Monterey-Seaside football

Saturday's game
Monterey (3-6) at Seaside (8-1), 2 p.m.
 You wouldn't think that a program that's 8-1, has no worse than a share of the league title, would still be searching for cohesiveness going into the postseason
 Yet, the Spartans have not been the juggernaut you'd expect from a team that is two points shy from being undefeated.
 Granted, championship caliber teams find ways to win games, and that is what Seaside has done in two of the last three weeks with two-point and one-point victories.
 One week the defense rises to the occasion, as was the case in last week's 6-5 win over Watsonville. Another it's the offense producing 34 points in a two-point win over Gilroy.
 If Seaside wants an extensive postseason run in Division V, it needs both phases of the game to be working at the same time.
 Monterey has rebuilt its programs at the lower levels and improved in the win column. Yet, it still hasn't won a road game in two years.
 Last year's battle was epic, perhaps the game of the year in which Seaside erased a 14-point deficit, converting a two-point conversion in overtime for a 22-21 win.
 The three that scored touchdowns in that battle for Seaside in Tristian Beza, Keishawn Robinson and Malik Jeter are all back.
 Robinson has already gone over 1,000 yards rushing this year while Beza scored the game-winning touchdown last week.
 Jeter, who has moved behind center, has thrown for nearly 800 yards and seven touchdown, while doubling as one of the top safeties in the county.
 No one has had a better season defensively than DeMarcus Hawkins and Daniel Sayre. Hawkins has 14 sacks while Sayre has six interceptions, returning four for touchdowns.
 While the Toreadores will be turning in uniforms on Monday, they can still have a say in the Pacific Division title and cost Seaside a potential high seed in the playoffs.
 It's been trial by fire for quarterback Evans Charles, who has shown flashes with 911 yards and 11 touchdown passes for Monterey, while rushing for three touchdowns.
 Marcus Dorn Jr., who spent his first two years at Seaside, has caught seven touchdown passes and has accounted for nearly 700 yards in total offense for the Toreadores.
 The third quarter has been a thorn in Monterey's side as it has been outscored 70-14. Opponents have had more success running the ball against Seaside than throwing it.