Mission Hills stops 2-point conversion, LCC for thrilling win

SAN MARCOS – Neither team made a defensive stop … until it counted most.

With the game on the line and trailing by one with 37 seconds to play, La Costa Canyon High School football coach Sean Sovacool went for a 2-point conversion and the win.

Jackson Maggiore took a swing pass with the intent of a double pass. But Mission Hills dialed up a blitz, Kai Taitano read it perfectly and forced a fumble to preserve a 35-34 win in the Avocado West League opener for both teams.

“I saw him (Maggiore) roll out,” Taitano said. “I saw him cock his arm to pass and went after him.  We’re playing LCC, so you have to be ready for anything. I wasn’t surprised they went for two. I wasn’t surprised they tried a trick play. We were prepared.”

La Costa Canyon (5-1, 0-1), ranked No. 4 in the county, beat Mission Hills (6-0, 1-0), ranked No. 3, 28-27 last season on a late 2-point conversion.

“The got us last year,” said DJ Zapata, the acting coach for Mission Hills while Chris Hauser is on administrative leave. “There was no doubt in my mind they’d go for two. We knew for sure they’d go for two. It all came down to tendencies. They ran what we expected. This was a battle, exactly what a game with two teams ranked in the top five should be.”

Outside of an LCC possession late in the second quarter, both teams scored every possession.

There were no punts, no turnovers and only four penalties.

“That’s about as clean as you can play … on both sides,” Zapata said.

Mission Hills led 21-14 at the end of a back-and-forth first half.

Mission Hills scored on the opening drive, going 75 yards on seven plays with Huhn hitting Josh Gonzales with an 11-yard scoring pass.

LCC answered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive with Coby Herman scoring a touchdown.

Mission Hills countered with a nine-play, 74-yard drive capped by Huhn’s 1-yard run.

LCC came back with an 11-play, 57-yard drive.

Mission Hills capped the half with an eight-play, 80-yard drive, with Huhn passing 16 yards to Brayden Roberson.

LCC had one final try before the half, taking over at its 20 with 60 seconds to play, but the drive fizzled at the 43.

Huhn was 12 of 14 passing in the first half. He finished the game 19 of 21 for 231 yards and a pair of TD passes. He also rushed seven times for 33 yards, including a 23-yard scramble to set up a TD.

Ryan McKenzie had six catches for 98 yards and Brayden Roberson, playing his first game of the season after coming back from an injury, had five catches for 69 yards.

Patrick Fleming had 20 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown for the Grizzlies.

Herman again proved he’s one of the top players in the county.

He rushed 18 times for 159 yards and a pair of scores. He had eight runs of 11 yards or more. Plus, he caught nine passes for 131 yards and a 42-yard TD. He had five catches of more than yards.

LCC quarterback Quinn Roth nearly matched Huhn, completing 16 of 22 passes for 215 yards.

Mission Hills 35, La Costa Canyon 34

La Costa Canyon — 7    7    7    13 — 34

Mission Hills — 7   14   7    7 — 35

MH — Gonzales 11 pass from Huhn (Baker kick)

LCC — Herman 4 run (Stringfellow kick)

MH — Huhn 1 run (Baker  kick)

LCC — Herman 14 run (Stringfellow kick)

MH — Roberson 16 pass from Huhn (Baker kick)

LCC — Botro17 pass from Roth (Stringfellow kick)

MH — Fleming 6 run (Baker kick)

LCC — Herman 42 pass from Roth (Stringfellow kick)

MH —  Huhn 1 run (Baker  kick)

LCC —Marcucci 4 pass from Roth (run failed)