Westminster Contains Houston and Beats Ocean View, 44-36

The biggest shock in Westminster’s 44-36 Golden West League victory over Ocean View Friday wasn’t that the Lions knocked the Seahawks out of first place.

The major surprise was that with two of the pass-happiest teams in the county involved, both sides actually gained more yardage on the ground than through the air.

Deshai Houston, the Ocean View left-hander who came in leading the county in completions, yards passing and touchdown passes, completed only 14 of 43 passes and threw for just two touchdowns, the first time he has failed to throw at least three scoring passes in a game this season.

Despite throwing 10 consecutive incompletions at one point in the second half, Houston kept Seahawk hopes alive until Phillip Jenkins intercepted his final pass in the end zone as the clock ran out.

But on this night, it was Kelly Coburn of Westminster (4-4, 1-1) who won the air battle. Coburn completed 11 of 21 passes for 232 yards and got enough help from a three-pronged ground attack to overcome 161 yards in penalties.

Halfbacks Chris Chamberlain (77 yards, two touchdowns) and Vince Laurel (73 yards) and fullback Cande Maldonado (64 yards, two touchdowns) overshadowed a 177-yard rushing performance by Ocean View’s Jason Rhoads.

Ocean View (6-2, 2-1) led 24-21 at halftime. But the Lions scored on their first three possessions of the second half to take a 44-30 lead and held off the Seahawks in the final quarter, thanks in part to a 6 1/2-minute drive that resulted in a missed field goal but left Ocean View too little time to come back.