‘Freaky Friday’ Sees Marina Win, Westminster Fall

After only two weeks, a trend has been set in the Sunset League. Predictability is out. Upsets, in a variety of forms, are in. The league race has become a soap opera, complete with curious subplots and characters with multiple personalities.

In our last episode, Westminster did away with Edison to gain a suprising edge in the early struggle for power. It had happened only once in the last 12 years, and viewers were dumbfounded.

We return this week to a “Freaky Friday” to find that there will be no Dynasty in Westminster and Marina playing the role of the heavy.

The Vikings piled up 336 yards and four touchdowns rushing en route to a 35-0 win over Fountain Valley in front of approximately 4,000 spectators in LeBard Stadium. Meanwhile, Westminster was being upset by Huntington Beach, 21-0. Marina, who some considered the underdog against Fountain Valley, finished the night as the new favorite for the league title.

Stay tuned. That could change next week.

That Marina (2-0, 4-2-1) was able to outscore a Fountain Valley team that has sputtered thus far is not altogether surprising. But 35-0? That script would have been thrown out before it went to production. Who’d believe it?

And who would have figured that Marina running back Mike Stafford, who hadn’t rushed for more than 88 yards in a game all season, would wind up with 185 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. Sean Magula, Stafford’s running mate, finished with 114 yards on 16 carries and quarterback Rick Vanderriet broke free for a 53-yard run late in the fourth quarter to enable the Vikings to pile up some big numbers on the ground.

Marina Coach Dave Thompson watched all this transpire and offered the following, uh, explanation: “Everything worked!”

Thompson will never be accused of over-exagerrating. While the Viking defense was recording its second shutout of the season, the offense was enjoying its most productive night. The result was nearly enough to leave Thompson at a loss for words.

Fountain Valley Coach Mike Milner could think of a few. When asked what Marina’s offense did that gave the Barons trouble, Milner replied: “Everything they did gave us trouble. It’s been a while since we’ve given up 35 points.”

It took nearly all of the first quarter for either team to generate any offense, but the Vikings got things started with just one play. Stafford took a pitch from Vanderriet on an option around right end and sprinted untouched to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left.

Magula scored on a 22-yard run with 3:39 left in the first half and Marina left the field at halftime with a 13-0 lead. At that point, the Vikings had 177 yards in total offense, all of it on the ground.

Vanderriet didn’t complete a pass until the 8:30 mark of the third quarter, but that was a 22-yard gain to Brian Sterzer that set up Marina’s next score. Vanderriet hit Sean Barbosa for a four-yard touchdown pass, then threw to tight end Preston Hayslette for a two-point conversion and a 21-0 lead.

Fountain Valley struggled the whole night. One possession early in the fourth quarter best illustrated the kind of night it was as the Barons had their 20th homecoming celebration spoiled.

A holding penalty nullified Dennis Arey’s diving catch that would have given Fountain Valley a first down on the Marina 1. Two plays later, quarterback John Peart scrambled to find Chris Neria open for a 40-yard touchdown pass, only to watch the officials decide he had thrown the ball from beyond the line of scrimmage. Touchdown turned to fourth down. Fourth down turned to first down for Marina.

And two plays later, Stafford broke sharply to the outside at the Fountain Valley 40 and outran Baron defenders to the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown.

Stafford added a four-yard touchdown run with 6:30 to play, a score that was set up by defensive back Bill Craft’s fourth interception of the season.