SAN MARCOSSAN MARCOS — They’re each under 6 feet tall, but San Marcos’ aerial tandem of Kreet Makihele and Jase Nix are playing like giants so far this season.
The quarterback-wide receiver duo connected for three first-half touchdowns as San Marcos stayed perfect on the early season with a convincing 33-6 win over visiting Steele Canyon.
“Me and Kreet during the offseason we’re going at least three or four times a week working out and getting our chemistry down,” said Nix, a junior who hauled in eight catches for 106 yards in Friday’s win. “Coach put in a really good gameplan, but I think it’s our chemistry also that helps us move down the field.”
Steele Canyon (1-2) had a sophomore just called up from JV covering Nix throughout the night, and the coverage was more than irable. But Makihele still hit him for scores of 22 yards on a slant, 1 yard on a quick slant that ended an 86-yard drive and 36 yards on a fade route before the end of the first half.
“I’ve known Jace for a really long time,” said Makihele, who finished 20 for 28 for 276 yards and five touchdowns. “It’s kind of just like playing in the backyard again with one of my old friends. That connection we have carries onto the field.”
The Knights’ air attack was hitting on all cylinders, and the defense may have been even better. Steele Canyon ran only 13 first-half plays as the hosts held on six of seven third-down plays. Quarterback Marsello Olivieri, filling in for injured starter Joshua Herber (ankle), completed only two es for 25 yards.
In the first half, the Cougars had 59 yards. Nix had 99 by himself.
“One of the things I’m proud of is that they don’t lose focus,” San Marcos (3-0) head coach Tom Carroll said. “We pride ourselves on three-and-outs. We’re not getting the turnovers I’d like, but we’re getting the offense off the field. We’ve got to continue that as the season goes on.”
Knights senior linebacker Lucas Miller had four tackles for loss, including on back-to-back plays that helped set up the Knights’ final score of the first half.
The visitors’ lone score came on a Johnathan Sablan 7-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Sablan finished with 77 yards on 25 carries.
“We need to establish an identity on offense,” said Steele Canyon head coach Scott Longerbone, who started three sophomores in the defensive backfield as well as at defensive end. “I’m OK with our sophomores making mistakes, but the 15-yard penalties when it’s a close game are not OK. We made some coaching mistakes too, but that’s on us. We’ll fix that. We play these tough games at the beginning of the season for a reason.”
In the second half, Makihele connected with Justus Woods for a 19-yard TD and Brady Pohl for a 49-yard score after the junior wideout broke five tackles. The sophomore QB completed 10 of his final 12 attempts.
“He knows where to find his weapons,” Carroll said. “He definitely has some weapons to go to, and he’s making some really good decisions.”
Nonleague
San Marcos 33, Steele Canyon 6
Steele Canyon 0 0 0 6 – 6
San Marcos 6 13 7 7 – 33
SM – Nix 22 from Makihele (run failed)
SM – Nix 1 from Makihele ( failed)
SM – Nix 36 from Makihele (Pickering kick)
SM – Woods 19 from Makihele (Pickering kick)
SC – Sablan 7 run (kick failed)
