Pacifica takes care of business against Kennedy

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Tyler Ortiz intercepted a pass at his team’s 30-yard line with 51 seconds left to protect Pacifica’s lead and give the Mariners a 17-7 victory over defending Southern Division champion Kennedy.

‘They just took it to us, and we didn’t expect that,’ Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson said. ‘They pounded us.’

Pacifica will play another Empire League team, Cypress, in the title game Friday.

Raymond Huizar rushed for one touchdown and passed for another for the Mariners. Huizar completed 12 of 19 passes for 123 yards, but Pacifica leaned heavily on junior running back Josh Brannon, who carried much of the responsibility for grinding out the clock. He had a 29-yard carry on Pacifica’s first scoring drive, which tied the score at 7-7.

Brannon carried 34 times for 222 yards.

‘He was running violent tonight, that’s why we kept giving it to him,’ Pacifica Coach Guy Gardner said. ‘And our offensive line was moving them.’

Pacifica added a field goal of 23 yards by Seth Trader in the third quarter.

-- Martin Henderson