Nearing the end of the football season means one thing – rivalry games. Anything can happen when two fierce adversaries face each other. Previous win-loss records can usually be discarded no matter if the contest is between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, a collegiate battle between USC and UCLA or at the high school level such as this week’s meeting between Mira Costa and Redondo.
In a battle for second place and a possible first-round home game in the CIF Southern Section-Ford Northern Division Championships, Mira Costa will host Redondo Thursday with the kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
On paper, it would be hard to find a more equal match up. Both teams have identical 4-5 season records and have competed against high-quality non-league opponents. Mira Costa and Redondo are both 3-1 in Bay League competition with their lone losses coming at the hands of a physical Palos Verdes team by nearly identical scores.
On Oct. 21, the Mustangs lost to the visiting Sea Kings 28-7. In an afternoon game last Friday, Redondo suffered its first league defeat when host Palos Verdes defeated the Sea Hawks 31-6.
Mira Costa enters the final regular season game after routing hapless Leuzinger (0-8, 0-4) 55-0 despite being without the services of top running back Brandon Edmond who sat out the game nursing an ankle injury. Edmond, who had three consecutive 100-yard rushing games before the Leuzinger contest, is expected to play against Redondo.
Raphael Lawson-Gayle filled in admirably scoring twice in the first quarter, reaching the end zone on a 51-yard pass play and later scoring on a 12-yard run.
Alec Weaver began the onslaught with a 10-yard run before Dominic Costa hauled in a 20-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Sweigart. Lawson-Gayle’s two scores sandwiched a Stephen Giovati 1-yard touchdown burst to put the Mustangs up 34-0 at the end of the first period.
In the second quarter, Madden Laing scored on a 4-yard run and Christian Koppel reached the end zone on a 4-yard run before adding an 18-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
It has taken awhile, but Mira Costa head coach Don Morrow may have found the quarterback he has been looking for to balance the Mustang offense. Making his fourth start of the season, Sweigart completed seven of 11 passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns against the Olympians.
Redondo is coming off a disappointing road loss where Palos Verdes rushed for 249 yards and three touchdowns and the Sea Hawk’s lone score came on a 4-yard pass from quarterback Harrison Faecher to Hunter Bradshaw with just under seven minutes left in the game.
Only a sophomore, Faecher continues to gain valuable experience while running a balanced offense with featured receivers Bradshaw and Davion Goodall and a running attack that includes Deon Williams, Anthony Philyaw and last season’s leading rusher Ryan Spiwak who has returned after suffering a hamstring injury early in the season.
Even in the event that Palos Verdes (7-2, 4-0) is upset by Peninsula (5-4, 1-3) in its rivalry game, the Sea Kings will enter the post season as the Bay League’s top representative after defeating Mira Costa and Redondo in head-to-head competition.
