The Mira Costa Mustangs thumped rivals Palos Verdes 82-12 Friday in the annual South Bay Scrum Down in Southern California.

The hard-charging Mira Costa side improved to 3-0 (2-0 in league play) and now enter their winter break.

The Costa side was constantly on the attack as they managed to recycle the ball nicely and used their backs well. Smooth balle movement led to tries for No. 8 Jonah Tavai (who scored three) and outside center Makai Elep (who also scored three), while inside center Justus Tavai, outside center Jermal Williams, fullback Sean Walker each scored tries. Forwards captain and lock Justin Johnson got one try.

Mira Costa looks to be among the top teams in the Varsity White LA division in Southern California, with View Park Prep and St. John Bosco also solidly in the hunt.

View Park has a lot of new players, but their top returners include power-running hooker Sirron Leslie, and big, strong No. 8 David Colvin, a ruck clearout specialist.

The scrumhalf-flyhalf combinatiomn of Emari Daniels and Malik Montez-Hendon is electric, but young, while Kaleb Jenkins is a gamebreaker in thebacks. Jenkins, Montez-Hendon, and Daniels were three of the four runners in View Park's JV 3x400 relay team this past summer, where they came second in the Los Angeles City finals. If you know anything about the depth of sprinters in the Los Angeles area, you'd know that performance, event at the JV level, is impressive.