Lights Go Out on Costa's CIF Title Hopes
Nov 26, 2023 12:15PM ● By Mb News Staff
Reese Leonard (#10) fends off a Simi Valley defender after a catch. Photo credit: Jeff Brocca, photo used by permission.
It had been 14 years since Mira Costa's football team appeared in a CIF final.
Saturday night, they packed Waller Stadium full for a home final against Simi Valley for the CIF Southern Section Division 6 crown. Half the crowd made the big drive from Simi, while a multi-generational audience of Manhattan Beach locals came out for an unexpected holiday treat, cheering on the Mustangs throughout the game.
It was a wild night, light and bright and easy to cheer, until it wasn't. (See our short video below, or at this link on YouTube.)
Costa jumped out to a quick 21-0 first-quarter lead on the strength of big passing plays, with quarterback Nico De La Cruz equally favoring receivers Charlie O'Connor and Reese Leonard, and running back Brady Nuthall stomping in for a score. Two of those touchdowns came within seconds of one another, as Simi flubbed the kickoff after Costa went up 14-0 and the Mustangs took quick advantage with their third score.
Simi climbed back into the game, scoring 10 while Costa scored again, making it 28-10. That might have been the halftime score, but with under a minute left, Costa went to punt from its own 32. Simi blocked the punt and swiftly returned it for a touchdown.
It was 28-17 as Simi Valley took the 3rd quarter kickoff, and quickly the score flipped to 28-24 as the Pioneers got a 75-yard touchdown on a 2nd-down passing play from QB Jesse Sereno to Dominic Demaio.
They were going to have to play the whole game.
Costa worked to establish a running game throughout the second half, but lost a fumble. Simi Valley capitalized, and took their first lead, 31-28, as the third quarter expired.
While Costa caught the penalty bug in the 2nd half, erasing some good plays, they nonetheless took back the lead, 35-31, on a touchdown pass to Leonard, with a little more than 9 minutes to go.
Simi Valley marched down a long field on the ensuing possession, aided by more costly penalties against Costa. Soon, the Pioneers were up 38-35, but Costa had 4 minutes to respond.
The Mustangs put themselves in position for a win after a 25-yard pass from De La Cruz to O'Connor landed them at the 22 yard line with 2:30 left. Then, a pass interference penalty plus an unsportsmanlike conduct foul against Simi put Costa at the 4 yard line with a first down and control of the clock. The crowd was abuzz with anticipation.
Unfortunately, 3 passes fell incomplete, and Costa needed to kick a field goal to make it 38-38 and force overtime.
Given the first chance to attack in OT from the 25 yard line, Costa was swarmed by penalties, including a face-mask penalty that negated a long pass. One penalty was out of the players' hands, imposed against the Mustangs for "fans on the field," in an area around the west end zone where alumni had gathered and more fans had crept up from the running track to get a closer look. Costa was moved back to midfield, still looking for some kind of score.
A long pass from De La Cruz to Leonard on 4th down fell just out of reach in the end zone, and then the lights went out. Literally.
Simi Valley only needed a score on its OT possession, playing it safe with runs mostly up the middle to set up a potential field goal. Instead, on third down, Pioneers running back Brice Hawkins broke through the line and sprinted into the end zone, ending the game with a 44-38 score.
Costa nonetheless ended its 2023 campaign with a lot to be proud of. Facing a tough schedule, the team sucked up 7 losses to open the season, but rallied thereafter with three regular-season wins and three playoff victories to reach the division final. There, quarterback De La Cruz finished 26 of 46 with nearly 400 yards passing to just two receivers, Leonard (236 yards) and O'Connor (159 yards), both of whom also made an impact on defense.
The Mustangs last reached finals in 2008 and 2009, winning in '09.
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Main image: Reese Leonard (#10) fends off a Simi Valley defender after a catch. Credit: Jeff Brocca, photo used by permission.
Saturday night, they packed Waller Stadium full for a home final against Simi Valley for the CIF Southern Section Division 6 crown. Half the crowd made the big drive from Simi, while a multi-generational audience of Manhattan Beach locals came out for an unexpected holiday treat, cheering on the Mustangs throughout the game.
It was a wild night, light and bright and easy to cheer, until it wasn't. (See our short video below, or at this link on YouTube.)
Costa jumped out to a quick 21-0 first-quarter lead on the strength of big passing plays, with quarterback Nico De La Cruz equally favoring receivers Charlie O'Connor and Reese Leonard, and running back Brady Nuthall stomping in for a score. Two of those touchdowns came within seconds of one another, as Simi flubbed the kickoff after Costa went up 14-0 and the Mustangs took quick advantage with their third score.
Simi climbed back into the game, scoring 10 while Costa scored again, making it 28-10. That might have been the halftime score, but with under a minute left, Costa went to punt from its own 32. Simi blocked the punt and swiftly returned it for a touchdown.
It was 28-17 as Simi Valley took the 3rd quarter kickoff, and quickly the score flipped to 28-24 as the Pioneers got a 75-yard touchdown on a 2nd-down passing play from QB Jesse Sereno to Dominic Demaio.
They were going to have to play the whole game.
Costa worked to establish a running game throughout the second half, but lost a fumble. Simi Valley capitalized, and took their first lead, 31-28, as the third quarter expired.
While Costa caught the penalty bug in the 2nd half, erasing some good plays, they nonetheless took back the lead, 35-31, on a touchdown pass to Leonard, with a little more than 9 minutes to go.
Simi Valley marched down a long field on the ensuing possession, aided by more costly penalties against Costa. Soon, the Pioneers were up 38-35, but Costa had 4 minutes to respond.
The Mustangs put themselves in position for a win after a 25-yard pass from De La Cruz to O'Connor landed them at the 22 yard line with 2:30 left. Then, a pass interference penalty plus an unsportsmanlike conduct foul against Simi put Costa at the 4 yard line with a first down and control of the clock. The crowd was abuzz with anticipation.
Unfortunately, 3 passes fell incomplete, and Costa needed to kick a field goal to make it 38-38 and force overtime.
Given the first chance to attack in OT from the 25 yard line, Costa was swarmed by penalties, including a face-mask penalty that negated a long pass. One penalty was out of the players' hands, imposed against the Mustangs for "fans on the field," in an area around the west end zone where alumni had gathered and more fans had crept up from the running track to get a closer look. Costa was moved back to midfield, still looking for some kind of score.
A long pass from De La Cruz to Leonard on 4th down fell just out of reach in the end zone, and then the lights went out. Literally.
It was 10:00pm, and the stadium lights, evidently on a timer, all went black at once. No one wanted to say it was a metaphor, but Costa's title hopes did end 20 minutes later, after the lights came back on.
Simi Valley only needed a score on its OT possession, playing it safe with runs mostly up the middle to set up a potential field goal. Instead, on third down, Pioneers running back Brice Hawkins broke through the line and sprinted into the end zone, ending the game with a 44-38 score.
Costa nonetheless ended its 2023 campaign with a lot to be proud of. Facing a tough schedule, the team sucked up 7 losses to open the season, but rallied thereafter with three regular-season wins and three playoff victories to reach the division final. There, quarterback De La Cruz finished 26 of 46 with nearly 400 yards passing to just two receivers, Leonard (236 yards) and O'Connor (159 yards), both of whom also made an impact on defense.
The Mustangs last reached finals in 2008 and 2009, winning in '09.
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Main image: Reese Leonard (#10) fends off a Simi Valley defender after a catch. Credit: Jeff Brocca, photo used by permission.
