Marina Shuts Down Millikan, 6-0 : Improved Vikings Get 3 Interceptions, 3 Fumble Recoveries

An 18-game losing streak spanning three seasons seems like a distant memory after Marina High School rolled to its second consecutive victory Thursday night with a 6-0 victory over Long Beach Millikan at Westminster High School.

Marina (2-3) scored the game’s only points in the first quarter when quarterback David Schultz found split end Darren Fields wide open in Millikan’s secondary and Fields turned the pass play into a 42-yard touchdown. Dan Armstrong’s extra point try was blocked.

Marina made the most of one touchdown as free safety Jim Lasch anchored a solid defense that intercepted three passes and recovered three fumbles. Lasch intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter as Millikan (3-2) managed only one first down in the second half.

“It was an ugly win,” first-year Coach John Seeley said. “We did some real dumb things. But it’s a new feeling for the kids to win, and I’m happy for them. We still haven’t turned the corner, and we still haven’t played four good quarters.”

Millikan failed to complete a pass and its option attack generated only 82 yards. Marina’s running game also sputtered as the Vikings totaled only 39 yards to complement Schultz’s 120 yards passing.

Marina’s only touchdown was set up by a fumble recovery by Jim Kruse on a misplayed punt return. Kruse’s recovery gave the Vikings a first down at Millikan’s 42, and Schultz didn’t waste any time capitalizing on the mistake.

The third-year starting quarterback found Fields open on a slant across the middle and Fields sprinted ahead of two defenders for the score. Fields, the county’s leading receiver coming into the game with 27 receptions, caught three passes for 68 yards.

Afterward, Seeley credited his secondary for the victory.

“We were worried about the secondary at the beginning of the year,” he said. “We got hurt deep against Los Alamitos and Corona del Mar. But we’ve intercepted seven passes in our last two games, so I’m real encouraged with our progress.”

Fields, playing strong safety, also had an interception and Chad Durand had a fumble recovery as Marina recorded its first shutout in three years.

Once the doormat of the Sunset League, the Vikings should be competitive with any team in what appears to be a wide-open race for the league title. The first test is next week, when Marina meets rival Westminster.