PACIFIC GROVE — Squandering a 14-point lead in the second half last week cost Pacific Grove the potential for perfection in the regular season.
Whether it was a wake-up call or a reminder of the importance of playing four quarters of football, the Breakers had a favorable response Friday.
“I think the kids learned a lesson that you have to play a full game,” Pacific Grove coach Jeff Gray said. “We made it a point to make sure our starters were focused this week in practice.”
Having been tagged for 37 points alone in the fourth quarter in their last two games, the Breakers defense pitched a shutout in knocking off reigning Mission Division North champion North County 31-2.
“Some of the catalog in our offense was limited tonight because of injuries,” Gray said. “Some of our second teamers had to get more playing time and really stepped up. Hopefully, we’ll have these guys back next week.”
The Breakers, who have gone a combined 13-2 over the last three years in the first half of the season, will host Alvarez next Friday in both teams’ Mission Division South opener.
The Condors, meanwhile, are searching for answers in falling to 1-4. Injuries have crippled them, losing their quarterback in the first quarter, which changed their entire offensive game plan.
“It felt like we were drawing up plays in the dirt,” North County coach Juan Cuevas said. “The reality is we can still compete in this league. The morale is still good. Their heads are up. It’s just not going to be easy.”
Outright champions last year for the first time in 25 years, the Condors will begin defense of their title next Friday, hosting Monte Vista, the only team to beat them last season in league play.
Having scored just 59 points all year, North County hasn’t produced a point offensively in its last 13 quarters. When quarterback Junior Hernandez went down with an injury on the opening drive, it changed the complexion of the game.
That and the strip sack from Garrett Kuska on the play where Hernandez got hurt, in which the Breakers linebacker got the sack, recovered the fumble and sprinted 68 yards for a touchdown.
“I think it changed everything,” Gray said. “It was an entire momentum shift on that one play. They lost their quarterback. They had a nice drive going. It was a game changer.”
It snowballed from there as the Breakers offense put together two impressive drives in the first half with Kuska and Northrop Kirk taking turns grinding out yards, chewing up the clock, and controlling the tempo of the game.
Kuska kept shedding tacklers to pick up extra yards, while Kirk found seams, with each rushing for a touchdown in the first half to stake the Breakers to 21 point lead.
“What surprises me is how strong Garrett runs,” Gray said. “He does not go down easily. He’ll carry two players and pick up five more yards. It is what has put him at another level.”
Perhaps still feeling the sting of letting a double-digit lead evaporate last week in falling in the waning seconds to Watsonville, the Breakers were a team possessed defensively in the second half.
“Our defense has really carried us most of the year,” Gray said. “The last two games we haven’t done as well as I’d like. But the defense is the reason we have been in every game.”
Kuska has been a big part of the unit as a linebacker, along with Kirk in the secondary, and linebacker Ryder Gamecho and defensive end Isaac Sanchez.
“I’m not sure what we’d do without Garrett,” said Gray, of Kuska, who also leads the team in catches as well as rushing yards.
While Pacific Grove didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in the second half, it used a 30-yard touchdown pass from Ersi Kullolli to Andrew Nimri to pad its lead to 28, adding a late field goal.
