Football: Sacred Heart Prep hands The King’s Academy its first loss
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ATHERTON — On senior night under the lights, Sacred Heart Prep running Tevita Moimoi could only watch from the sidelines in uniform while nursing injuries.
One of 19 seniors on the roster, the 6-foot, 220-pound bruiser didn’t see action in the first half or third quarter.
But with The King’s Academy refusing to relent, SHP coach Mark Grieb finally inserted Moimoi into the game with just over eight minutes left.
“Moimoi and about 10 other people were trying to convince me,” Grieb said. “Part of it is maybe I’m a softie and it’s senior night. And we had a chance to close it out, so it’s great that he got a chance to do that.”
Moimoi plowed in from 3 yards out with 2:36 left for the insurance touchdown in a 24-9 victory over TKA.
“I appreciated my coaches, they want to take care of me, make sure I’m healthy,” said Moimoi, who finished with six carries for 33 yards. “Eventually in the fourth quarter they let me out, and I heard the parents more than my teammates. I could hear it in the crowd, ‘Put Tevita in.’ But it’s all good because we got the W.”
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TKA (7-1, 2-1 PAL Bay), last year’s Central Coast Section Division V champion, saw its 12-game win streak snapped as head coach Pete Lavorato returned to his old stomping ground.
The 67-year-old spent 14 years in Atherton, leaving after the 2016 season with five CCS titles and a pair of appearances in state finals.
“It’s weird, it was almost surreal out here,” Lavorato said. “Just sort of things were happening and I’m watching these plays — and I say, ‘They’re my plays, right?’ — and they’re working against me now. And I’m like, ‘Darn it, how do I stop that?’ ”
For Grieb, it also felt as if looking into a mirror.
“No question,” Grieb said. “Pete built this program and he’s done a great job at King’s. We’re very similar in many ways. They’re very talented, very well-coached and a challenge to go up against physically and schematically.”
SHP (6-2, 3-1), in front of a packed crowd, methodically marched 80 yards on 15 plays in the opening drive to set the tone.
The Gators only went to the air twice, opting to churn it out on the ground while consuming 7 minutes, 18 seconds off the clock.
SHP senior Tatafu Mahoni finished with 12 carries for 80 yards, including a 1-yard TD to make it 7-0.
“I just thought we came out from the very first kickoff with just energy,” Grieb said. “It was fantastic. What a night.”
“I think everything started with that first drive,” Lavorato said. “Our guy kicks the ball out of the end zone, I’m going, ’20-yard line, beautiful.’ And usually our defense goes three-and-out, but we couldn’t stop them. They’re a big, strong team.”
The Knights trailed 10-3 at the half after back-to-back possessions into enemy territory ended on a bubble pass that turned into a backward lateral and fumble, then a turnover on downs.
TKA lost three fumbles on the night, with both of the second-half foibles turning into touchdowns.
After the opening drive out of the locker room stalled at midfield, a high snap on the punt turned into a 29-yard loss as SHP’s J.P. Frimel recovered the loose ball. Three plays later, running back Alec Tonas scored from 4 yards out to go up 17-3 midway through the third quarter.
TKA cut the deficit to 17-9 with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard corner route to Zach Paszkeicz, who had seven catches for 132 yards.
The ensuing SHP possession proved reminiscent to the start of the game, with the Gators dominating the trenches. But TKA senior Hunter Wright recovered a fumble inside the red zone with 4:13 to go.
Any chance of a comeback went out the window on the next snap, as SHP junior William Mackie blitzed around the right tackle for a sack-strip fumble recovery of his own to set up Moimoi’s touchdown.
“I just think that it’s one of the greatest wins we’ve had this season and I just love my seniors,” Mackie said. “I played for them today.”
“That was outstanding,” Grieb said. “I thought the defense played great tonight. To hold that football team to nine points, that was amazing effort.”