Marina Parlays Defense, Some Luck Into Victory

After three quarters of his Marina High coaching debut, Mike Dodd must have felt right at home.

The 5-3 lead his Vikings held more resembled a baseball score, appropriate for the long-time Huntington Beach High baseball coach.

Marina finished off Paramount by a 12-3 score, thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown by center Chris Hanvey, a tremendous defensive effort and a couple strokes of good fortune.

The Viking defense held Paramount to 83 net yards and four first downs. The Pirates completed a 29-yard pass on their third play of the game, but managed little offense thereafter.

The Vikings totaled only 202 yards on offense themselves, all of it on the ground. They also fumbled twice on fourth down inside the Paramount 15 and still managed to score eventually each time.

Driving in the second quarter of a 3-3 game, Marina stalled at the Pirate 13 and fumbled the ball away on fourth down. The Viking defense held tough, recording a sack on the series, and a bad punt snap by the Pirates handed the Vikings two points.

Marina faced a similar situation early in the fourth quarter with a fourth and three at the Paramount five. Quarterback Beau Brown fumbled into the end zone, where center Chris Hanvey recovered to score the game’s only touchdown.

“The defense played tremendously well,” Dodd said. “They kept us in the ballgame.”

Adam Mitchell rushed for 56 yards and Bernard Mitchell 50 to lead the Vikings.