In a lopsided Halloween contest at Malibu High School, the varsity Sharks football team upset Webb High School 21-7. The Malibu defense, anchored by Andrew “Animal” Heric and Matt Nechak, controlled the Gauls’ offensive attack for all four quarters of the game, while the Shark offense ran the ball effectively throughout the contest.
Tailback Chris Lafotu, a force in the past several games, continued his hard-hitting rushing, and put the Sharks on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a 17-yard touchdown run to cap off a 60-yard drive. Later in the first quarter, Nechak caught a 36-yard touchdown pass to put Malibu ahead 14-0.
On the first play of the second quarter, running back Thomas Kirby broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 21-0. The Gauls were able to put points on the scoreboard late in the second quarter, and the teams went into halftime with the score at 21-7.
In a fine display of team defense, the Sharks held the Gauls scoreless in the second half of the game, as the team coasted to a comfortable victory.
In Saturday’s junior varsity game, the Sharks seemingly scored at will in a 36-16 victory. Sophomore running back Miles Edman rushed for 236 yards, despite sitting out most of the second half. Edman continued on a record pace for the season, averaging more than 200 yards rushing per game. He scored all 36 of the Sharks’ points, with five touchdowns, four two-point conversions and one extra-point kick.
The Sharks’ seasons have peaked at the right time with the teams heading into Homecoming week. Malibu hosts Silver Valley on Friday, with the junior varsity kicking off at 3 p.m. and the varsity homecoming game starting at 7 p.m. under the lights. The attendance at recent games has swelled as an increasing number of Malibu citizens have discovered the air of community excitement that has built at the high school’s field. Judging by recent crowds, thousands should attend Friday’s festivities, which will include special performances by the MHS cheerleaders and the new Malibu Sharks Drum Line.