2-A Playoffs Tonight : Opposites Attract in Quarterfinals : It’ll Be Run Versus Pass When San Pasqual, Mar Vista Meet

Neither San Pasqual High School nor Mar Vista had won a football league title in the 1980s until this season. Neither had made the San Diego Section 2-A playoffs in recent years--San Pasqual last qualifying in 1980, Mar Vista in 1973.

So much for the similarities. When the teams meet in the quarterfinals at San Pasqual tonight at 7:30, strategically, it will be a matchup of extreme opposites.

San Pasqual relies on the run. Fullback Dave Emerson grinds out his yards inside, and Juan Garcia is the threat to run outside.

Mar Vista throws the ball more. Quarterback John Amaya has passed for 18 touchdowns and nearly 1,400 yards. Rafael Santiago was the ninth-leading receiver in the county with 37 catches and 7 touchdowns.

Mar Vista used three touchdown passes to beat Crawford in the first round of the playoffs, 21-0. The running game is employed mainly to set up the pass. But Mar Vista’s running game could be set back tonight because fullback Tony Mendevil will probably be sidelined because of a severe contusion in his forearm.

San Pasqual is beginning to open up its offense a bit, throwing the ball a little more in its last two games after Coach Mike Dolan replaced senior quarterback Jon Busch with junior Andy Loveland.

Dolan said a key to tonight’s game will be the play of his offensive guards, Rick Petrungaro and Eric Thomas. Mar Vista has a huge defensive line and Petrungaro and Thomas, a pair of 185-pounders, will be hard pressed to consistently open holes for San Pasqual’s running backs.