Coming on the heels of a 47-0 loss the week before, Malibu High School’s football team wanted to make an early statement Friday night. So Miles Edman returned the opening kickoff 65 yards into the end zone, and the Sharks never looked back as they racked up a morale-boosting 34-7 win over the Capistrano Valley Christian School Eagles.
The win evened the Sharks’ record at 3-3.
The opening-play touchdown set the tone for the night. After kicking off to the Eagles, Matt Hale sacked the quarterback and forced a quick turnover. After just six plays, Sharks’ quarterback Bennett Sherman connected a five-yard pass to running back Edman, who broke three tackles on a 40-yard run up the center to the end zone.
Edman also caught a 40-yard pass from quarterback Sherman in the second quarter of a game that was never close.
Edman’s run was one of 15 carries for 191 yards, an off night for Edman, who was suffering from a flu bug, Coach Ray Humphrey said.
But that opened up a few key plays for backup running back Tim Sarmiento. “Sarmiento had a nice game for us,” Humphrey said. “He’s a workhorse, and every game he’s improving.”
As for the defense, Humphrey said linebacker Chris Dewind shined with 10 solo tackles and two sacks. “The kid was everywhere.”
Hale also had two sacks and Jake Jesson and Brooks Ellis made one sack each. “The defense was much more aggressive this time, sometimes too aggressive, they got a couple of clipping penalties,” the coach said.
And that may prove crucial as Malibu gets ready for a pair of road games, followed by one last home game. “I think we can make the CIF playoffs with a 5-5 record,” Humphrey said. “And this team is getting better and better.”
The Sharks play again at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Chadwick School, located at 26800 S. Academy Drive in Palos Verdes Peninsula.