Mira Costa saw its football season come to an end after the Mustangs failed to hold lead on three occasions in a wild 49-42 loss at Bay League rival West Torrance in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section/Ford Northern Division Championships.
The game featured two of the area’s top running backs. Mira Costa senior Raphael Lawson-Gayle had another fine performance gaining 128 yards on 16 carries including a 64-yard touchdown run to give the Mustangs a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Lawson-Gayle finished the season with 1,454 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns on 185 carries.
Mira Costa’s defense held West running back Barry Thomas well under his season average limiting the South Bay’s leading rusher to 103 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries. Thomas entered the game averaging more than eight yards per carry.
But it was West quarterback Joey Notch who corralled the Mustang giving the Warriors their first win against Mira Costa since 2006.
Notch was involved in five of West’s seven touchdowns scoring on runs of 4, 12 and 9 yards while passing for 349 yards including a 9-yard scoring strike to tight end Mat Boesen. Notch sealed the victory with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown that put West up 49-35 with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
Mira Costa lineman Cory Sanicky capped off his prep career with three touchdown runs out of coach Don Morrow’s Rhino package where the 6-foot-1, 290-pound Sanicky and 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman R.J. Coleman comprise a powerful backfield in short-and-goal conditions.
The Mustangs had their share of big plays including a 35-yard touchdown run by Sebastian Franck-Love in the third quarter and a 68-yard scoring reception by Lawson-Gayle from quarterback Ryan Sweigart.
West (9-3) advances to the semifinals where it will face host Atascadero (6-6).
Bay League champion and third-seeded Palos Verdes (9-3) routed Hart 49-28 on the road and will play at second-seeded Valencia (9-3) Friday at 7 p.m.
In the Northwest Division, fourth-seeded North Torrance (10-2) eliminated Gladstone 42-34 and will host top-seeded Bishop Diego (12-0) in the semifinals Friday. El Segundo (7-5) had its season come to an end with a 14-10 loss to Pioneer League rival Centennial of Compton.
Serra (10-2) advance to the Western Division semifinals with a 49-6 rout of Santa Monica.
