Three of a Kind for Hart

By DAVE DESMOND

Dec. 9, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

VALENCIA — The season wasn’t perfect, but the ending was.

Hart High didn’t duplicate its phenomenal 14-0 season of 1999, but a 12-2 mark and a third consecutive Southern Section title was more than enough consolation.

The Indians routed Bay League champion Mira Costa, 34-11, on Friday night at College of the Canyons in the Division III final to extend what is clearly becoming a dynasty.

Hart won a section title for the fourth time in six years.

The offense was nearly flawless. The defense throttled a fourth-seeded team that rolled up 41 points in upsetting top-seeded Notre Dame in the semifinals.

And Kyle Matter was Kyle Matter.

“Absolutely everything was clicking,” said the Stanford-bound quarterback, who completed 27 of 31 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns.

At one point, he completed 10 consecutive passes. At another, it was 12 in a row.

“For a championship game, that was an unbelievable performance,” offensive coordinator Dean Herrington said.

But this was far more than a coronation for Matter.

It was a school-record third championship ring for lineman Peter Dubsky. It was the spotlight for receiver Jake Norton, who caught eight passes for 103 yards.

It was a rare chance to shine for little running back Mickey Mercado, almost forgotten in a run-and-shoot offense, who stepped forward to gain 106 yards in eight carries and score on a 48-yard run to finish a 20-0 run that started with Hart clinging to a 14-11 lead.

“A lot of guys did a lot of great things [Friday night],” Coach Mike Herrington said.

Each can claim they were a part of a region-record sixth section title, the school’s 350th all-time victory, including 12 consecutive in the playoffs and 26 consecutive victories at home, dating to 1997.

“There is nothing like this feeling in the world,” said linebacker Kyle Hollis, who spearheaded a defense that limited Mira Costa (12-2) to 289 yards, 94 in the second half.

“This is the greatest.”

Everybody got in the act, for Hart, which gained 531 yards in winning its ninth consecutive game.

The maligned offensive line of Chris Frome, Jose Flores, Chris Piligian, Mike Brady and Jordan Biby had its best game, allowing Matter all the time he wanted.

Linebackers Hollis, Josh Christensen and Travis Hetman, and linemen Flores, Frome, Dubsky and Evan Allen helped contain Michael Okwo, who had 1,701 yards in 13 games but gained only 107 in 27 carries.

Matt Moore got his school-record 10th interception and Josh Cummings kicked two field goals, giving him a school mark of 11.

Chris Steck caught five passes for 56 yards, including touchdowns of eight and 23 yards, and Dubsky scored on a first-half run from two yards.

“They’re a great program,” said Coach Don Morrow of Mira Costa, which was seeking its third section title but fell to 0-3 in finals on the road. “We had problems with their offense. That was our worst fear.”

Matter’s only mistake was a pass intercepted by Okwo at the Mustang 31. It led to a quick, 69-yard scoring drive, capped by Okwo’s four-yard run with 22 seconds left in the half.

Mira Costa added a two-point conversion pass from J.R. Martinez to Nick Wynand and suddenly it was 14-11.

The Indians answered with a 36-yard field goal by Cummings on the final play of the half.

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Title Games

Hart High captured its sixth Southern Section football championship Friday night. A look at how the Indians have fared in Southern Section finals:

2000 / Division III

Hart 34, Mira Costa 11

1999 / Division III

Hart 34, Valencia 6

1998 / Division III

Hart 17, St. Paul 14

1995 / Division II