expected them to do," said Morrow. "We just couldn't stop them. We don't see these kinds of offensive sets, and Matter showed experience in making changes at the line of scrimmage. My hat's off to him."
Morrow and his defensive staff worked all week on taking the Indians out of their standard 5-2 defense and working on a variety of nickel and dime packages, as well as a 4-3 front to keep Hart honest.
It did not quite work. Diminutive Hart running back Mickey Mercado gained 106 yards against a defense primed for the pass. His eight-yard touchdown capped a 20-0 Hart run that iced it after Mira Costa closed the gap to 14-11.
"You can't blitz all the time," Morrow explained, "because they have too many weapons and too many plays to go to, depending on the coverage that Matter reads."
Mira Costa came in hoping to disguise their coverage. But Matter is an intelligent, cool character who refused to be kept off balance. Whatever Mira Costa tried has been tried before. Between Matters' ability and Herrington's system, Hart was almost unstoppable.
Hart's previous two championship game wins were victories over St. Paul in 1998, and Valencia last year.
"They're really good," said Morrow, adding that "we had a championship season, too, and I'm proud of this group."
The Indians scored six times on eight drives.
Hart was able to slow up Okwo just enough to force Mira Costa into relatively unfamiliar territory: The passing game. ER
Okwo had 111 yards on 25 carries, but in a reversal of his normal trend, was held to almost no yards in the second half.
With 1:30 left in the first half, Mira Costa went for a short yardage fourth down play, and Okwo was good for a three-yard gain.
Quarterback J.R. Martinez then hit favorite receiver Morgan Ralls for 22 yards, and tight end Wynand for 28.
That set up Okwo's four-yard touchdown run. After a two-point conversion, Costa was in business at 14-11.
But Hart broke Mira Costa’s heart in the next 10 seconds. Mercado went 15 yards on a surprise running play, to the Hart 40. Matter then hit Jake Norton deep, setting up Josh Cummings' impressive 36-yard field goal as the gun sounded to end the half at Hart 17, Mira Costa 11.
"We were right where we wanted to be at the half," was Morrow's assessment. "They just had too much offensively in the second half."
Mira Costa had one last goal line stand left in them at the end of the first drive of the third quarter, though, stopping Hart at the two to set up another Cummings field goal.
Mira Costa was still in the game, driving the field behind Martinez play-action passing until Matt Moore's interception spelled the beginning of the end for the visitors.
Mira Costa's huge offensive lineman, Sean Finnerty, summed up the evening and the season better than anybody: "We all played with everything we had, but it wasn't enough."
While most of the stars are graduating, Okwo still has two more years, and big things are expected of him. ER