One week following a record-breaking 58 point outburst against Bell-Jeff, the Malibu High School Sharks began Frontier League play with a dominant 55-0 victory over the Villanova Prep Wildcats on Saturday.
The Sharks offense was unstoppable, scoring on eight of their nine possessions, while limiting the Wildcats to just one first down. The Sharks out gained the Wildcats 215-15 in rushing yards and 245-14 in passing.
"Our running game has been key for us," Humphrey said. "We’re not one-dimensional now like we were the first few games. Our O-line has made the run possible, giving Matt Vincent the chance to run hard."
Vincent finished the game with 161 yards on 15 carries.
Humphrey continued, “Our running game opens up the pass, and when you have a threat like [QB] Chase [Gardella] and [receiver] Brennan [Cassone], or [George] Savas or any of the rest of our receiving corps, you’re going to see us score points."
Humphrey also praised the defensive effort in keeping Villanova Prep off the scoreboard.
"Our tackling has improved, and we are flowing to the ball better," Humphrey said. "It helps when you have [linebacker] Alden Quartz in there, just flying through gaps and getting quarterbacks. And those kinds of plays get everyone else pumped up, and they play better."
"The boys’ hard work has paid off. We’re riding four [victories] in a row now, playing with a lot of intensity and passion," Defensive Coordinator Matt Oliver said on the performance of his squad.
The Sharks record improved to 5-2 overall, and 1-0 in league.
"We try to find specific challenges for our guys… our defense to tackle well, to get a shutout, our offense moving the ball well on every drive, our linemen putting down a good block on every play. And these guys have responded," Humphrey said. "We’ve had younger players step in and make a difference – guys like [receiver] Bronson Bard and [linebacker] Billy Humphreys - and we’re getting our veterans healthy again. Apollo [Loomis] and D-Mills [Dylan Miller] are back and making plays, so we’re feeling good about the direction we’ve taken."
Dylan Miller returned to form with a touchdown reception early in the game, and Loomis just missed his first touchdown after returning from an injury.
Junior QB Chase Gardella finished the day 10 of 15 for 245 yards. Senior captain Brennan Cassone continued his scoring tear with 3 touchdown catches.
Cassone’s receiving statistics place at or near the top for California, and in the top ten for the nation.
The Sharks will take on Grace Brethren High School (Simi Valley) at Moorpark College at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19.
