Marina football beats Katella for fourth straight win

When the national anthem wasn’t playing over the loudspeakers at Glover Stadium on Thursday night, some Marina High School football fans took it into their own hands.

They started singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella, finishing just in time before Marina’s Dylan Keidel kicked off to start the Vikings’ Big 4 League game against Katella.

Some traditions are old. When it comes to league titles, Marina wouldn’t mind starting a new tradition after winning its first league title in 33 years in 2019.

The Vikings will play for their second straight Big 4 League title after finishing off a 21-6 win over Katella.

Marina (4-1, 2-0 in league) can clinch the outright title with a win at Segerstrom in its final game of the season on April 16. Vikings coach Jeff Turley remembers the last time the teams played there, or at least tried to. The teams’ league game in 2018 was delayed a day due to lightning, with Segerstrom winning the next day.

“It’s going to be another tough one,” Turley said. “We’ve got to go to their house. Hopefully, this time there won’t be any lightning.”

Marina’s middle linebacker Micah Asato (50) abruptly tackles Katella’s Emari Hart (11) at the line of scrimmage in football action on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The Marina offense provided the flash against Katella (2-2, 0-2). Senior quarterback Jack Miller threw touchdown passes to three different receivers — Dane Brenton, Gavin Del Toro and Wyatt McClour.

The first touchdown pass, to Brenton, came on the Vikings’ first drive and was the longest play of the game for either team. Brenton was left wide open on the right side, and 67 yards later he was gone for a score.

Marina doubled its advantage late in the first half when Miller found Del Toro open on a 10-yard slant in the end zone, and took a 14-0 lead into halftime.

Katella got on the scoreboard when quarterback Donnovan Arrington ran up the middle on a seven-yard keeper on the first play of the fourth quarter. But the Vikings immediately went on a 69-yard drive, capped when Miller hit McClour, the tight end, on a 10-yard score on fourth-and-goal with 6:50 remaining in the game.

Marina tight end Wyatt McClour is dragged down after a big gain by Donnovan Arrington in football action against Katella on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

That drive also featured a 46-yard bomb from Del Toro to Brenton.

“[Making] a one-possession game to two is a huge deal for us,” said Miller, who passed for 170 yards and was also intercepted twice. “That’s a big cushion.”

Thursday night’s win was the fourth in a row for Marina in this unique six-game modified season.

“We definitely learned our lesson in Week One, playing Huntington Beach and getting our butts kicked [42-6 on March 12],” Miller said. “That was kind of a wake-up call. With one week of practice in pads [before the first game], it was pretty tough, but we’ve only gotten stronger every week. We just want to keep our foot on the gas.”

Brenton and Del Toro each had interceptions on defense for the winners, who stopped the Knights in the red zone on two occasions. McClour had at least two tackles for a loss, while Shawn Phillips and Owen Strampello combined on a sack of Katella starting quarterback Daunte Bell late in the fourth quarter, knocking him out of the game.

“The defense did a great job again tonight,” Turley said. “They really stepped it up, and [Katella has] got a really good team. They never stopped … [but] we came out and made plays when we had to make plays. We got the job done.”

Marina’s Gavin Del Toro (2) leaps into the air as he celebrates a touchdown with teammate Dane Brenton (8) in football action against Katella on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Big 4 League

Marina 21, Katella 6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Marina 7 – 7 – 0 – 7 – 21

Katella 0 – 0 – 0 – 6 – 6

FIRST QUARTER

M – Brenton 67 pass from Miller (Lastra kick), 8:46.

SECOND QUARTER

M – Del Toro 9 pass from Miller (Lastra kick), 0:10.

FOURTH QUARTER

K – Arrington 7 run (kick failed), 11:55.

M – McClour 10 pass from Miller (Lastra kick), 6:50.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

M – Riederich, 13-52.

K – Dawson, 13-39.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

M – Miller, 17-24-2, 170, 3 TDs.

K – Bell, 8-11-1, 71.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

M – Brenton, 7-145, 1 TD.

K – Dawson, 2-29.

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