WESTMINSTER – Leading by four touchdowns at the end of the fourth quarter, Marina High appeared to be firmly in control of Friday’s contest with Ocean View.
But that changed quickly when Ocean View scored three times in a row in the fourth quarter and then appeared to come up with an onside kick on the Vikings’ 40-yard line with 1:11 remaining in the game.
A lengthy discussion by the officiating crew determined that Marina had gained control of the ball before it was ripped out by a Seahawks defender. The decision put an end to Ocean View’s late surge, allowing the Vikings to run out the clock and hang on to a 41-35 nonleague victory at Westminster High.
“They (officials) said that blue (Marina) had it first,” said Ocean View coach Luis Nunez. “And I’m just saying, ‘How, if we came up with the ball?’ It was a tough break.”
With the game tied 14-14 in the second quarter, Vikings’ Noah Holmes rushed 45 yards to give Marina the lead. The Vikings (2-0) scored twice more in the second and again in the third to take a 41-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks refused to go quietly in the fourth as Ocean View (0-2) quarterback Xavier Salgado led three consecutive scoring drives and rushed for two touchdowns, including a 15 and a 2-yard score, respectively.
Salgado completed 5 of 15 passes for 124 yards a touchdown.
Quarterback Ian Green spearheaded Marina’s offense until he was taken out at the end of the third quarter, completing 7 of 14 passes for 181 yards. Holmes finished with four catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in addition to his touchdown run.
“I think I may have pulled the trigger a little early substituting, but there’s still no excuse for turning around,” said Marina coach Jeff Turley. “I think they (Vikings) thought the fight was over and Ocean View was still fighting. And they did a great job of battling back.”
