JACK MILLER (16) rolls out looking for a receiver in Marina’s 24-21 quarterfinal CIF-SS Division win over Ontario Christian (Orange County Tribune photo).

The Marina High School football team is making history with its run all the way into the CIF-SS Division 11 championship game on Friday against Muir High School of Pasadena.

Last year, Coach Jeff Turley’s Vikings finished 3-7 overall and third place in the Big 4 League. But this season the MHS team is 11-2 overall and has its first league crown in the 21st century.

The Vikes will face a team that is in some ways a mirror image. Muir’s Mustangs are also 11-2 overall. With a 5-1 mark, they finished second in the Pacific League.

Marina has a tandem of talented quarterbacks, but so does Muir. Gavin del Toro and Jack Miller combined this year for 25 touchdowns through the air.

Muir’s air force is Erik Wallace and Amaris Harrison, who have 22 TDs together. Amaris is also a threat to run, as he’s rushed for eight scores and 361 yards to add to his 1,517 yards passing.

Top runner for Marina is Pharoah Rush, who compiled 1,048 yards and 12 touchdowns. Brantt Riederich added 714 yards and nine scores.

Leading the ground attack for the Mustangs is Tyrikk Lawson with 653 yards and six scores. John Humphrey is a two-way threat with 12 scores as a receiver and five interceptions as a defensive back.

If anyone has an advantage, it might be the Vikings, who will host the game at its home stadium, Boswell Field on the Westminster High School campus where they won five of six games.

Still early in the game …

Basketball has started for high school teams but it’s still just the earliest part of the season. There will be non-league and tournament games a plenty for the next month.

League play doesn’t start until January, so it’s still pretty hard to determine who’s good and who’s just nice. But looking at the campaign so far (Monday’s games not included) here are the boys teams getting out of the gate fast (we will look at girls teams next week).

Among local teams that have played at least two games, the “leaders” are:

• Rancho Alamitos (2-0)
• Garden Grove (3-1)
• Pacifica (2-1)
• Western (1-1)
• Westminster (1-1)
• Santiago (1-1)
• Orange (1-1)
• Marina (2-3).

Prep Sports Spotlight is posted each Tuesday during the high school athletic season.