Harbor Beats Pierce, 10-0, as Defense Dominates

Harbor College relied on running back Ira Moreland and kicker Jon Williams to grind out a 10-0 victory over host Pierce in a Western State Conference game Saturday night.

Moreland (18 carries for 99 yards) dashed four yards for the game’s lone touchdown with 12 minutes, 48 seconds remaining. Williams connected on a 41-yard field goal at the eight-minute mark of the third quarter to break a scoreless tie.

On a night filled with conservative play-calling from both teams, the Seahawks (2-0 overall, 1-0 in conference) took advantage of a partially blocked Fernando Garcia punt to set up the touchdown. Tim Young burst through the line to deflect the punt and Jeff Keith caught it in mid-air at the Pierce 21, returning it 10 yards.

A 27-yard punt by Garcia to the Seahawk 47 in the third quarter put Harbor in position for its first score. Sparked by the churning runs of T. J. Palaita (17 carries, 62 yards), Harbor worked the ball to the 24 before Williams came in to kick the three-pointer.

The respective defenses stole the spotlight in the first half. Harbor, led by the aggressive play of tackle Brandon Johnson, held Pierce to 84 total yards in the first half, 63 on the ground. Pierce was nearly as effective against the Seahawks’ multiple T formations, limiting them to 109 yards, 98 of them rushing.

Harbor finished with 219 offensive yards, 208 on the ground. Pierce was held to 188 yards on offense overall. Erik Thomas rushed for 41 yards on 12 attempts to lead the Brahmas, and David Doyle caught five passes for 35 yards.

There was just one scoring threat in the first half. Harbor missed an almost certain touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter when cornerback Eric Williams stepped in front of a pass intended for Pierce wide receiver Dan Alexander. But with 75 yards of open field in front of him, Williams juggled and then dropped the ball.