Mira Costa Manhandles Peninsula

Knowing Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula would concentrate on stopping its leading rusher, Tyler Pringle, Manhattan Beach Mira Costa used him primarily as a decoy. The strategy worked to perfection as the Mustangs spoiled the Panthers’ homecoming with a 27-3 victory Friday afternoon in a Bay League opener.

Mira Costa (6-0, 1-0), ranked No. 25 by The Times, limited Peninsula to 88 yards. It was the fourth time this season the Mustangs, who lost 15 starters to graduation after losing in the Southern Section Division III final last year, held an opponent to seven points or fewer.

“[Our] team likes to play really physical and they don’t just arm-tackle you, they hit you,” said Kyle Darr, who single-handedly outrushed the entire Peninsula team with 81 yards in 11 carries.

Nick Woodward carried seven times for 59 yards for Mira Costa and Pringle finished with 39 yards and two touchdowns in 10 carries. Joe Houston kicked field goals of 25 and 31 yards for the Mustangs, who took their first step toward a fourth consecutive league title.

Jordan Munde rushed for 55 yards in 23 carries to lead Peninsula (2-2-2, 0-1), which took a 3-0 lead on Jordan Kay’s 31-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Steve Galluzzo

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Palmdale 17, Lancaster Antelope Valley 14 -- Senior running back Adrian Jenkins rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown in 22 carries and Palmdale won a Golden League opener at Antelope Valley.

Jenkins scored on a four-yard run to give Palmdale (5-1, 1-0) the decisive points with 1:04 left in the third quarter. The touchdown, which gave the Falcons a 17-7 lead, came two plays after Antelope Valley’s Andre Crenshaw fumbled away a 40-yard punt at the Antelopes’ eight-yard line.

Antelope Valley (4-2, 0-1), which had only one first down and 14 yards in the first half, trailed, 10-0, at halftime but pulled to within 10-6 after a seven-play drive in which senior running back Aaron Wilson accounted for 58 yards, 48 on the ground. Wilson, who ended the drive with a six-yard touchdown run, finished with 81 yards in 14 carries.

The Antelopes closed to within the final margin with 10:12 to play on a 41-yard halfback-option pass from Wilson to Eric Wickliffe and a two-point conversion pass from Mychal Bogan to Nathaniel Thomas. The touchdown capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive.

Palmdale defeated Antelope Valley, 20-15, in the league finale last season, when both teams advanced to the Southern Section Division III semifinals.

Lauren Peterson

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Santa Ana Foothill 31, Newport Harbor 24 -- The Knights rallied from a 24-10 deficit with two touchdowns by running back Mike Alba in the game’s final minutes for a victory that helped them keep pace with Irvine, which beat Laguna Hills on Thursday, in the Sea View League race.

A 90-yard kickoff return by Spencer Link put host Newport Harbor (5-1, 0-1) ahead by 14 points with 31 seconds left in the third quarter. But on the next play from scrimmage, Foothill wide receiver Yoko Hamamura took a short pass over the middle, broke a tackle and turned it into a 79-yard touchdown.

Two personal fouls against Newport Harbor aided Foothill (5-1, 1-0) in its 12-play, 80-yard march to a seven-yard touchdown reception by Alba that tied the score with 2:21 left in the game.

Blitzing defensive back Brandon Baricuatro of Foothill forced Newport Harbor quarterback Kasey Peters to fumble on the Sailors’ next possession at their 30-yard line. On the next play, Alba raced around left end for the go-ahead score with 1:10 left.

-- Paul McLeod