SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION VII : Fikes Leads Mira Costa to Victory

Mike Fikes wanted to run like this all season.

After missing most of the season because of academic reasons, the Manhattan Beach Mira Costa junior returned to lead the Mustangs to a 29-17 victory over Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos (9-4-1) in the Southern Section Division VII championship game at El Camino College Friday night before 6,000.

Fikes gained 154 yards in 23 carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to give Mira Costa (13-1) a 29-10 lead.

“It felt so good because my whole team supported me,” said the 6-foot-1, 180-pound tailback.

The Mustangs, playing in their first title game, took control in the first half by holding the Vaqueros to 11 total yards. Junior tailback Kevin Allen was the only Vaquero to run, gaining one yard in 10 carries.

Allen, who entered the game with a team-high 1,519 yards in 177 carries, finished with minus six yards in 12 tries.

Vaquero sophomore quarterback John Frank, who threw for 1,801 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completed eight of 17 passes for 96 yards and had three interceptions.

“I guess our (offensive) line just wasn’t up to it,” Allen said. “Our quarterback would call audibles, but our line just didn’t pick it up. The crowd was loud.”

Said Frank: “Everything we ran they stopped.”

Mira Costa kicker Julio Rosales made two second-quarter field goals, from 31 and 23 yards, to give the Mustangs a 13-3 lead with 2:52 left in the half.

With 1:25 left and Rancho Alamitos on Mira Costa’s 48, Frank dropped back to pass but was blindsided by Mustang nose tackle Phil Fonua. Frank fumbled and Fonua recovered on the Vaqueros 39.

“I just happened to be there,” Fonua said.

Four plays later, in a fourth-and-three situation, Mustang quarterback Ryan Barnes threw a short pass over the middle to Matt Guerrero, who completed a 32-yard scoring play to give the Mustangs a 20-3 lead with 33 seconds left in the half.