Mission Bay upset top-10 ranked Point Loma High 24-20 on Thursday, Nov. 9, to stake their claim to being the best in the west in 2006.
Officially, three Western League football teams finished the regular season with 4-1 records, including Mission Bay, Point Loma and Hoover, creating a three-way tie for the league title.
But Point Loma beat Hoover and Hoover beat Mission Bay before the Bucs bested the Pointers.
The difference is that the Bucs have only one loss this year while the Pointers and Cardinals have two losses. Mission Bay is also a smaller Division IV size school while Point Loma is Division III and Hoover is Division II.
Any Buccaneer will insist that is enough for bragging rights that they are the champs.
“Everyone played their best when it counted,” said Mission Bay head coach Willie Matson. “I am so proud of how they played ” it was inspired play.”
Point Loma’s star running back Lester Arnold ground-out the yardage for two scores in the first half. But a brilliant kick off return by Victor Johnson and a solid drive to close out the half let the Bucs and Pointers contemplate the halftime intermission with a 14-14 tie on the board.
Six minutes into the third quarter Arnold scored again. But the Pointers extra point kick sailed wide to the right.
After the go-ahead score, the Bucs answered on their first play when Johnson reeled off 45 yards to the Pointer’s 35-yard line. But after driving down to the 5-yard line, a half-back pass play by Buccaneer Dillon Baxter was intercepted at the 2-yard line.
On the Bucs next possession, Mission Bay quarterback Evan Taylor connected with Baxter for a 51-yard touchdown.
The 51 yards didn’t come easy. The final 12 yards of Baxter’s scoring catch-and-run effort included one of the most determined combinations of spins, stiff-arms and broken tackles ever seen on that field. Nearly every Pointer on their defense had a shot at stopping the elusive runner, but he was not to be denied until he reached the end zone.
The Bucs place kicker Lucas Balbi made the extra point that put Mission Bay up by one with a full quarter left to play.
With 5:47 left in the game, Kevin Nash snapped the ball back to Taylor who held it upright for Balbi who added a 36-yard field goal for an increased margin of 24-20.
The Pointers battled to the last play, while the Bucs defensive line and linebackers kept stepping it up a notch to counter every move they tried.
“It is a moment in your lives you are always going to remember,” Matson told his assembled squad after the victory. “You played with heart. You bounced back after the interception. You all believed in each other.”
Johnson contributed two interceptions and the kick off return to earn the player-of-the-game “You Rock” award for his role in the stunning win.
Their performance while defeating Point Loma earned the Bucs the No. 1 seed in the Division IV playoffs. Mission Bay has a bye in the first playoff round this week. So they return to action the afternoon after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 24 on their home field ” probably against Clairemont or La Jolla ” teams which the Bucs have beaten.
The semifinals are forecast to pit Mission Bay against No. 4 seed Santana, at Mission Bay Nov. 30. The CIF championship match-up is estimated to be against No. 2 seed Santa Fe Christian for a re-match of last year’s semi-final.
This year the CIF Championship games return to Qualcomm Stadium on Dec 4. Division IV will play at 10 a.m.
Athletic program information is available from the school at (858) 273-1313.