SAN MARCOS — You gotta have Harte.

Fortunately, the Mission Hills High School football team not only has him, but knows just how to use him. Early. Often. And to great success.

Fifth-ranked Mission Hills was tied with archrival and No. 4-ranked San Marcos in Friday’s 21st annual Discovery Bowl when it took possession at the San Marcos 49-yard line with 3:10 to play.

There was no deception, no fooling around. Running back Giovanni Harte carried seven times on the drive, moving the Grizzlies to the 9. Following three timeouts — two by San Marcos — senior kicker Logan Boyack split the uprights on a  26-yard field goal, giving Mission Hills a 17-14 win in front of the capacity home crowd.

Mission Hills improves to 18-3 in the all-time series. The Grizzlies have never lost to San Marcos at home.

Harte, a senior, carried 29 times for 174 yards and a touchdown. He had a 30-yard run and three 12-yard runs. Of his 29 carries, 28 went for positive yards.

“We need to celebrate Gio,” said Mission Hills coach Chris Hauser. “He’s not sexy, but he’s physical and he runs downhill. We leaned on him tonight, and he was inspired. He wanted the ball.”

The 6-foot, 205-pound Harte put it simply.

“The gameplan was for me to run it down their throats,” he said. “I love getting the ball. I love that my teammates count on me. My offensive line deserves a lot of credit. Those guys were great. Because it was San Marcos, this is the biggest win I’ve been part of.”

Hauser said he was playing for the field goal on the last drive.

“I liked our field position, liked the fact I had (three) timeouts and liked my kicker,” Hauser said.

Boyack is a senior transfer from Las Vegas. Friday marked his first time playing San Marcos.

“I kinda thought it would come down to me,” Boyack said. “Day in and day out, you prepare for this type of situation, and when it comes, you try to stay calm. We moved here from Las Vegas over the summer, so this is my first experience playing San Marcos. The game, the crowd, lived up to everything I was told.

“I’ve never had a bigger kick. Hopefully, it’s the first of many.”

The teams were tied at 7 at the half but only because an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown by Mission Hills’ Patrick Fleming was called back because of an illegal blindside block at the point of the catch.

Mission Hills scored first., marching 68 yards on six plays after holding San Marcos on its first drive.

Harte went the final two yards after quarterback Troy Huhn connected with Myzael Quackenbush for 17 yards and Rylan Schroeder for 32.

San Marcos countered with a 55-yard drive on four plays, with Brady Pohl going the final eight yards. Tabari Lane’s 30-yard run was the key to the drive.

Mission Hills had a drive stall at the San Marcos 20 and was in position for a field goal, but Boyack’s 37-yard attempt hit high on the left upright.

Mission Hills rushed for 181 yards. Huhn threw for 104 yards.

San Marcos rushed 21 times for 77 yards while quarterback Kreet Makihele completed 6 of 14 passes for 132 yards, 75 of those yards coming on a 75-yard, third quarter touchdown to Elijah Bechtel.

Mission Hills 17,  San Marcos 14

San Marcos      7    0     7      0 – 14  Mission Hills    7    0     0     10 – 17

MH — Harte 2 run (Boyack kick)SM  — Pohl 8 run (Hackett kick)SM — Bechtel 75 pass from Makihele (Hackett kick)MH — Huhn 2 run (Boyack kick)MH — FG Boyack 26