In front of a televised audience on Spectrum SportsNet and a packed crowd of more than 1,000 fans, Mira Costa rode a fast start and held off a furious second-half rally to defeat Villa Park 34–23 on Friday night.
The Mustangs (Mira Costa) set the tone early, capitalizing on a fumble recovery by Magnus Johnson inside Villa Park territory. Kicker Nico Talbott converted a 27-yard field goal to open the scoring, and quarterback Liam Meeker quickly followed with a pair of touchdown passes — a 29-yard strike to Luke Leonard and another 29-yard connection to his brother, Luke Meeker. Running back AJ McBean broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run to close out a dominant first quarter. By halftime, Mira Costa led 24–0 and looked firmly in control.
But Villa Park refused to fold. Just moments into the third quarter, quarterback Vince Lagatta launched an 80-yard touchdown pass to Luvie Clark to spark the Spartans’ offense. On the very next series, Lucas Saenz electrified the home crowd with a 16-yard pick-six, followed by a successful two-point conversion that trimmed the deficit to just 24–15.
Mira Costa answered immediately, with Meeker finding Hunter Taylor on an 18-yard touchdown pass to push the margin back to 31–15. Talbott later added a 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to provide breathing room.
Still, Villa Park made one final push. Lagatta and Clark connected again on a 9-yard touchdown pass, and Lagatta barreled in for a two-point conversion to bring the Spartans within 11 at 34–23 with just under two minutes left. But any hopes of a comeback ended when Mira Costa’s defense forced a late fumble recovery to seal the win.
Meeker finished with three touchdown passes, McBean added his explosive rushing score, and Talbott was perfect on the night with two field goals and four PATs. For Villa Park, Lagatta and Clark formed a dangerous duo that kept the game competitive in the second half.
With the win, Mira Costa showcased its firepower on both sides of the ball and proved why it was chosen for the High School Football Game of the Week spotlight. Villa Park, meanwhile, showed grit and playmaking ability, nearly turning a blowout into a thriller under the Friday night lights.
Final Score: Mira Costa 34, Villa Park 23
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