Tustin football team turns it around, Pacifica has a rough week and Woodbridge goes for a PCL title

Tustin’s football team charges out onto the field for Thursday’s game. (Photo Fernando M. Donado, for OC Sports Zone)

PRESS BOX By Tim Burt

Amazing what a difference a week can make in high school football.

Last week, Tustin’s football team had a tough night in a 27-7 Empire League loss to league favorite Valencia.

At Garden Grove, Pacifica was clicking on all cylinders and everything was going right in a 40-13 victory over Crean Lutheran.

So you would expect Pacifica to be favored in Thursday’s game with Tustin.

TUSTIN GROUNDS OUT 45-7 VICTORY OVER PACIFICA

But the Tillers got back into the Empire League playoff chase with a 45-7 victory over Pacifica.

This one was decided by halftime when Tustin led 35-0 and there was a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Tustin did almost everything right. Pacifica, playing without its starting quarterback Sean Blake, could never get going. The Mariners were victimized by two fumbles and two interceptions. With a 2-1 league record, they are still in the playoff chase too.

—It wasn’t the double wing offense, but Tustin was very effective on the ground with Nick Mierez, Girard Bell and Matt Rodriguez leading the way.

“Mine (the double wing) is a more stubborn offense, you just get stubborn and pound them, this one here you spread out and get guys out of the box,” said Tustin Coach Myron Miller.

“We’re not there yet but we’re going to be there.  I’m really happy. It isn’t as good as I wanted it. We lost a lot of players earlier in the season (Miller did not say why) that would have changed that but these kids have come a long way. These are all young kids and they’re all going to be coming back next year and they’re starting to understand what it takes to win a ball game.

“So I’m real proud of them tonight. I think that saved our season because Pacifica is a good team.”

-Pacifica coach Vinnie Lopez got some bad news in the middle of the week that his starting quarterback Sean Blake would not play against Tustin because of a knee injury.

“The orthopedist said he was really swollen (around the knee) when he saw then but they are going to schedule an MRI for him on Tuesday,” Lopez said.

So for now, Blake is out indefinitely.

He was having a spectacular game last week against Crean Lutheran when he was injured.

He passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns and was helped off the field by his teammates in the third quarter.

-Wooodbridge’s football team will be in the driver’s seat to capture a Pacific Coast League title if it can defeat Beckman tonight in a Pacific Coast League game at Tustin. The Warrriors (4-3, 2-0) will be favored in the game against the Patriots (4-3, 1-1). If Woodbridge wins, it will try and clinch the outright league title next week against University (2-5, 1-1). If Beckman pulls off the upset there would be a log jam for first place in the league.

Woodbridge will wrap up the regular season Friday, Oct. 26 at Portola (2-5, 1-1).

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone: timburt@ocsportszone.com