CHULA VISTACHULA VISTA — Is it this simple?
Mater Dei Catholic downed Otay Ranch to become just another run-of-the-mill .500 teams.
Not even close!
After losing four straight to monster opponents to start the season, the No. 8 ranked Crusaders have now outscored their last four foes 177-0, including Friday night’s 47-0 drubbing of visiting Otay Ranch in the Metro Mesa League opener for both teams.
“I think in the first four (games) we were reliving the state championship run, we were kind of overconfident,” said senior quarterback Dominic Nankil, who led the Crusaders to the state Division 2-AA state title a year ago. “The results showed it.”
Those early losses were to defending 1-AA State Champ Cathedral Catholic, a double overtime thriller to Section Open finalist Carlsbad, a loss to Red Mountain of Mesa, Ariz., and giving up 28 points in the second half at Lincoln.
Since then, the results have showed something very different. Friday night’s win over Otay Ranch was an excellent example of that.
Mater Dei Catholic (4-4, 1-0) dominated on every level.
Offensively, they were near perfect, led by Nankil.
In the first half alone he completed all six of his es, including TD es of 20 yards to Rollin George less than two minutes into the game. But his most spectacular was his 80-yard strike to Jerry McClure with 53 seconds left before half, giving them a 40-0 advantage at intermission.
Nankil also added a score on a five-yard run.
Defensively the Crusaders held the Otay Ranch running game to just 19 yards in the first half, throwing runners for losses on 14 of their 27 first-half carries.
The defense even found the scoreboard when Anthony Lopez picked off a and raced 63 yards for a score.
Lopez later had a 97-yard interception return called back for a roughing the er penalty.
“I think we weren’t really playing as a team early on,” said UCLA-bound linebacker Tre’ Edwards. “We’ve turned that around.”
DJ Overstreet represented the Mater Dei Catholic special teams, returning a punt 69 yards for another score.
“We did it with all phases tonight,” said Crusaders coach John Joyner.
Otay Ranch (3-4, 0-1) seriously threatened the Crusaders’ scoreless streak late in the first half. Behind the shifty running and receiving of 5-foot-6 junior Issac Lopez (14 carries, 48 yards), the Mustangs found themselves with a first-and-goal at the 8.
But a 7-yard sack by Diego Rodriguez-Diaz, a 1-yard loss in the backfield by Anthony McMillian III, and an incompletion forced Otay Ranch to settle for a 34-yard field goal attempt, which went wide.
“Our goals really haven’t changed,” said Nankil, who finished completing 8-of-9 for 178 yards and a TD. “As a team, we want to win league, going up and win Division I, win Southern Section and State. It’s still there for us.”
Farmer is a freelance writer.
Mater Dei Catholic 47, Otay Ranch 0
Otay Ranch 0 0 0 0 — 0
Mater Dei Catholic 20 13 7 0 — 47
MD — George 20 from Nankil (kick failed)
MD — McMillian 24 run (Osuna kick)
MD — Overstreet 69 punt return (Osuna kick)
MD — Nankil 5 run (Osuna kick)
MD — Lopez 63 interception return ( failed)
MD — McClure 80 from Nankil (Osuna kick)
MD — Buncom 8 from Nankil (Osuna kick)
