HUNTINGTON BEACH – As in all sports, a single miscue can completely change the complexion of a high school football game.
Marina learned that the hard way Friday night at Huntington Beach High, losing its final nonleague game of the season, 55-28, to St. Anthony of Long Beach in what could have been a different result had it not been for a special teams breakdown.
The Vikings (1-4) trailed St. Anthony (2-2) 30-28, with 2:47 left in the third quarter and had big-legged kicker Rand Keidel lining up for a chip-shot field goal attempt from 25 yards.
But a Saints special teamer flew off the right side, dove with his arms fully extended and blocked Keidel’s kick, taking the wind out of Marina’s third-quarter comeback.
St. Anthony recovered the live ball and went on to score 25 consecutive points to sink the Vikings.
“Like I tell our players after (every game), every game is a learning experience,” Marina coach Jeff Turley said. “We have to learn football and we have to learn how to limit our mistakes.”
The Vikings, who are battling through a number of injuries, made few mistakes in the first nine minutes of the third period, and had scored 14 straight points to all but erase a 16-point first-half deficit.
Marina also had no answer for Saints’ running back B.J. Busbee who had 211 yards on 13 carries with three scores.
