Mira Costa’s rushing attack ground out 339 yards, powering the Mustangs to a convincing 28-6 home win over Peninsula to keep Coach Don Morrow’s squad one game ahead of Redondo and Palos Verdes in the race for the Bay League title.

Chris Loatman and Kellen Lockwood rushed for 118 yards apiece with Loatman scoring two touchdowns on 15 carries and Lockwood carrying the ball eight times for one touchdown. J.R. Tavai scored on a 12-yard run to give the Mustangs a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Mira Costa (5-3, 3-0) hosts Leuzinger (5-3, 1-2) tomorrow at 7 p.m. in a game that features two of the area’s top running backs. The Olympians come off a 28-13 home loss to Redondo and are led by Johnny Davis who gained 191 yards on 25 carries against the Sea Hawks. Davis has rushed for 807 yards and four touchdowns on 111 carries this season. Mira Costa will counter with Loatman, who has amassed 700 yards and seven touchdowns on 135 attempts during the 2008 campaign.

Leuzinger quarterback Te Shon Burton is 84-of-152 passing for 1,054 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. Linebacker Isaac Foster has recorded eight sacks and is the leading tackler for the Olympians.

Although Davis rushed for 191 yards against Redondo, Sea Hawk Coach Gene Simon and his staff made significant adjustments at halftime, holding Davis to just 31 rushing yards in the second half and Burton to only 27 yards passing with one interception.
While the defense has been the strength for Redondo, its offense continues to improve. Chris Mares gained 82 yards and one touchdown on 19 rushing attempts and quarterback Erik Wilson completed 8-of-14 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

After Bryce Gutierrez scored on a 6-yard run to open the scoring for Redondo, Ckye Penn hauled in a 5-yard pass to put the Sea Hawks up 14-13 at the half. Ryan Hyman gave Redondo the insurance it needed with a 10-yard touchdown reception for the only scoring in the third quarter.
Redondo (4-4, 2-1) squares off against Palos Verdes (2-6, 2-1) tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Sea Hawk Bowl. The Sea Kings won their second game of the season with a come-from-behind 13-7 victory over West last Friday.

Quarterback Max Baiz was 7-of-10 passing for 59 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to Kevin MacNaughton with three seconds remaining in the game. Defensive end James Klein has recorded seven sacks this season.
In a crucial Pioneer League contest, El Segundo fell to visiting North 21-17. The Eagles capitalized on three interceptions to jump out to a 14-0 lead. Eagle starting quarterback Mike Bundy started strong, completing 2-of-3 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, but had to leave the game with a leg injury. Grant Palmer filled in going 11-for-25 for 79 yards, but it wasn’t enough after the momentum swung the Saxon’s way when C.J. Harrington broke up a backward pass and returned it 40 yards to tie the game with 1:31 left in the first half.

Gage Morteson rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries for El Segundo. Alex Merced put the Eagles ahead with a 30-yard field goal with 4:18 left in the game, but too much time was left for North quarterback B.J. Denker, who connected with Bren Yamaguchi for a 40-yard touchdown to secure the win. North (8-0, 3-0) hosts cross-town rival South (5-3, 3-0) to determine the league leader.

El Segundo (6-2, 2-1) hosts Lawndale (4-4, 0-3) tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Cardinals enter the game after losing to Torrance 42-32 and relies heavily on its running game. Carlton Calloway is one of the area’s leading rushers, amassing 894 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Jamal Fleming has added 432 yards and seven touchdowns for the Cardinals.
Quarterback Aaron Belton is 27-of-90 for 590 yards passing with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Markeith Cungious is Belton’s favorite target, catching 10 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns. ER