SUNSET LEAGUE FOOTBALL : Marina Tops Servite, Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive

With its 16-13 Sunset League victory over visiting Servite at Westminster High School Thursday night, Marina’s chances of obtaining a wild-card playoff berth are looking better.

“Yeah, I think it does,” Marina Coach Dave Thompson said. “We lost our four games, all to rated teams. I think we have a pretty good chance (of getting a playoff berth), but we still have another game next week against Huntington Beach.” Marina is 5-4, 3-2.

Quarterback Travis Anderson, who rushed for 73 yards, capped a 17-play, 81-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter with a five-yard pass to Mike Groh to seal the Vikings’ victory.

“The drive was the key in putting them down,” Anderson said. “It was important that we got the ball in the end zone instead of getting a field goal.”

With Marina leading 9-7 late in the third quarter, Servite, on Marina’s 15-yard line, had its best opportunity to take the lead. However, a strong Viking defensive line stopped the Friars. On the next three plays, the Vikings stopped Servite for a loss of 12 yards.

Marina opened the scoring with Mike Byers’ one-yard touchdown run and scored two quick points after Moore tackled Servite’s David Bedard in his end zone.

Servite rallied with a 42-yard option pass from Bedard to Dan Baine late in the second quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Friars scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from David Martin to Baine.