Broncos Run Wild

Dominant Third Quarter Sparks Vista Murrieta to 45-16 Win

By JAYANT SUBRAHMANYAM Special to the Palisadian-Post The Palisades High varsity football team entered last Friday night’s game against Southern Section powerhouse Vista Murrieta with confidence after back-to-back shut outs of Lynwood and Granada Hills. That confidence was evident early on when the visiting Broncos, perhaps feeling the effects of their 100-mile bus ride, allowed Palisades to drive to their two-yard line yard line after a bruising run by junior running back Arte’ Miura. There, however, senior quarterback Ke’monte Reed fumbled and Vista Murrieta recovered on the goal line. Soon after, running back Jovonte Slater scored on a 74-yard touchdown run, paving the way for the Broncos’ 45-16 victory. To their credit, the Dolphins responded well to the early adversity, moving the ball to the opponents’ 14-yard line before senior kicker Sam Burt booted a 31-yard field goal to make the score 7-3. That would be all the offense Palisades could muster in the first half, as the Broncos tacked on a touchdown run by John Hardin with 9:32 left in the second quarter and a 34-yard field goal by Tyler Rausa as time expired to take a 17-3 lead into halftime. “Not one of us came out scared’we all came ready to play,” Dolphins quarterback Nathan Dodson said. “If we had scored on that first drive, the game would’ve been entirely different.” Down by only two touchdowns to a team ranked No. 23 in the state by Calpreps, Palisades began the second half determined to stop the Broncos’ first drive and get the ball back. Vista Murrieta, however, owned the third quarter, especially after Dolphins’ senior defensive end Robert Swanson limped off the field injured. First, Hardin scored his second touchdown to extend the Broncos’ lead. Then, after a Palisades fumble, Utah-bound quarterback Derrick Brown threw to Aaron Piecukonis for a 24-yard touchdown. Finally, with 16 seconds left, Hardin ran for his third score and the 21-0 onslaught pushed the Broncos’ lead to 38-3. The Dolphins began to salvage their pride after Vista Murrieta scored early in the fourth quarter to extend its lead to 45-3. Knowing his team needed to score quickly, Palisades head coach Perry Jones abandoned the run-oriented option and shifted to a passing attack that seemed to ignite the Dolphins’ offense. Reed threw a 30-yard strike to senior tight end Turner Hanley, then Miura gave the fans at Stadium by the Sea reason to cheer when he leaped high into the end zone for Palisades’ first touchdown. Though the subsequent extra point was missed, the Dolphins finally forced Vista Murrieta to punt. Junior quarterback Nathan Dodson then connected on a 56-yard bomb to receiver Ben Ingram with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter for the final points of the game. “It was good,” Dodson said of the play. “At that point, we needed to get some points. They were blitzing, so we tried attacking them over the top and it worked.” The Dolphins (2-3) can now turn their attention to this Friday’s Western League opener at defending champion Venice’a team that Palisades has not beaten since 2000. The varsity game kicks off at 7 p.m. Frosh/Soph Palisades held a 7-0 lead at halftime and seemed poised to pull off a huge upset, but visiting Vista Murrieta scored three touchdowns in the third quarter and tacked on a field goal with five minutes left in the fourth quarter to win, 24-13. “We had them!” Palisades coach Ray Marsden said. “We capitalized on their mistakes in the first half, they capitalized on ours in the second half. That’s how it goes.” Vista Murrieta’s first touchdown ended Palisades’ string of 15 straight quarters without allowing a point. After Tyler Hildreth recovered a fumble at midfield, Chris Wilkins scored the first touchdown of his career on a 21-yard run midway through the second quarter. Justin Sinclair intercepted a pass and returned it to the Broncos’ 25-yard line as the clock ran out in the first half. Ja’ uan Tate ran for the Dolphins’ second score in the fourth quarter. Palisades (2-3) opens defense of the Western League title at 4 p.m. Friday at Venice. (Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo contributed to this story)