Malibu High Football Loses Close Contest

The varsity football team came up short on Saturday in a battle of ball control with Pasadena Polytechnic. The Panthers beat the Sharks, 17-7, in what was Malibu's second consecutive away game.

Junior Brennan Cassone's interception thwarted the Panthers' first drive, and the Sharks defense drew first blood on a 72-yard interception return by senior Devon Baldinger. After another booming kick-off by senior Chris Navarro, the Panthers began an 80-yard, nine-minute touchdown drive. Following a Sharks' offensive miscue, the Panthers drove the ball once more in the half, kicking a field goal as time expired. By halftime, the Sharks had had only three offensive possessions. But they were in the game, down 10-7.

The second half was more of the same, with the Panthers relying on "three yards and a cloud of dust." Following another takeaway by senior Nate Dowler on a rare Poly pass, the Sharks answered with their first offensive threat of the day. They drove deep into Panther territory, but came up short on a controversial play at the goal line. 

Following another Panther drive and score, the Sharks went into their two-minute drill behind sophomore quarterback Dylan Miller, who threw crisp passes to receivers Hunter Johnson and Brennan Cassone.  The Sharks' threat was stopped by another Panther interception in the end zone, and Poly ran out the clock. Although the Sharks moved the ball well late in the game, Poly enjoyed a 3:1 advantage in total offensive plays.

Head Coach Ray Humphrey said after the game, "The Panthers' ball-control offense was unbelievable—it was classic smash-mouth football. Our guys played well on defense, but we never got the rhythm we wanted to get on offense. Devon came up big for us on defense with his interception return—linebackers and secondary played really well. We have to make adjustments to get our defense off the field."

The Sharks' home opener is on Saturday at 1 p.m. against St. Monica.