The top-ranked Vista Panthers’ dreams for an undefeated season ended on Friday Night as the Mission Hills Grizzlies came from behind twice to post a 31-28 upset win at Mission Hills High School.
Gio Garcia’s 32 yard field goal with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, his first field goal attempt and make of the year, gave Mission Hills the victory. The kick came after a muffed punt by Vista star tailback Shakeel Marshall, who fumbled twice on the game.
Mission Hills Grizzlies (6-2, 3-0 Avocado East) head coach Chris Hauser stated in regards to his team’s success, “This is a tremendous feeling, this season is one of a kind we have not felt like this, this year. We have won five games prior to this, but nothing compares to what we went through tonight.”
“To be down and come back and rally and get to them and find a way to get the lead and hang on to it, it means the world to our school, our football team and to the coach and staff.”
Postgame video and interview with Coach Hauser:
No one would have suspected this victory at the beginning of the game as Mission Hills trailed 14-0 in the first five minutes of opening quarter. A twenty-seven yard touchdown pass to Aaron Salas by Mission Hills quarterback Hunter Moore gave the Grizzlies their first points on the scoreboard. With only two minutes left in the first quarter Hunter Moore tied the game up with a sixty-eight yard touchdown run, making it a 14-14 game.
Hunter Moore definitely had a great game. The senior quarterback completed 11-of-14 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and carried the ball for 109 yards and had one touchdown, and two passing touchdowns.
Coach Hauser said in response to Moore’s great game, “He was a special kid tonight. We needed him to do things with his legs and arm tonight and lead this football team and that is what he did.”
“There was no special magic, no special words of wisdom we just believed in our game plan,” said Hauser.
The Grizzlies were again down early in the second half 28-14. This was not for long. Sitting in the Mission Hills stands, fans began to see some magic with a team that began to just believe.
In the key play of the night, Vista’s Shackeel Marshall (19 carries, 182 yards) fumbled all alone while running in for what looked to be a touchdown and a 35-21 lead. Instead, the ball was dropped untouched at the sixteen yard line and recovered by the Grizzlies. This led to Mission Hills’ fourteen-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Moore to Aaron Salas that tied the game 28-28.
“Turnovers lost this game for us, that’s the bottom line,” said Vista head coach Dan Williams.
Tied 28-28 in the fourth quarter, Mission Hills was stopped on offense and forced to punt. Marshall waited for the kick at his twelve yard line but muffed the punt, recovered by Mission Hills gunner Mitchell Cannon. While the “Blackshirts” defense held strong and pushed the Grizzlies back three yards, Gio Garcia delivered the clutch field goal which propelled the upset from 32 yards away.
As for the Mission Hills team, this was the first time in the game where they took the lead 31-28. With three minutes left, Mission Hills defense shut down Vista’s last drive of the game, giving them victory.
Vista falls to 7-1, 2-1 in league with the loss. Mission Hills, meanwhile, controls its own destiny in the Avocado East league and is sure to break into the 619 Sports/NC Times Top 10 poll after this huge win. It was a victory to savor for Hauser, a Panthers alum who left Vista’s coaching staff in 2003 to move to Mission Hills.
—Courtesy 619Sports.net
