Malibu Scores On Last Play To Defeat St. Monica, 21-20:

St. Monica football coach Chris Caminiti has made no secret of the fact his team will be overmatched physically in most games this season. An exception was Friday night, September 22, when the Mariners were able to compete on even terms with host Malibu. However, after leading throughout the game, St. Monica lost, 21-20, when Malibu scored on a two-yard run with two seconds to play. “They made the plays and we didn’t,” said Caminiti. “We didn’t play any better or any worse than we have in other games but we matched up better and had a chance. We were even able to run the ball pretty well.” Quarterback David Aiello, who was injured the previous week, alternated at the position with Anthony Flores and both also played receiver. Flores ran for a touchdown and threw for two others. Tight end Julio de Jesus caught four passes for 70 yards, including a touchdown. The Mariners, who were 1-9 last season when Jason Strouse was the coach, are 0-3 now and will play Santa Monica Friday night at Corsair Field. “They are much bigger and deeper, and we would have to play a perfect game to win,” said Caminiti. It will be the fourth straight year the teams have played after they went 60 years without scheduling each other. St. Monica won the first game, lost the second and was so overmatched last year that the coaches agreed to use running time in the second half – an admission by St. Monica it was hopelessly behind. St. Monica has indicated it wants to eliminate games against schools with a much larger enrollment, so it’s unlikely the teams will play again in 2007.