Momentum started to swing in San Clemente's favor early in the fourth quarter. An interception by Joey Waters gave the Tritons possession on the La Habra 46 with the score tied, 21-21.

Led by quarterback Duke DeLancellotti, San Clemente went nine plays, resulting in Espino's touchdown.

"He did what he had to do," Patton said of DeLancellotti. "We couldn't get any kind of offense in the third quarter, but we hung in there and when the time came, he did a good job putting the ball where he had to."

DeLancellotti completed 18 of 28 passes for 178 yards. He completed three passes on the winning drive.

"We practiced those situations every day," DeLancellotti said of the winning drive. "It pays off."

La Habra took a 21-20 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter on Ronnie Hillman's 77-yard touchdown run.

Hillman had 197 total yards on 17 touches (nine rushes, eight catches.)

It was the second consecutive loss for La Habra to a Pac-5 school. The Highlanders lost to No. 4 Los Alamitos, by 7 last week.

"It is disappointing," La.Habra coach Frank Mazzotta said. "Last week, I thought our defense played hard and our offense turned the ball over four times. Tonight, offensively, we got after them, but defensively. … It was tough to stop their offense.

"The kids understand why we played San Clemente and Los Alamitos. We wanted to get ready for what we think is a tough division (CIF-SS Southwest). We want to be battle-tested."

Servite knocked off by Notre Dame

By CARLOS ARIAS, OCVarsity staff

NORWALK -- Servite and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks were determined to get their nonleague game in Friday night at Cerritos College.

Lack of electricity caused a 93-minute delay, but the two state-ranked teams eventually mixed it up on the field.

Junior quarterback Ryan Kasdorf was as good as advertised for Notre Dame, passing for over 409 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Knights (5-0) to a 31-24 victory over the Friars (3-2).

Notre Dame is ranked No.17 in the state by CalHiSports.com. Servite is No.15.

The electricity at the stadium went out at about 6:30 p.m. because of an event on the other side of the campus that sucked all the juice from the stadium and crashed the system.

Fortunately, trouble-shooters from the electric company were able to solve the problem and the game kicked off at 8:33, roughly an hour after the scheduled kickoff.

With the Trinity League opener against archrival Mater Dei a week away, Friars coach Troy Thomas didn't even want to think about re-scheduling the game for tonight.

"We're going to get this game in," Thomas said, while keeping his team focused on the game during the long blackout.

The first half featured three lead changes, but the Knights had a 17-14 lead over the Friars by halftime.

The Friars' rugged defense kept them in the game and set up both of Servite's touchdowns in the first half.

The Friars got five sacks and one interception in the first half.

Kasdorf had a big first half,and an even bigger second. He came out throwing the ball all over the field to start the third quarter.

He caught the Servite defense off-balance with a play-action pass to Kenny Boggs that went for a 53-yard touchdown, giving the Knights a 24-14 lead with 8:11 left in the quarter.

Servite got its offense going late in the third with a 10-play, 69-yard scoring drive that finished up early in the fourth quarter.

Bijon Samoodi caught a 32-yard pass and two plays later scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the Knights' lead to 24-21 with 10:01 remaining in the game.

But the Friars couldn't stop Kasdorf. Notre Dame responded with a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive.

And the Knights did it despite three holding penalties and an illegal procedure penalty.

Kasdorf connected with James Flynn on 10-yard touchdown pass to cap it for a 31-21 lead.

Servite came back with a 13-play drive that resulted in a 36-yard field goal by Michael Loftus.

The Friars failed on the onside kick attempt, but the defense got the ball back for them with 1:06 left and 80 yards to go with no timeouts.

The Friars gave it a valiant effort on their final drive, but Notre Dame's Chris McNeill intercepted Cody Fajardo's Hail Mary attempt at the 2-yard line with 2 seconds left.

Evans, Richardson lift Los Alamitos past Narbonne

By DAN ALBANO, OCVarsity staff

HARBOR CITY - Quarterback Clark Evans and wide receiver Paul Richardson each gave career-best performances for Los Alamitos on Friday night.

But the Griffins' special teams deserved a save as the fourth-ranked team in Orange County defeated Los Angeles City Section power Narbonne, 41-28, in a meeting of undefeated teams.

After Evans' tossed his career-high fifth touchdown pass to give Los Alamitos (5-0) a 35-28 lead with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter, sophomore Nick Richardson recovered the ensuing squib kick at Narbonne's 31.

In a game that featured a combined 831 yards of offense, the recovery proved crucial. Behind some short, hard-nosed runs by Evans, the Griffins chewed up the next 3:28 before Evans slid feet-first for a 4-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left.

The extra point failed.

"It was a huge play," Paul Richardson said of the recovery. "Nick Richardson wanted the ball more than they wanted it."

