3-A SEMIFINAL : Improving Mira Mesa May Pose Problems for Morse

There are two points about Mira Mesa High School’s football season that should concern Morse Coach John Shacklett.

First is Morse’s 21-17 victory against Mira Mesa earlier this year.

Second is Mira Mesa’s 27-10 victory over Chula Vista in the quarterfinals Friday.

You see, Chula Vista was undefeated and had also defeated Mira Mesa, 14-0.

So Shacklett can’t expect the past to hold true to form in tonight’s 3-A section semifinal at 7:30 at Southwestern College.

Mira Mesa is looking to avenge a loss that easily could have been a victory.

Although Morse won, Mira Mesa was inside the Morse five twice in the second half, coming away with only three points. On its final possession, Mira Mesa drove to the Morse four, but the Tigers’ defense forced a fumble to clinch the victory.

“That’s a situation where you called ‘X’ and you wish you would have called ‘Y,’ ” said Mira Mesa Coach Brad Griffith. “It’s just part of the game. Get us in the same situation (tonight) and we might do something different.”

Tonight, Shacklett will try to make sure Mira Mesa does not get in position to win late, thereby keeping his Tigers from San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, where they have finished the previous two seasons.

Morse made sure that situation wouldn’t happen against San Dieguito in the second round. The Tigers scored 14 points before San Dieguito took a snap, and Morse rolled to a 42-21 victory at Southwestern College.

David Dunn--who caught a 73-yard touchdown pass--was the catalyst against San Dieguito. But in the teams’ first meeting, Mira Mesa kept him from catching a pass.

Which brings up the main problem with trying to stop the Morse offense: Just who do you go after?

Although Mira Mesa stopped Dunn, fullback Utotofo Faime rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown.

San Dieguito tried to focus on Morse’s running game, but Teddy Lawrence completed seven of 12 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns.

Then there’s Jessie Campbell, who ran for 1,012 yards this year.

The Morse defense is expected to focus on Mira Mesa’s running game. Quarterback J.J. Rowlett is always a threat when he runs, and running back Wayne Pittman, who had a 52-yard touchdown run against Chula Vista, is capable of the big play.

“We are going to have to make sure we punch it in when we get the chance,” Griffith said.

More than anything, Morse will have to make sure it doesn’t take Mira Mesa lightly. Last year, Morse was 8-1 and cruising into its final regular season game against Mira Mesa, a decided underdog. Mira Mesa won, 17-14, but Morse still advanced to the playoffs, where it defeated Orange Glen, 31-28, in the championship.

This time, Morse will not get a second chance.