Norsemen drown Mariners for another shutout

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

VALHALLA 45, MAR VISTA 0

 

EastCountySports.com staff report

 

IMPERIAL BEACH – The moon was full when the Norsemen bussed down the freeway of life to Imperial Beach Friday evening (Sept. 16) to take on the Mar Vista Mariners. Unfortunately, Mar Vista’s squad was not full, with several starters serving a one game suspension.

 

Prior to tonight’s game, Mar Vista’s high powered offense had steamrolled their three previous opponents, under the tutelage of offensive coordinator STEVE SUTTON, long-time former head football coach at West Hills and Valhalla.  Against the “Orange Crush” defense, Mar Vista’s depleted offense managed to gain only 76 yards, in a 45-0 shellacking.

 

The opening kickoff was a harbinger of things to come.  Senior kicker JACOB PAAPE sailed the ball to the Mariners’ 1-yard line where it was returned to the 25-yard line when Valhalla’s BRIAN SULLIVAN and JOHNNY KOREL smacked the ball carrier, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Mar Vista on its 31-yard line.

 

On first down, senior linebacker BRENT BURNETT shot the gap and smothered the running back for a 4-yard loss, also knocking the ball loose.  Once again, the home team recovered the fumble.  Three plays later, Burnett blocked the Mariners’ punt, which was recovered by linebacker JOSH HERNANDEZ and returned 10-yards to the Mar Vista 18-yard line, giving Valhallaexcellent field position.

 

Senior running back JEROME JOHNSON put that field position to good use on first down as he sliced through the line and waltzed into the end zone for an 18-yard TD.  Paape’s PAT (6-6) was perfect, and Valhalla led 7-0, less than two minutes into the game.

 

Mar Vista’s second opportunity didn’t fare any better and was forced to punt after failing to get a first down.

 

With the ball at his own 38-yard line, junior quarterback BRYAN MADRIZ didn’t waste time getting the El Cajon boys back on the scoreboard.

 

On first down, he threw a bomb to the multi-talented Paape for a 36-yard gain to the Mariners’ 26-yard line.  After Burnett hauled in a 15-yard pass to the Mar Vista 2-yard line, Johnson took over, scoring his second touchdown of the evening on a 1-yard blast up the middle, upping the lead to 14-0, with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter.

 

The die was cast:  once again, Mar Vista was stymied when they tried to generate some offense on their next possession, which ended abruptly on their 41-yard line when junior defensive back TY SCHIMKE picked off an errant pass.

 

Madriz moved the Valhalla offense quickly down the field on a 6-play drive, which ended when slot back DJ MADARA caught a quick hitter from Madriz for a 7-yard pass-catch TD, making it a 21-0 game at the 2:33 mark of the initial period.

 

Mar Vista had 8 offensive series in the first half, but was unable to generate even one first down.

 

The Mariners did get possession of the football in Valhalla territory in the second quarter when defensive end Jake Borst recovered a fumble at the Norsemen 28-yard line, but that short-lived success lasted only one play; senior defensive back ROLAND GLOVER picked off an errant pass on first down and returned it 20 yards with a nifty run up the sideline.

 

After junior COLE LEWIS snagged a pass from junior quarterback DENNIS DAHLIN and turned it into a 24-yard gain with some extra effort, Paape kicked a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter, giving the Norsemen a 24-0 half time lead.

 

The second half started with a bang.

 

Following the Mariners’ only kickoff of the game, Valhalla started at its own 20-yard line.  On first down, Johnson was provided a big hole at the line of scrimmage by his horses up front, and galloped all the way to the Mariners’ 7-yard line for a 73-yard gain.

 

Two plays later, Madriz found Burnett open in the flats, tossed him the ball for what appeared yet another Norsemen touchdown, but a defender knocked the ball loose at the 2-yard line and fell on it, giving the beleaguered Mar Vista defense a breather.

 

The Mar Vista defense didn’t get much of a breather, however, because, once again, the Orange Crush defense created another 3-and-out for the Mariners’ offense when junior defensive lineman JOSH McNISH-HEIDER and senior linebacker MILES PANZARELLA flattened the ball carrier for a 1-yard loss on 3^rd down, at the Mariner 5-yard line.

 

Following the punt, Valhalla started at the Mar Vista 31-yard line, but didn’t spend much time there.  On first down, Madriz threw it straight and true to wide receiver CONNOR MOSER on the sideline, who danced unmolested into the end zone, putting the game out of reach at 31-0 with 8:43 left in the third quarter.

 

After Mar Vista was unable once again to garner a first down, their often-used punter kicked it to KHYREE POOLE at the Valhalla 35-yard line, who quickly outran the opposition to pay-dirt for a 65-yard punt return TD, making it 38-0 at the 5:08 mark of the third quarter, and mercifully bringing a running clock into play.

 

Valhalla scored again in the 4^th quarter after senior running back BOSTYN THOMAS squirted into the end zone from 1-yard out.

 

For the Norsemen, Johnson carried the ball only 7 times, but rumbled for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns.  Madriz was 8-13-0 for 140 yards and two TDs.

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