SEASIDE — The host Seaside High Spartans capitalized on turnovers to defeat the King City Mustangs 44-19 on Friday night in Seaside. King City broke out to a 13-2 lead in the first quarter on big plays but the Spartans roared back with three scores to take a 23-13 halftime lead.
“There were big plays due to break downs in coverage,” said King City head coach Mac Villanueva. “We did a great job of shutting down their run game. We kept their big guy Demarcus Hawkins out of the end zone and under 100 yards rushing. We just have to do a better job covering the pass. Offensively we have to be more consistent in protecting the quarterback and turn the ball over. Three turnovers in the second half killed productive drives. Seaside also scored a touchdown as time expired in the first half on a blocked field goal. We had a chance to tie it with three seconds to left, and down 16-13 and that happened. It goes from a possible tie or at worse down three points to a 10-point swing in their favor.”
Seaside put up the first points of the contest when Hawkins forced a safety from his linebacker position. The Mustangs took the lead at the 3:38 mark of the first quarter with a big play of their own as Luis Luna displayed his speed on a 63-yard run on King City second possession. A Max Pallas point after attempt gave King City a 7-2 lead. The Mustangs held Seaside to another three and out and scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass play from Clay Barbree to Luna. A missed PAT had King City leading 13-2.
The Spartans bounced back with a 41-yard touchdown pass play from quarterback Ivan Ochoa to Roderick Gaskins. Seaside failed on a two-point conversion played to leave the score at 13-8. Gaskins and Ochoa gave their team the lead at 14-13 two minutes when the pair hooked up for 60-yard pass play. Gaskins then scored on two-point conversion to put his team up, 16-13.
Daniel Sayre completed the first half scoring for the Spartans as he recovered the blocked field goal attempt and ran for an 80-yard touchdown that put Seaside ahead by a 23-13 score.
In the third quarter Seaside scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Ochoa to Sayre and PAT from David Cruz to stretch the lead to 30-13. At the end of the third Sayre scored his third touchdown of the game with a 78-yard interception return. A PAT by Cruz gave the Spartans a 24-point advantage at 37-13. Seaside completed their scoring in the final quarter on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Ochoa to DeAntae Williams. King City scored their final points with 5:21 to play as Luna threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Isaias Gonzales. A failed PAT made the final score 44-19, Seaside.
Luna and Barbree split time at quarterback against the Spartans. Luna completed five passes for 139 yards and two touchdown passes and ran for 61 yard on eight carries and a rushing touchdown. Barbree completed three passes for 25 yards at quarterback and as a receiver caught three passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. Barbree had 11 rushing attempts to lead King City with 73 yards. As team the Mustangs ran for 153 yards.
“It was smooth with both Barbree and Luna playing quarterback,” said Coach Villanueva. “Percentage wise, I’d say it was 60/40 with Barbree at 40% of the snaps. Luna is explosive and if Tommy Stephens was healthy he would have a huge season for us at receiver. He can make every throw and he’s a big threat running the ball as well.”
Defensively Aaron Leonard and Shea Martin were standouts on the defensive line as they came up with one sack apiece. Ponch Jimenez was a standout at linebacker.
In the junior varsity game the Spartans defeated the Broncos by a 43-3 score. The Broncos will play the first game of the Little Big Game series with Gonzales on Friday.
“Our boys were given a great wake up call,” said Bronco head coach Evan Petrovic. “Going into this week they will need to be the team that has greater effort, focus, and willingness to compete.”
The Mustangs (0-2) will face the 0-3 Spartans in the Little Big Game for the first time as members of the Mission Trail Athletic League Mission Division and the Spartans as members of the MTAL Coastal Division.
“Strange to play Gonzales this early in the season but that was out of our hands with the changes in our league this season,” said Villanueva. “We need a win, we know what Gonzales is capable of and with this being a big rivalry game it makes the stakes that much higher.”
