Empire League : Speed No Factor in 35-0 Pacifica Victory : Mariners Efficient in Shutting Down Katella’s Quick Backs

Pacifica High School chalked up a big win for the tortoise over the hare in Friday’s Empire League opener.

Pacifica beat Katella, 35-0, in front of 1,600 spectators at Glover Stadium. It was Pacifica’s largest margin of victory since joining the league five years ago and the Mariners accomplished the feat without ever threatening the speed limit.

The Mariners, with a modest 2-2 record, had 364 yards total offense while limiting the Knights to 35.

Pacifica simply scored a touchdown about every seven minutes in the first half, a business-like approach that produced an inevitable seven points, as regular as clockwork. When a team is as efficient and well-rounded as the Mariners, speed is not necessarily essential.

Running back Tony Caceda carried the ball 22 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. But Caceda’s 5-foot-6, 145-pound frame is somewhat deceptive; he has won weightlifting titles.

Katella (1-3) had speed to burn in the form of quarterback Greg Portis and running back Terry Johnson, the league’s second leading rusher entering the game. But the Mariner defensive line, with Jason Brusuelas and Robert Joubert, proved a formidable obstacle to penetrate.

Pacifica Coach Bill Craven’s plan was to prevent Katella’s speedsters from breaking the big plays. He stationed jack-of-all-trades Bill Hardesty, who also caught also two passes and rushed for 38 yards, as the main deterrent at strong safety. In Hardesty’s case, the word “strong” is no throwaway. He looks more like a linebacker.

The Craven defensive strategy worked well. Johnson is the CIF Southern Section hurdles champion and Portis is a good scrambler, but they were forced to expend most of their efforts running sideways and backwards.

Last week, Johnson gained 170 yards against Orange. This time, he managed only 19 yards on 10 carries, and the experience of running into the Pacifica line at every turn probably made running a set of hurdles seem like harmless recreation. Consequently, Katella never maintained possession of the ball for more than five straight plays.

Meanwhile, Mariner quarterback Scott Pettit guided his team to a 21-0 lead at the half. Caceda, Hardesty, and Pettit each scored on short touchdown runs. Pettit left the game just two passes into the second half, finishing with 8 completions in 15 attempts for 97 yards.

Esperanza 27, Cypress 2--Aztec quarterback Greg Beckman took his team 42 yards in the first quarter, the touchdown coming on a 14-yard pass to Tom Valadez.

Midway through the second quarter, Esperanza (1-3) scored again on Don Herrick’s one-yard run.

Cypress was credited with a safety in the second quarter when Esperanza kicker Eric Cox fumbled a snap in the end zone and was tackled by Jeff Ballinger.

Beckman scored on a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter, and Rich Poole’s capped the scoring with a six-yard run with three seconds remaining .