Griffins club West L.A. for four in-a-row

Kearns accounts for four touchdowns, Ford returns with 140 rushing yards and Mora’s 58-yard field goal punctuates Grossmont’s 44-13 road victory

By RAMON SCOTT
EastCountySports.com

CULVER CITY — The quarterback opportunity has become something much bigger for Michael Kearns III. The running game has its leading back again. And the kicking game now has a highlight from 58 yards.

Grossmont College brought those pieces together Saturday in a 44-13 victory over West Los Angeles at Wildcat Stadium, earning its fourth consecutive on-field win heading into a bye.

Kearns threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, Ethan Ford returned to rush for 140 yards on 12 carries, and Lucas Mora ended the first half with a 58-yard field goal as the Griffins built a 31-7 halftime advantage.

Grossmont amassed 518 yards, including 280 rushing, and averaged 9.6 yards per offensive play.

“Kearns played extremely well today,” Grossmont coach Mason Mitchell said. “We always knew he had it. It was just him waiting for the opportunity. It came last week and he followed up with doubling down on his performance today.”

Kearns completed 10 of 14 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, adding 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Griffins are officially 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the American Pacific League, including an already-awarded forfeit over L.A. Pierce, which discontinued its fall season before play began.

Grossmont’s next game is Oct. 24 against San Bernardino Valley at Griffins Stadium, with kickoff at 2 p.m.

DEFENSE ANSWERS FIRST TEST

Before the offense began producing its biggest plays, Grossmont needed its defense to clean up an early mistake.

Isaac Syph fumbled the opening kickoff return, giving West L.A. possession at the Grossmont 37. The Wildcats converted a fourth down and eventually faced fourth-and-eight at the 19.

Isaac Turner intercepted Brandon Tolson at the Grossmont 5 and returned the ball 33 yards.

Grossmont turned that reprieve into a seven-play, 62-yard touchdown drive. Ford gained 24 yards on his first carry, while Kearns ran five times for 34 yards, finishing with a seven-yard touchdown at 8:17 of the first quarter.

The Griffins’ next scoring possession required only three plays. Ford opened with a 25-yard gain before Kearns connected with Ka’tyleon “Ty” Phillips on a 58-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-0 with 4:02 left in the quarter.

FORD RETURNS WITH AUTHORITY

Ford, who missed the Santa Monica game, provided the next touchdown almost entirely himself.

Starting at the West L.A. 46 early in the second quarter, he broke a 34-yard run, then scored from 12 yards out on the next play. Grossmont led 21-0 with 13:51 remaining before halftime.

“Having Ethan Ford back helps us,” Mitchell said. “Our run game has been our offense’s bread and butter. We want to feed our RBs as much as we can.”

Ford averaged 11.7 yards per carry, helping establish the physical approach Mitchell wants.

“I tell our team when ‘we’ can force our will upon our opponents we leave teams very few options,” Mitchell said, “and our offensive run game speaks to that will.”

West L.A. answered when Tolson found Andrew Washington for a 67-yard touchdown.

Grossmont responded on a possession that reached third-and-11. Kearns hit Trenice Woods for 54 yards to the West L.A. 12, then found Jaidan Brooks for the touchdown on the next play.

The Griffins led 28-7.

MORA DELIVERS FROM LONG RANGE

The first half’s final sequence began with another defensive stand.

Jeremiah Savaiinaea Jr. sacked Tolson on fourth down, giving Grossmont possession at its own 26 with 18 seconds remaining.

Ford gained 16 yards, and Kearns added a 12-yard run to put the ball at the West L.A. 46.

Mora’s initial 63-yard attempt fell short, but the Wildcats were penalized for having 12 players on the field. The penalty erased the attempt and moved Grossmont five yards closer.

Mora made the ensuing 58-yarder with the clock at zero, sending the Griffins into halftime ahead 31-7.

“Lucas Mora is a stud of a kicker,” Mitchell said. “He’s got a Division 1 leg and he will get some great opportunities.”

Mitchell said special teams coordinator Jamil Siegmund checked with Mora about the kick.

His response: “I got you, Coach.”

“And he went out there and nailed it,” Mitchell said.

