Pacifica Beats Los Amigos to Stay in Race

Pacifica Coach Bill Craven, who has been in the thick of many title races during his 17 seasons at the school, figured weeks ago that the Mariners needed to win their remaining four games to stay in playoff contention in the Garden Grove League.

The Mariners are three-fourths of the way there after beating Los Amigos, 9-0, Friday night at Garden Grove High. The victory gives Pacifica (6-3, 4-2 in league) sole possession of third place and drops Los Amigos (4-3-2, 3-2-1) into a tie with Kennedy for fourth place and practically out of the playoffs.

Los Amigos closes the league season Thursday against Rancho Alamitos, unbeaten in league play and ranked second in the county, and Pacifica faces second-place Garden Grove Friday.

“We got three out of the way,” Craven said.

Pacifica accomplished the task with an outstanding defensive effort that limited the Lobos to 136 total yards. Three of the best efforts were turned in by defensive ends Jason Cousins and Aaron Bremer. Cousins, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior, sacked Los Amigos quarterback Ape Tuato twice--Pete Keseloff also had a sack for the Mariners--and Bremer intercepted a Tuato pass late in the game that pretty much cemented the victory.

“They (Mariners) won the line of scrimmage,” Los Amigos Coach Steve Bolton said. “When you can control the line like they did tonight, there’s very little you can do offensively.”

Los Amigos could do little with the ball and Pacifica--184 total yards--not much more, but enough to win.

The Mariners scored on their first possession when quarterback Brian Wolfson combined with wide receiver Paul Dillman on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds to play in the first quarter. One of the key plays in the 51-yard drive was an 11-yard pass from Wolfson to Jeff DePippo on a third-and-nine from the Lobo 26.

With time running out before the half, Pacifica capitalized on a Los Amigos miscue to score its last three points.

On a fourth-and-eight play from the Mariners’ 40-yard line, Dillman punted, but Sunly Sa fumbled the punt and Tommy Yatco recovered for the Mariners at the Los Amigos 30 with 20 seconds to go in the second quarter. After an incompletion by Wolfson, Dillman kicked a 45-yard field goal for the final score of the night.

Los Amigos was never able to penetrate beyond the Mariner 27-yard line and the Lobos crossed midfield only three times in their eight possessions.

“They (Pacifica defense) scrapped around. They did a great job,” Craven said. “If you asked me before the game, I wouldn’t have guessed we were going to shut them out.”

It was the sixth consecutive victory for Pacifica over Los Amigos.