Talk about a shot to the stomach and knocking the wind out of you.
Three days before the regular season home opener against St. Monica, Malibu was dealt a blow when junior running back Matt Vincent injured his knee during practice and was declared inactive until further tests were done.
Unfortunately for the Sharks, the pain continued as they were dealt a 38-0 loss to the Mariners last Friday night.
As the sun set on a hot September evening, the excitement and anticipation that arose when the Sharks took the field was cooled by the loss of Vincent.
“Matt is the soul of the team right now,” Malibu coach Ray Humphrey said. “He’s the most vocal. It’s a great loss right now. We need him out here.”
Vincent was expected to have an MRI this past Monday. Humphrey believed the injury deflated the Sharks before the contest and subsequently affected his team’s performance on the field. While the team waits on pins and needles for the MRI results, Humphrey will prepare his team to play at Chadwick on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
“I think it was in their mindset. But they have to understand that they have got to overcome it and move forward,” Humphrey said.
Without Vincent, a 5-foot-10 205-pound bull in the backfield, the Sharks’ offense struggled to find any productivity or rhythm versus St. Monica. In 12 offensive possessions, Malibu (0-1) punted 11 times and had one turnover.
Replacing Vincent and his 460 yards from a season ago was a tough task for Malibu. Sophomore Jake Dante and senior Nick Anthony filled in for Vincent but combined for only two yards on 10 carries.
Junior Dylan Lubell did all he could in his varsity debut, completing 15 of 36 passes for 119 yards and one interception. Lubell gained a lot from his first game at quarterback.
“I learned that I need to step it up more,” Lubell said. “I need to stay in the pocket and not roll out. I need to stay until I can make that pass. It doesn’t matter if I get hit late as long as I can make the pass.”
Sophomore tight end Billy Humphreys was Lubell’s main target, catching five balls for 38 yards. Senior Dylan Miller added four catches for 23 yards.
After the game Lubell said his priority this week will be working with the linemen and their pass protection.
“I usually work with the receivers but I want to work with the line the whole time,” Lubell said. “I want to get everything down. I want to watch and learn from them.”
St. Monica broke out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Mariners extended the lead to 17-0 at halftime. In the third, the visitors drove 60 yards in six plays to make it 24-0. An 85-yard touchdown run by Jason Thomas gave the visitors a 31-point lead entering the fourth quarter and put the game effectively out of reach.
Sophomore linebacker Alec Stevenson led the Sharks’ defense with 11 tackles. Miller had a team-high nine solo tackles and 10 total. Humphreys added nine tackles and junior Bronson Bard had eight of his own.
“I thought our defense came out and played tough,” Humphrey said. “We have some young guys on defense making plays for us. It definitely was a positive sign.”