Peninsula Has Cards in a Game of Tricks

There were plenty of trick plays in Palos Verdes Peninsula’s 35-14 victory over Chino Hills Ayala in Friday’s Division II championship game, but the biggest surprise wasn’t a play at all.

Ayala had scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to cut Peninsula’s lead to 21-14, and Peninsula’s offense looked suspect. It faced a fourth-and-four at midfield, and had lined up as if it were going for the first down.

But quarterback Greg Beal back-pedaled into punt formation, which caused Ayala’s line to jump off-side.

The penalty gave the Panthers (14-0) a first down and Beal made Ayala pay for its mistake when he faked a handoff five plays later and ran around the right side for a 21-yard touchdown with 8:31 left in the game.

Ayala (11-2) tried to answer, but quarterback Mike Frost was intercepted for the second time, which led to Cabot Denny’s one-yard touchdown run with 1:53 remaining.

The Snouthern Section championship is the first for the school.

Beal got Peninsula started when he kept an option and ran 63 yards to the Bulldogs’ 17 on the Panthers’ third possession. He kept the drive alive with a quarterback sneak on fourth and inches at the eight, then hit tight end Tom Swaboda with a six-yard touchdown pass after a play-action fake.

Ayala moved the ball deep into Peninsula territory twice in the first half, but Tyler Bengard missed a 37-yard field goal attempt the first time and Frost was intercepted by Denny the next time.

That turnover, midway through the second quarter, led to the Panthers’ second score. Denny took a handoff from the fullback position, tore through the line and then bounced outside for a 41-yard touchdown.

The Panthers scored again on their next possession, going 53 yards in seven plays and scoring on Beal’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Miyoshi to make it 21-0 after the point-after.

Ayala’s third-quarter touchdowns were scored by Matt Johnson and Billy Wagner.