Coming into a Thursday night showdown vs. Crawford High School, it seemed nothing could go wrong in 2023 for the men dressed in black and yellow. A 7-1 record, a point differential of +141, control of their own density in pursuit of the City League title, and what appeared to be a firm grasp on the No.1 seed in CIF Division III.

Throw in the fact that it was senior night, and the stands were packed with the Buccaneer faithful who came out in support of the 14 seniors on the Bucs roster. It seemed as if the notion of a loss was unthinkable.

But that’s why they play the game, as the Bucs fell to the visiting Colts of Crawford, 26-14. On a night when everything seemed like it should go right, everything was just a bit off for the Bucs.

Offensively, Mission Bay never found a true rhythm. QB Charlie Hutchison and his supporting cast of David Dunn, Ricky Esquer, Caden Taffe, and Isaah Whitehurst, a group that has churned out explosive plays all year, were held to less than 350 yards of total offense.

Sure, they had their moments, such as Dunn’s 4th-and-goal toe-tap touchdown in the first quarter, Dunn’s 55-yard reception, and Esquer’s TD run that would give Mission Bay a 14-7 lead heading into the fourth.

But what dragged down the Mission Bay offense the most was the penalties. The Bucs had more than 100-plus penalty yardage on the night. The penalties put Mission Bay in long downs and distances and allowed the Colts’ defense to play more aggressively.

On the defensive, it was also a mixed bag for Mission Bay. The Bucs’ secondary held the Colts air attack to 87-yard passing thanks to some great plays from Gavid Girouard, Caden Taffe, and Dunn. The pass rush was also on point, as they registered three sacks from Thomas Cook, Kai West, and Marcos Korch.

But the Bucs had no answer for Colts running back Joseph Minchello, who gashed the typically elite Mission Bay defense for 186 yards and 4 TDs on 13 carries. It only became more challenging to tackle as the game wore on.

This was evidenced on his two most considerable carries on the night, as he broke off a 32-yard TD that gave the Colts a 19-14 lead with 6:53 to play and a 46-yard TD that iced the game with 2:15 left.

Thursday’s performance for Mission Bay was uncharacteristic, and if there is a silver lining, that might be it. The Bucs hope to be back before playoffs this week for the final regular season game when they visit the 6-3 Scripps Ranch Falcons on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.