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Mustangs come from behind to beat against Beverly Hills
by Quentin Haigh
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Quarterback Keith Ellison rolls over one Beverly Hills defender while shaking off another on his way to gaining 220 yards on the ground. Photo by Ray Vidal |
The Mira Costa Mustangs proved to be too much for Beverly Hills last Friday, beating them 28-14, and continuing their unbeaten streak of 7 games. They also earned a ranking of 22 in the Los Angeles Times Top 25 for the second week in a row.
The Mustangs started well against Beverly Hills with a 60-yard return on the opening kick off by Michael Wiltsie. Beverly Hills played solid defense, however, forcing Costa to take a 41-yard field goal which was blocked with 9:40 to go in the first quarter. With 5:08 left in the first quarter, Beverly Hills scored a touchdown on third and one, to take a 7-0 lead.
With 4:09 on the clock, Costa quarterback Peter Dobush fumbled on a sneak play, giving Beverly Hills the ball on their own 24-yard line. Just a few plays later, with 3:20 to go in the first, Costa wide receiver and cornerback Nick Haley made an interception on the 50-yard line. This led to an impressive drive, with Dobush connecting with wide receiver Austin Jefferson on a 12-yard pass to the 11-yard line with 1:06 left in the first. An 11-yard rushing touchdown by running back Michael Okwo evened the score at 7-7 with 44 seconds on the clock.
Beverly Hills established another lead late in the second quarter, scoring on a 2-yard run with 1:32 left in the second quarter, making the score 14-7. Nick Haley then made another outstanding 80-yard return on the ensuing kick off, only to fumble, giving the ball to Beverly Hills on their own 11-yard line with 1:00 to go in the second. Beverly Hills’ running back made a phenomenal 82-yard run to the Costa 4-yard line where the runner was caught from behind by Gregor McIver. With 23 seconds left in the second, Beverly tried to put it into the end zone for the score, but their quarterback was sacked by Austin Liggett on the 1-yard line on the last play of the first half.
Michael Okwo committed a rare fumble on Costa’s first possession of the second half with 9:06 to go on the 49-yard line, giving the ball back to Beverly Hills. Costa Defensive Lineman Andrew Lyons made a sack on Beverly’s second and 11 play, helping Costa to force a punt by Beverly on a fourth and 9 on Costa’s 39-yard line. Beverly Hills dropped the snap on the kick and Costa got the ball back at the same place. With 6:46 now left in the third quarter, Costa made something happen. Nick Haley caught a screen pass for 16 yards, followed up by a 53-yard touchdown reception by tight end Devin Adair with 5:27 to go in the third, tying the score again at 14-14. Beverly Hills fumbled late in the quarter, giving Costa cornerback Tyler Caldwell the ball on the 33-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock for the quarter.
Costa hurried up the field with a 9-yard run by fullback Casey Sitchler, and then a 30-yard sneak by Dobush. Okwo then made a 14-yard run for the touchdown with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter, giving Costa their first lead of the game, 21-14. Beverly Hills fumbled on their first play after the ensuing kick off, and it was recovered by Costa’s Tyler Pringle on the 10-yard line. Dobush then made another sneak, this time for 10 yards into the end zone, making the score 28-14 with 9:01 to go in the game. A string of great defensive play wrapped up the game for Costa, including pass deflections by Caldwell and David Enos, as well as sacks by Sitchler, Adair, and Pringle.
"I’m really proud of our team, and how they stood up for themselves in the second half. It was our first really big test, seeing as it was our first time being down all year. We showed a lot of heart and pride in not giving up, and coming back for the win," commented Costa Linebacker Rob Ford who suffered a painful ankle injury in the previous week’s game against Redondo. ER