Simi Valley Lets the Lead, Game Get Away

Reserve quarterback Ronnie Morrissette made a grand entrance Friday night for Hawthorne High. As a result, Simi Valley made a quick exit from the Southern Section Division III quarterfinals.

Playing quarterback exclusively in the fourth quarter, Morrissette threw three touchdown passes--the final one a 26-yard pass to Marquise Jones with 40 seconds to play--to give Hawthorne a stunning come-from-behind, 18-14 victory.

With 1 minute 14 seconds to play, Simi Valley (7-5) had the ball and a 14-12 lead, but running back Jevon Markarian fumbled at the Pioneer 47 and Morrissette, who also plays on defense, recovered. Five plays later, Morrissette zipped the game-winning pass to Jones.

Morrissette, who completed five of 10 for 139 yards in relief of an ineffective Kenji Tatum, hit Jones with a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut Simi Valley’s lead to 14-6 with 5:50 to play, and connected with Raul Sanchez on a 67-yard screen pass that went for a touchdown with 3:00 to play.

“It’s disappointing because we had the game in our hands,” Simi Valley Coach Stan Quina said. “Their athletic ability really showed. Oh, geez, what a heck of a player.”

Morrissette’s heroics notwithstanding, the Pioneers still had the game seemingly put away. After Hawthorne’s second score, the Cougars recovered an onside kick and set up at the 50. But Morrissette threw on first down into the hands of Simi Valley defensive back David Quitazol.

Three plays later, Markarian, who led all ballcarriers with 111 yards in 24 carries, fumbled.

“We didn’t get it easily,” Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins said. “They were tough. I don’t have enough hair for games like this.”

Simi Valley quarterback Eric Bennett, who completed 14 of 27 for 119 yards, led the Pioneers on touchdown drives in the first and third quarters.

Markarian’s two-yard touchdown run on Simi Valley’s first possession of the second half capped a 12-play, 77-yard drive.

Simi Valley drove 67 yards in seven plays on the game’s opening possession to take a 7-0 lead. Bennett completed only one pass on the drive, an 11-yard toss over the middle to Bryan Kalbfus for the touchdown.

Simi Valley threatened on two more first-half drives, but failed on lengthy field-goal attempts by Jeff Jagard. He came up short on attempts of 50 and 51 yards.

Hawthorne (10-2) sputtered on five first-half possessions. The Cougars came close to scoring only on their first possession, but Raudel Sandoval missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt.

Hawthorne forced a turnover in the first quarter at the Simi Valley 37, but fumbled the ball right back.