Palos Verdes’ football team got off to a slow start this season but proved it is still the team to beat for the Bay League championship winning a defensive battle with Mira Costa in the league opener Friday afternoon.
Led by 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end Shane Irwin, Palos Verdes’ defense recorded six sacks and kept pressure on Mira Costa quarterback David Arredondo throughout the game to escape with a 9-7 home win.
The victory extended the Sea Kings’ Bay League winning streak to 24 games as Palos Verdes (3-3, 1-0) is looking for their fifth straight league title.
Irwin and 6-foot-3, 215-pound defensive end Kyle Messinger were bookends for a defense that forced three interceptions and kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard until late in the game while handing Mira Costa (5-1, 0-1) its first loss of the season.
Palos Verdes drew first blood with a 10-play, 65-yard drive on its final possession of the first half. Irwin used his height to jump up and grab a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Nolls in the corner of the end zone and, after a failed extra point attempt, the Sea Kings went into halftime with a six-point lead.
A 28-yard field goal by Kyle Coale with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter increased Palos Verdes’ lead to 9-0.
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Mira Costa’s defense, which has given up only 85 points in six games, forced Palos Verdes to punt giving the Mustangs one last chance for a comeback victory with less than two minutes left in the game.
A 51-yard punt required Mira Costa to start from its own 7-yard line but a Tre Gonzalez interception thwarted the Mustang’s rally.
The Palos Verdes defense held Mira Costa’s running game to under 100 yards while Arredondo completed 20 of 27 passes for 184 yards and three interceptions.
Nolls finished 10 of 21 for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Mira Costa will now need help if it hopes to dethrone Palos Verdes for the Bay League title. The Mustangs host Peninsula in their Homecoming game Friday at 7 p.m..
Peninsula (2-4, 0-1) lost a heartbreaker to visiting Morningside (6-0, 1-0) whose touchdown with 5:38 left in the game gave the Monarchs a 24-21 victory.
“Peninsula has steadily gotten better the last few seasons and is always competitive,” Mira Costa head coach Don Morrow said,. “I’m glad we’re playing them at home.”
Peninsula is led by quarterback Daniel Schubert and receiver Jack Grimes.
Morningside will have its toughest of the season when it travels to Redondo for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday.
Redondo (5-1, 1-0) will be celebrating its Homecoming game after defeating Inglewood 37-13 in the Bay League opener for both teams.
The Sea Hawks jumped out to a 37-0 lead and never looked back but will face a Morningside teams that continues to gain confidence.
Back-up quarterback Travion McGee led the Monarchs to their road win at Peninsula going 17-of-34 passing for 382 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
McGee’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Jaylin Wright with less than six minutes remaining proved to be the game winner while giving Morningside its first lead of the game.
