SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION VI FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Tustin’s Potent Offense Takes Care of Pacifica

What docile account can ease you into the gory details of Tustin High School’s 44-14 pummeling of Pacifica in the quarterfinals of the Division VI playoffs Friday night at Bolsa Grande High School?

Well, the victory moved Tustin (12-0) into a semifinal game next Saturday against Rancho Alamitos. And there were 1,800 people at the game. But it isn’t a pretty picture--except for Tiller fans--from here on.

For starters, Tustin used a punishing ground attack that saw running back Ron Goods rush for 244 yards in 15 carries and score two touchdowns. Backfield partner Visko Ancich added four three-yard touchdown runs.

Goods had 141 of his yards in the first quarter and 182 by halftime. His two longest runs--one for 93 yards, the other for 45--went for Tustin touchdowns. Ancich finished the game with 76 yards in 17 carries.

Combined with quarterback Andy Borza’s 164 yards passing, and 30 yards from other rushers, the Tillers amassed 518 total yards while limiting Pacifica (8-4) to 235. In fact, Pacifica’s highly-touted running back, Derek Nicholson, managed only 22 yards in 10 carries.

The Tillers have outscored their two playoff opponents, 78-14.

And they went right at it during their first possession of the game Friday. Tustin marched to the Pacifica seven-yard line before holding and illegal procedure penalties killed the drive. The Tillers settled for a 32-yard field goal by Matt Coo.

Their next possession went without a glitch, however. Tustin covered 54 yards in seven plays and capped the drive with the first of Ancich’s touchdown runs with 4:31 left in the first quarter.

Pacifica rebounded a couple of minutes later with a touchdown on a play that nearly lost big yardage.

Nicholson got the handoff from quarterback Chris Castellano and was chased around the backfield until he spotted wide receiver Chris Maroney open on the flat and connected with him for a 49-yard touchdown.

The Mariners’ celebration didn’t last long, though. On Tustin’s ensuing possession, Goods dashed 93 yards along the left sideline on the first play for the score.

Ancich scored his second touchdown, Goods followed with his 45-yard scoring run and Ancich added the final touches with his last two touchdowns.

In the meantime, all Pacifica could muster was a touchdown on a 54-yard pass play from Castellano to wide receiver Scott Lesser early in the third quarter. But the outcome had been decided long before.

“We are just happy to be in this position,” Tustin Coach Marijon Ancich said. “This (Pacifica) is a good team. That score will fool you.”