Game of the Week : Coston’s Kick Wins for Mater Dei Over St. Paul

Gary Coston’s 47-yard field goal with 1:46 left gave Mater Dei of Santa Ana a 17-14 win over Santa Fe Springs St. Paul in an Angelus League game Friday night at St. Paul.

It was the first loss of the season for the sixth-ranked Swordsmen.

St. Paul Coach Rick Ready, who left his job as an assistant at Miami University of Ohio and rebuilt a team that finished 5-5 last season, didn’t take it too well. Asked for his thoughts on the game, he said: “When the other team has 13 men on the field, they’re going to be tough to beat.”

It was not known if Ready was upset by any one play in particular since he immediately walked away and, for good measure, slammed his clipboard on the ground.

Mater Dei entered the game with a 3-2 record but played much better than that.

Sophomore quarterback Todd Marinovich hit on 17 of 28 passes for 161 yards, while running backs Paul Cardenas and Matt Spencer gained 65 and 62 yards, respectively. But it was the Monarch defense that finally ended an emotional game.

After Coston’s field goal, St. Paul (5-1) took over at its 20 and, behind the throwing of quarterback John Scott, moved to a fourth-and-10 at the Mater Dei 43. But Scott (18 of 45 for 259 yards, a touchdown pass to Frank Mazzotta and 3 interceptions) was intercepted by Paul Padova with 51 seconds remaining.

Mater Dei scored first, when, with 6:18 left in the opening quarter, Marinovich connected with Tony Rocco cutting over the middle for a nine-yard touchdown.

St. Paul tied the game as Mondo Costello went over the left side from three yards out 6:57 before halftime, the only time the Swordsmen got beyond midfield in the first half.

But the Monarchs came right back on the next series to make it 14-7 on a Cardenas touchdown.

That’s the way it stayed until 2:41 remained, when Scott hit a sliding Mazzotta across the middle to tie the game and set the stage for Coston.