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Mavericks' defense scary good in win over Cougars
Halloween is supposed to be about orange and black. Friday night, it was instead about the La Costa Canyon’s “Gang Green” defense, which shutout Escondido in the second half and helped the hosts to a 21-17 come from behind win.
“Our defense knew that they had a challenge in front of them,” said La Costa Canyon head coach Darrin Brown, “and they did a great job of stepping up and listening to the adjustments and the coaching points that we made during the week.”
Escondido (6-2, 2-1 Avocado) came into Friday night’s game averaging just more than 44 points a game, but La Costa Canyon (6-2, 3-0) held Cougars’ backs Ricky Seale and Tim Zier in check. Although Seale (101 yards) and Zier (100 yards) both hit the century mark, they were held well below their season averages and, most importantly, out of the endzone.
“We had our game plan. We were stacking nine in the box because we knew that’s what they’re comfortable with,” Driver said. They were going to come running at us.”
Escondido opened the scoring with a Sam Altimirano 20-yard field goal midway though the first quarter, but La Costa Canyon did not take long to respond. Just more than two minutes later, Mavericks quarterback Sebastian Frausto found Kenny Stills for a 22-yard touchdown to put the home side ahead 7-3.
Escondido’s defense forced La Costa Canyon out of their comfort zone by shutting down Stills, holding the Mavericks wide receiver to only two catches for the entire game. The Mavericks responded with 200 total rushing yards, led by sophomore Erik Nelson’s 129 yards on 17 carries.
After fumbling inside Escondido’s five-yard line near the end of the first quarter, La Costa Canyon would also give the ball away on their first two posessions of the second quarter. With 8:16 to play before the half, Cougars defensive back Alex Stinton recovered a Frausto fumble at the La Costa Canyon 30-yard line. Escondido turned that takeaway into seven when quarterback Zach Embrey connected with tight end Shea Prince for a four-yard touchdown.
La Costa Canyon’s next turnover led directly to Escondido points, when late in the second quarter Cougar Tim Zier intercepted a Frausto pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Zier’s defensive touchdown gave the Cougars a 17-7 lead headed into the break. Despite trailing by 10, the Mavericks didn’t panic.
“We just brought everybody in – coaches, players – and said, ‘Hey, the bottom line is when we get down we don’t have to jump off a cliff. We need to come together and rally and be that tight unbreakable brotherhood that our team motto is,’ Brown said.”
La Costa Canyon got the ball first in the second half and marched right down the field for a score. Less than three minutes after the break, Frausto ran it in from five yards out to cut Escondido’s lead to three.
“We’re used to being in these big games before – these title games, these league games,” Driver said. “We know when you’re down, it’s not necessarily down and out, that you can come back.”
Frausto found the endzone again at the start of the fourth quarter. And his 25-yard touchdown scamper put La Costa Canyon ahead 21-17 with 11:25 remaining. That would be enough for the Mavericks defense, which stopped Escondido on their final three possessions including a fourth down with 1:09 left.
Mavericks' defense scary good in win over Cougars
Halloween is supposed to be about orange and black. Friday night, it was instead about the La Costa Canyon’s “Gang Green” defense, which shutout Escondido in the second half and helped the hosts to a 21-17 come from behind win.
“Our defense knew that they had a challenge in front of them,” said La Costa Canyon head coach Darrin Brown, “and they did a great job of stepping up and listening to the adjustments and the coaching points that we made during the week.”
Escondido (6-2, 2-1 Avocado) came into Friday night’s game averaging just more than 44 points a game, but La Costa Canyon (6-2, 3-0) held Cougars’ backs Ricky Seale and Tim Zier in check. Although Seale (101 yards) and Zier (100 yards) both hit the century mark, they were held well below their season averages and, most importantly, out of the endzone.
“We had our game plan. We were stacking nine in the box because we knew that’s what they’re comfortable with,” Driver said. They were going to come running at us.”
Escondido opened the scoring with a Sam Altimirano 20-yard field goal midway though the first quarter, but La Costa Canyon did not take long to respond. Just more than two minutes later, Mavericks quarterback Sebastian Frausto found Kenny Stills for a 22-yard touchdown to put the home side ahead 7-3.
Escondido’s defense forced La Costa Canyon out of their comfort zone by shutting down Stills, holding the Mavericks wide receiver to only two catches for the entire game. The Mavericks responded with 200 total rushing yards, led by sophomore Erik Nelson’s 129 yards on 17 carries.
After fumbling inside Escondido’s five-yard line near the end of the first quarter, La Costa Canyon would also give the ball away on their first two posessions of the second quarter. With 8:16 to play before the half, Cougars defensive back Alex Stinton recovered a Frausto fumble at the La Costa Canyon 30-yard line. Escondido turned that takeaway into seven when quarterback Zach Embrey connected with tight end Shea Prince for a four-yard touchdown.
La Costa Canyon’s next turnover led directly to Escondido points, when late in the second quarter Cougar Tim Zier intercepted a Frausto pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Zier’s defensive touchdown gave the Cougars a 17-7 lead headed into the break. Despite trailing by 10, the Mavericks didn’t panic.
“We just brought everybody in – coaches, players – and said, ‘Hey, the bottom line is when we get down we don’t have to jump off a cliff. We need to come together and rally and be that tight unbreakable brotherhood that our team motto is,’ Brown said.”
La Costa Canyon got the ball first in the second half and marched right down the field for a score. Less than three minutes after the break, Frausto ran it in from five yards out to cut Escondido’s lead to three.
“We’re used to being in these big games before – these title games, these league games,” Driver said. “We know when you’re down, it’s not necessarily down and out, that you can come back.”
Frausto found the endzone again at the start of the fourth quarter. And his 25-yard touchdown scamper put La Costa Canyon ahead 21-17 with 11:25 remaining. That would be enough for the Mavericks defense, which stopped Escondido on their final three possessions including a fourth down with 1:09 left.