Unbeaten Pacifica Gets Plenty of Help While Sinking La Quinta, 42-7

The Pacifica band played “Anchors Aweigh” so many times in the first half Friday it seemed more like a Navy recruiting film than a football game.

The band was called into action after each of the five first-half touchdowns as Pacifica opened a 35-point lead and rolled to a 42-7 victory over La Quinta in the Garden Grove League opener for both teams at Bolsa Grande High.

Pacifica (4-0, 1-0), which has nearly twice as many players as La Quinta, didn’t need much help but got it anyway from La Quinta (1-3, 0-1).

La Quinta generously provided Pacifica two easy first-half touchdowns. The first came on a poor snap on a punt but the was eventually picked up and taken two yards for a touchdown by John Dorenbos. The touchdown came with 4 minutes 4 seconds left in the first quarter and put the Mariners ahead, 14-0.

The second gift increased the lead to 28-0 when defensive back Verdell LeVeaux intercepted a pass and went 31 yards for a touchdown. He had scored the game’s first touchdown as a running back from one yard.

The final score of the first half came when sophomore Bret Stern went up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run with about two minutes left.

Stern, the younger brother of quarterback J.D. Stern, added another touchdown run in the third quarter and finished with 79 yards rushing in 10 carries.

J.D. Stern also had a solid game, completing five of 10 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Stern, like many of the Pacifica starters, didn’t play in the second half.

“[Defensively] we came off the ball pretty well,” Pacifica Coach Bill Craven said. “Offensively we ironed out some of the rough spots.”

La Quinta’s lone touchdown helped ease some of the frustration of the first three quarters.

The score came when quarterback Daniel Almazan scrambled, barely avoiding a couple of defenders, then threw to a wide-open Jhamal Dawkins for a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Dawkins led his team with 56 yards rushing and also caught seven passes for 75 yards.