Serra's defense creates the spark in Mission League football win

Coming off a loss to Narbonne two weeks ago, Serra needed to prove it was ready for league play. The Cavaliers' defense wasted no time sending that message.

On their first series, Kris Cooper tackled Cathedral quarterback M.C. Poe in the end zone for a safety. And that set the tone for a dominating 40-0 Mission League victory over visiting Cathedral.

 

Serra's defense registered four sacks, three interceptions and a fumble recovery in its third shutout of the season.

 

"From the start of the game, our mindset was to come out fast," Cooper said. "We were running this whole week, including extra after practice."

 

Che Potasi had two sacks for the Cavaliers (4-2, 1-0) while Adorre Jackson and Jalen Jones had first-half interceptions. Serra's defense held Cathedral to 68 total yards and Cooper was at the center of it with two sacks and an interception.

 

"Kris has started for us for three years and he's got a lot of talent," Serra coach Scott Altenberg said. "He's going to play big-time Division I football if he keeps going like this."

The bye week gave the Cavaliers extra time to prepare for Cathedral, which lost quarterback Hayden Rettig to a season-ending ACL injury last month.

Cathedral (3-3, 0-1) started Poe, a freshman, and he proved no match for Serra's aggressive play.

 

"Our defense is essential this year for us to do well," Altenberg said. "It's about them lining up right and doing what they know what to do."

 

Cooper added that the team had extra motivation after its narrow loss to Narbonne. The Cavs' hard hits knocked several Cathedral players out of the game, including wide receiver Torry McTyer, son of Banning head coach Tim McTyer.

 

Their play helped spark Serra's offense. Jalen Greene scored on a 4-yard run to make it 9-0 in the first and Eddie Garcia later added a 38-yard field goal. That was the preshow before a 21-point explosion in the second quarter.

 

Anterio Bateman started it first with a 2-yard score. On their next drive, Greene connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricardo Rijo. After Jones' interception, Serra added another score on a 4-yard run by Thomas Brown to give Serra a 33-0 lead before halftime.

 

"Today was a very serious game because it was league and we know we can't afford any losses because we want that No. 1 seed," Greene said.

 

Greene finished 9 for 15 for 195 yards and two touchdowns while adding 47 yards on six carries. Altenberg praised how efficient his offense was compared to how it played against Narbonne.

 

"We had a lot of yards (against Narbonne) but we also had a lot of penalties. Tonight we didn't make the same mistakes," he said.

 

The week off also helped Serra's skill position players heal, specifically Bateman and Raymond Ford, who were recovering from ankle injuries. Ford had three catches for 61 yards and his presence helped Greene be more comfortable in executing the offense

"Last game they weren't 100 percent so this game it was great to have them healthy," Greene said.

 

Yet Serra's season-long injury woes weren't over yet. They played without starting center Robert Jackson (torn MCL) and safety/linebacker Patrick Wooten, who spent several days in the hospital with an intestinal infection.

 

"I remember before the season saying these are the guys who we don't want to get injured," Altenberg said, "And bam, guys start going down. It is what is, but our kids are pretty resilient."

 

The road doesn't get any easier for Serra, which faces a tougher foe in undefeated St.Francis next week.

 

"I told them that every week this is going to get tougher," Altenberg said.