Sharks Football Loses Close League Game

A hard-fought varsity football game in the wind, rain and cold did not finish in favor Friday afternoon. The Sharks (5-4, 1-2) lost 23-15 to Frontier League rival Grace Brethren (5-4, 2-1). The heartbreak on home turf was the first this season for Malibu.

The Sharks will conclude the regular season on Thursday in Oxnard against Santa Clara (1-7-1, 1-2). Malibu is still in contention for a postseason wild card berth, something head coach Ray Humphrey reminded the players after the game.

"I told the guys to keep their heads up," he said. "We still have a shot at this."

The Sharks never had the lead on Friday, but they were in striking distance throughout the game. The last two minutes expired on a Malibu possession deep in its own territory after several plays in which the Sharks were unable to gain any yards. The Lancers pushed Malibu farther away from the end zone on each play.

"At the end, they just brought the house and we didn't block well," Humphrey said. "They made good adjustments and we didn't."

Big plays by Grace proved to be the difference. In spite of a stingy Sharks defense, a Lancers 64-yard bomb in the first half exploited a missed assignment, and a touchdown on a returned kickoff proved too much for the Sharks to overcome. The Sharks' ground game was unproductive against an impressive Lancers defensive line, and Malibu went airborne to move the ball. Sharks kicker Chris Navarro had a rare missed extra point and a second attempt was blocked. A fourth-quarter interception near the end zone stymied a sustained Shark bid to tie the game.

Momentum shifts were the name of the game in the second half. In the third quarter, sophomore quarterback Dylan Miller, who had just returned from a month on injured-reserve, connected with junior Brennan Cassone for a nifty 19-yard touchdown that put the Sharks within one, 16-15, and had the loyal Malibu crowd going wild. But home crowd elation was tempered as the extra point was blocked, and the fans were silenced when, on the ensuing kickoff, Grace Brethren's Talibay Twine ran 92 yards for a touchdown.

The Sharks did have their share of highlights on offense and defense. Cassone was flawless in his return to the receiver position, catching both the team's touchdowns with impressive yards gained after the catch, including strikes from 19 and 40 yards. And the Sharks defense was effective overall in stopping a multi-faceted Lancers offense. Kicker Navarro continued his bid for all-league recognition with a 32-yard field goal to start the Sharks scoring.

"The guys got behind but they stepped up," Humphrey said. "They fought and they battled. They didn't quit. That's one of the things about this team that I really like, they never quit."

The Sharks have less than a week to prepare for a Santa Clara team that has struggled this season. But Malibu will not let its guard down as it prepares for the Saints and hopes a season finale victory combined with some outside help can put the team in the postseason.

"We need to just keep upbeat in practice," Humphrey said. "It's week 10. We know what we're doing. We made some mistakes this week, and we'll look how we can improve on them. It's a short week, so let's go and have some fun, and finish the season right."