Mira Costa junior quarterback David Arredondo smiled after maintaining his commitment to the seniors on his young Mustang football team.
For the second week in playoff competition, Mira Costa exploded in the second half for a convincing win Friday night defeating third-seeded North Torrance 35-21 in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division quarterfinals.
“Staying together and knowing the team we are kept us motivated in the second half,” Arredondo said. “When we were down at halftime in our first playoff game (at Ventura), we talked and agreed we were not going to lose for our seniors and their final run. We put together some drives with Omar (Morrison) carrying the ball, the O-line was doing its job and the defense came up big.”
All three Bay League teams have reached the semifinals with Mira Costa (10-2) having a rematch with league champion Palos Verdes (9-3). It will be a home game for second-seeded Palos Verdes, but since the Sea Kings do not have lights at their stadium, they will decide where to play the game. Redondo (10-2) held off visiting Oxnard 7-0 and will travel to face top-seeded Calabasas (11-1), a 33-7 winner over Lawndale, in the other semifinal game.
“We’re really young. We start four sophomores on defense which is unheard of around here,” Mira Costa head coach Don Morrow said. “Our guys just kept fighting and fighting. Hats off to (head coach) Todd Croce and North. They came over and played their fannies off.”
Mira Costa reeled of 28 unanswered points in the second half to secure the victory and a trip to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.
North took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter when quarterback Mique Juarez picked up his own fumble and sprinted 77 yards for the score. Juarez finished the game with three touchdowns adding to his school record 36 rushing touchdowns and 60 overall.
Keeping Juarez below his average of five touchdowns per game was a goal for the Mustangs.
“We wanted to have good edge pressure,” Morrow said. “Cameron (Alexander) and the two Tavais (Justus and Jonah) are pretty strong inside but Juarez still got loose a couple of times.”
Arredondo’s keeper from less than 1-yard out evened the score 7-7 with 1:42 left in the first half.
Juarez put the Saxons back on top 14-7 with an 86-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw before the Mustangs began their run.
Omar Morrison’s 3-yard touchdown run finished a six-play, 63-yard drive to tie the game 14-14 with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter. Mira Costa then capitalized on two North miscues.
A Juarez fumble scooped up and returned by Cody Kallenbach for a touchdown gave Mira Costa its first lead of the game and an interception by Sean Walker gave the Mustang’s a first-and-10 at the North 33-yard line.
Brandon Espeso hauled in a 29-yard reception before Arredondo called his own number for the score. Arredondo scored again on a 1-yard run to give Mira Costa a 35-14 lead with 7:08 left in regulation.
Juarez scored his third touchdown of the game on a 19-yard scamper with 1:08 remaining in the game
Arredondo finished with 70 yards and three touchdowns rushing while going 16 of 24 for 210 yards through the air, hitting his favorite target Ta’utino Sione six times for 101 yards.
Morrison was the workhorse for the Mustangs, finishing with 135 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries.
Juarez ran for 180 yards on 18 carries but had trouble locating receivers connecting only eight times in 32 attempts for 45 yards.
Morrow expects another physical battle with Palos Verdes. The Sea Kings edged the Mustangs 9-7 in their Bay League contest. Mira Costa’s two losses have come by a combined six points after dropping it rival game to Redondo 13-9.
“Both PV and Redondo have tremendous front fours,” Morrow said. “We’ve gotten better up front but that will be the challenge, to see if we can keep them off Dave (Arredondo) a little bit. When he has time, he’s pretty effective.”
Defending Western Division champion Palos Verdes is riding a nine-game winnig streak after its 20-3 win against Pacifica of Oxnard.