GROSSMONT FINISHES STOPS

West L.A. opened the second half with an 11-play drive that consumed nearly six minutes and reached the Grossmont 5.

Easton Filetti ended it with a fourth-down sack, dropping Tolson for a three-yard loss.

Turner stopped the Wildcats’ next possession with his second interception, picking off Eliot Ming and returning the ball 16 yards.

Grossmont converted that takeaway into another touchdown. Kearns found Dvonta Peoples for 35 yards late in the third quarter. After an 11-yard Ford run, Kearns returned to Peoples for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 14:16 remaining.

The Griffins led 38-7.

Grossmont forced three turnovers and held West L.A. scoreless on all three red-zone opportunities. The Wildcats converted only two of six fourth-down attempts.

West L.A.’s running game had been the central concern during Grossmont’s preparation. The Wildcats entered averaging 211 rushing yards per game; Saturday they finished with 130.

“Their average of 211 was our emphasis all week,” Mitchell said. “We knew they would attempt to run the ball without fear and our ability to have a great gap-sound defense is what we pride ourselves in.”

Dane Dunn gained 96 yards, including a 52-yard run, but backfield partner Malikai Johnson managed only 17 yards on four carries.

Washington finished with 11 catches for 195 yards and both West L.A. touchdowns. His 35-yard scoring reception with 2:30 remaining made it 38-13.

The Wildcats totaled 410 yards and held the ball for 33:44, but Grossmont repeatedly prevented their possessions from becoming points.

DEPTH HELPS CLOSE IT OUT

Curtis Rogers IV forced a fourth-quarter fumble recovered by Diego Jaimes, completing Grossmont’s three-takeaway afternoon.

Savaiinaea finished with a sack and two tackles for loss. Filetti added a sack and 1½ tackles for loss. Jonathan Smith, Hector Armenta and Devin Clark shared the team lead with five tackles each.

Woods and Phillips each had 58 receiving yards. Peoples finished with 50 yards on two catches, Isaiah Grant added a 30-yard reception, and Januel Fernandez caught two passes for 28 yards.

Grossmont closed the scoring on a five-play, 62-yard rushing possession. Davian McGowan contributed a 22-yard gain, and Jordan Lindley finished with a 32-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds remaining.

The Griffins still have work to do during the bye. They were penalized 12 times for 106 yards, continuing a costly pattern despite the winning results.

Mitchell nevertheless sees a team moving forward.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team and their ability to play for four quarters,” he said. “We have grown tremendously from our early part of the season and I’m excited to see the finished product we put together weekly.”

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MORA’S BIG LEG LEADS DEEP GROUP

Lucas Mora’s 58-yard field goal provided Saturday’s most striking special-teams moment, but Grossmont’s kicking story extends beyond one player.

The Griffins have three productive freshman kickers, each with a successful field goal from at least 43 yards this season.

Philipa Trakas delivered the 43-yard go-ahead field goal in the 22-21 win over L.A. Valley that began Grossmont’s current four-game on-field winning streak. He is 4-for-4 on field goals this season.

Jasper Brandenburg is 3-for-4, with a long of 45 yards.

Mora’s kick against West L.A. pushed his season total to 4-for-7, extending his previous season long of 41 yards by 17 yards.

All three contributed successful extra points Saturday: Mora and Trakas made two apiece, while Brandenburg made one.

Mora, an Imperial High product with a soccer goalkeeping background, received a strong endorsement from coach Mason Mitchell.

“He’s got a Division 1 leg and he will get some great opportunities,” Mitchell said.

When coordinator Jamil Siegmund asked how he felt about the kick, Mora responded, “I got you, Coach,” according to Mitchell.

Mora also handled all four Grossmont punts and recorded three touchbacks on his three kickoffs.

Mitchell credited Siegmund, who oversees both special teams and the defense.

“Coach Jamil does a phenomenal job with our special teams and defense,” Mitchell said, “and our kids always respond because he is committed to them the same way they’re committed to us.”

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KEARNS TURNS OPPORTUNITY INTO PRODUCTION

Two games have given Michael Kearns III a much larger place in Grossmont’s offensive story.

After accounting for three touchdowns against Santa Monica, Kearns produced four more against West L.A., throwing scoring passes to Ka’tyleon “Ty” Phillips, Jaidan Brooks and Dvonta Peoples and adding a seven-yard touchdown run.

