DIVISION VII : Mira Costa Roughs Up Kennedy

ANAHEIM —  Kennedy quarterback Chris Clark’s tattered jersey and worn expression told the story. He had been sacked, harassed and thrown around by Manhattan Beach Mira Costa’s blitzing linebackers all night, and only after Kennedy’s 23-19 loss in Saturday’s Southern Section Division VII semifinals at Western High did Clark finally have time to come up for air.

Mira Costa (12-1) physically dominated a smaller Kennedy team much the same way Anaheim did earlier in the season when the Fighting Irish (11-2) were handed their only previous defeat. Mira Costa will play Rancho Alamitos Friday night at a neutral site for the Division VII championship.

“I have to give it up to them,” Clark said. “They have a real good team.”

If the Mustangs play defense the way they did Saturday, Rancho Alamitos could be in for a long night.

Clark was sacked only three times, but he was pressured nearly every time he threw one of his 24 passes.

Clark finished 12 of 24 for 130 yards with an interception and a touchdown.

“The most frustrating thing is that I couldn’t get outside with the ball,” Clark said.

Mira Costa Coach Dan Morrow said his defense didn’t do anything special to pressure Clark.

“It was our standard blitz defense,” he said. “We brought corners and linebackers and it seemed to work.”

The most important blitz of the game came from Mira Costa linebacker Dennis Hughes.

As he had most of the night, Hughes came flying in the backfield untouched and hit Clark and the ball at the same time. Clark’s wobbly pass was intercepted by linebacker Isaac Marin, who stepped in front of receiver Wes Morris at the Kennedy 39 and ran down the sideline for a touchdown. Clark had a chance to tackle Marin at the 15, but he put a stutter-step move on Clark and went in untouched.

“Sometimes they didn’t block me and I got lucky,” Hughes said. “I hit the ball with my thumb just as he threw it.”

Marin’s touchdown put Mira Costa ahead, 20-6, with 10:29 remaining.

To Clark’s credit, he never retreated. Kennedy, aided by two 15-yard penalties and a 35-yard kickoff came back and scored in just over a minute. Marino scored the touchdown on a 26-yard draw play to make it 20-13.

The Fighting Irish got the ball back with 5:22 remaining after stopping Mira Costa’s 265-pound fullback Phil Fonua (six carries for 19 yards, two touchdowns) on fourth and two. But Clark’s two hurried passes and a Clark scramble produced only three yards. Kennedy then faked a punt on fourth and seven, but Fonua was waiting for Jason Myles, who caught a pass from punter Jon Aiwazzi, four yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Mira Costa, behind the running of tailback Mike Fikes (136 yards in 28 carries) drove down and kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:20 left to put the game away.

Clark closed out the Kennedy scoring by hitting his brother Mike in the back of the end zone on a 30-yard pass with 11 seconds left. It was one of the only passes all night that Clark was able to throw off his front foot.