MidValleySports.Com

By Tom Hendrickson

(Pasadena)- Muir HC John Hardy is getting a little tired of hearing questions about his team’s speed.

“We aren’t just speed, we play football, we design plays and execute plays,” he said in response to the question after his team clubbed California 44-17 Friday night first round action of the CIF Southeast Divison playoffs.

Of course “execution” along with “speed” is a pretty good thing to have.

A little more than two minutes into the contest Muir’s Andreece Brown turned the right corner and went 47-yards for a touchdown.

The Mustangs second possession ended with a punt but the Condors misplayed the ball, Devonte Cravin recovered it at the nine, and three plays later Tyshawn Goodman dove in from a yard out to make it 14-0.

Cal got back into the game on its next drive. Drew Castro went 25-yards to Manny Espinoza to get to mid-field. Two plays later, on a second and one from the Muir 46, wide receiver Andrew Reyes was flipped the ball by Espinoza on an apparent reverse, Reyes then fired a perfect pass to Castro who had snuck down the left sideline for a touchdown to cut the lead in half.

After Muir’s Jorge Castro missed a 35-yd field goal wide left (8:34 2nd Qtr.), the Condors drove to Muir’s 13 yard line before settling for Kevin Amezquita’s 39 yard field goal to make it 14-10 with 4:30 to play in the second quarter.

As the half was clicking down, it looked like the Mustangs had earned a first down on a third and five, and again on fourth and inches, but the officials marked the football short on both plays and the ball was turned over on downs on their own 30 yard line with 2:22 remaining in the half.

California took six plays to score.  Aaron Garcia ran four times for 27 yards and Josh Perez took it the last three yards to give the visitors a 17-14 lead at the half following . Amezquita point after.

The Condors went three and out to start the third, but Amezquita fumbled the low snap. He fell on it, but Muir had the ball at the Cal 13.

Two plays later, Brown’s 14-yard run up the middle put the Mustangs up for good.

California, on its next possession, drove down to Muir’s 20 yard line as Castro completed passes of 26 yards to Espinoza and 16 yards to Garcia. However, a Castro pass to Vijay Cox was intercepted by Muir’s John Brown at the three and returned to the Muir 29.

Muir quarterback Joshua Muema-Washington took over, he connected with Lamarr Daniels down the left side for 39-yards to the California 28 yard line and then on the next play, breaking tackles, ran 28-yards around the right side for the touchdown. It was now 28-17 in favor of the Mustangs.

Muir and California exchanged turnovers, The Mustangs Mason Taeon fumbled on California’s 29 yard line and Castro’s pass intercepted by Muir’s Cravin on the Mustangs 45 and returned to the 48.

A three play drive, back-to-back carries by Demetrius Newborn (5 and 3 yards) and then  Brown darted around the left side, hugged the sideline and dashed 44-yards for the touchdown.

On Cal’s next possession, on third and 12, from its own 18, Castro, in the shotgun, received a bad snap to his left and over his head and kicked it through the end zone. Muir declined the illegal kicking penalty and took the safety. Muir 37-17 9:34 4th Qtr.

Late in the fourth the Mustangs, as they were trying to maintain possession at their own 44 to run out the clock, Washington his Marceles Clash over the middle and the receiver turned it into a 56-yard score.

Andreece Brown finished with seven carries for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Washington went 10-16 for 177 yards through the air and rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries.

The season ends for Cal at 8-3, while Muir improves to 8-3 and earns a second round date next week with West Covina.