Across the two victories, Kearns has completed 16 of 24 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 123 yards and three scores.

That is seven touchdowns accounted for in two games.

“We always knew he had it,” coach Mason Mitchell said. “It was just him waiting for the opportunity.”

Saturday’s production went well beyond quarterback runs. Kearns connected with Phillips for a 58-yard touchdown and converted third-and-11 with a 54-yard completion to Trenice Woods before finding Brooks for a 12-yard score.

His two completions to Peoples accounted for 50 yards on the possession that extended Grossmont’s lead to 38-7.

Mitchell said after the Santa Monica victory that Grossmont stayed with Kearns to help keep Melvin Spicer IV healthy over the course of the season.

Saturday added another reason to value the expanded quarterback options.

“I’m excited to see him continue to grow and play well,” Mitchell said.

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TAKEAWAYS, FOURTH-DOWN SACKS

Isaac Turner supplied the interceptions. Jeremiah Savaiinaea Jr. and Easton Filetti supplied the drive-ending sacks.

Together, those plays explain much of the difference between West L.A.’s 410 yards and its 13 points.

Turner’s first interception ended the Wildcats’ opening possession after Grossmont fumbled the kickoff. His second halted a third-quarter drive and set up the Griffins’ touchdown for a 38-7 lead.

He finished with two interceptions, 49 return yards, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss.

Savaiinaea’s fourth-down sack late in the first half gave Grossmont possession with 18 seconds remaining, preceding Lucas Mora’s 58-yard field goal.

Filetti’s fourth-down sack stopped West L.A.’s opening second-half drive after the Wildcats reached the Grossmont 5.

Curtis Rogers IV forced the fourth-quarter fumble recovered by Diego Jaimes.

West L.A. finished 0-for-3 in the red zone and 2-for-6 on fourth down.

Grossmont’s preparation began with the Wildcats’ rushing attack, which entered averaging 211 yards per game.

“Their average of 211 was our emphasis all week,” coach Mason Mitchell said.

West L.A. finished 81 yards below that average. Although Dane Dunn broke a 52-yard run, the Griffins prevented the Wildcats from turning their ground game and extended possessions into a close finish.

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BYE SETS UP SHOWDOWN

Grossmont’s bye provides a chance to recover and refine an offense that has become more versatile during four consecutive on-field victories.

The next test arrives Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m., when San Bernardino Valley visits Griffins Stadium.

The Wolverines rolled to victory on Saturday, building a 41-7 third-quarter lead over Glendale on the way to a decisive win after entering the game at 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the American Pacific League.

Grossmont stands officially at 6-2 and 3-0, including its awarded L.A. Pierce forfeit.

The matchup should test the approach head coach Mason Mitchell described after Saturday’s win: using the running game to impose Grossmont’s will.

Through its five recorded on-field games entering Saturday, Valley allowed only 48.6 rushing yards per game and 1.4 yards per carry. Opponents had totaled just 243 rushing yards.

Grossmont will bring a running game that produced 280 yards against West L.A., with Ethan Ford back alongside Michael Kearns III and Ka’tyleon “Ty” Phillips.

Valley’s defense also recorded 19 takeaways — 11 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions — across those five games.

Linebacker Stanley Burrow entered Saturday with three sacks and 5½ tackles for loss. Amari Simon led the team with 29 tackles, while Dylon Dunn had 27.

The challenge extends to the other side of the ball. Valley entered averaging 53.2 points and 471.6 yards per on-field game, including 276.8 passing yards.

Quarterback Brodie Savage had thrown for 1,053 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions. Jerred Rennick, Donavon Ferguson and Elijah Simley-Flores combined for 789 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Zamar Malveaux led a deep running group with 259 yards at 8.1 per carry. Quarterback Kane Richardson had added four rushing touchdowns, while Teddy McGee had five.

Grossmont’s defensive success against West L.A. gives the Griffins something to build upon. The bye offers time to address penalties, assess personnel and prepare for an opponent capable of attacking through both the air and the ground.

For Mitchell, the larger development is the team’s progress since its early-season defeats.

“We have grown tremendously from our early part of the season,” he said.