Paul Richardson showed he wanted the ball. All four of his receptions were for touchdowns, his single-game high. The junior finished with four catches for 118 yards.

The Colorado-bound Evans passed for 228 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 18 carries for 81 yards, including the late touchdown.

Evans combined with running back Cody Perez (91 yards) and Nathan Castaneda (62 yards) to give the Griffins 234 yards on the ground.

Narbonne (4-1) is ranked No. 1 in the L.A. City Section and featured USC-commit Bryon Moore at wide receiver and safety. The Gauchos also had more size than the Griffins.

"It seems like we made more clutch plays to win," Los Alamitos coach John Barnes said.

One of the biggest came on Evans' fifth touchdown pass, which went to Darryl Jenkins. On a third-and-16, Los Alamitos protected Evans, who spotted Jenkins behind a linebacker in the middle of the field. Evans' throw to the 20 narrowly beat the defender. Jenkins spun after the catch and raced in the end zone.

Los Alamitos led, 21-14, at halftime on three touchdown passes from Evans to Richardson.

The Griffins opened a 21-6 lead on the duo's third connection, a 56-yard strike with 3:38 left in the second quarter. On the play, Evans escaped a near-sack at his feet and lofted a deep pass to Richardson, who out-jumped his defender at the 15 before scoring.

"That was super-human," Barnes said. "Play of the year."

Still, Narbonne tied the score at 21 and 28.

Moore scores four TDs to lead Esperanza

By ARTIE CASAS, OCVarsity staff

PLACENTIA - Esperanza's offense is finally keeping up with its defense.

For a second consecutive week the Aztecs lighted up the scoreboard, this time it was a 49-6 victory over Compton Centennial in a nonleague game on Friday at Valencia High.

"We looked good in spots, but we were a little inconsistent," Esperanza coach Bill Pendelton said. "We did enough to get the win, and you have to be happy with that."

It took a quarter of the game for Esperanza (4-1), which is coming off a bye week, to shake off some rust and break the game open.

The Aztecs homecoming celebration got started early when senior Jared Moore found the end zone on touchdown runs of 34, 4, 3 and 2 yards in the first half.

"We wanted to set the tempo early," Moore said. "I didn't play against Mount Miguel, and then we had our bye last week so I was really itching to play… The O-line created a lot of holes, and I just to hit them at full speed."

Moore led the offensive attack on the ground with 92 rushing yards.

After a shaky start Drew Huusfeldt got loose and connected on 5 of 11 passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. His last three passes were all touchdowns.
|
"We can throw the ball a little this year," Pendelton said. "It's not what we usually do, but we can if we have to."

The Aztecs defense was as stingy as ever holding Compton Centennial (1-4) to just 95 offensive yards.

Everyone got in on the pass rushing action half with six total sacks by five players, only Lukas Lopez had a pair.

"We can't seem to get that shutout," Pendelton said. "But we've only given up one touchdown in every game that we have played this year."

Esperanza got two fumble recoveries and an interception from Dane Poole.

Dana Hills' hard work pays off

By MARK GARCIA, OCVarsity staff

ORANGE -- Dana Hills coach Brent Melbon stressed this week that after suffering two consecutive losses, his club needed to take care of business.

Melbon's Dolphins did that and then some in rolling to a 34-14 victory Friday night over El Modena in a nonleague game at Fred Kelly Stadium.

"We worked harder this week than any other week this season," the first-year coach said. "It was nice to see the kids do everything we wanted them to do."

Dana Hills (3-2) was never challenged as it scored the first 34 points, thanks mostly to the left arm of Duke-bound quarterback Sean Schroeder. He picked apart the Vanguards (1-4) defense, completing 14 of 20 passes for 387 yards and five touchdowns.

Dylan Denso was the recipient of three of those touchdown passes, finishing with five receptions for 178 yards. Peter Adams caught three passes for 93 yards, including a 20-yard score, and Brett Giesen scored on a 14-yard screen play.

El Modena scored in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard run by Chris Barnett and a 1-yard sneak by Anthony Daniel.

The Vanguards open Century League play next week against Villa Park. Dana Hills begins South Coast League play at No.9 San Clemente.

Newport Harbor cruises past Mira Costa

Newport Harbor pounced on host Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach in the first half Friday night and cruised to a 42-14 nonleague victory at Waller Stadium.

The Sailors (4-1) opened with a 1-yard touchdown run by Danny Miller on their opening drive, then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

"We played well offensively," Sailors coach Jeff Brinkley said. "After we jumped out to a 14-0 lead, it kind of snowballed (on Mira Costa, 2-3) from there."

Sonora run over by Walnut

By KENNY CONNOLLY, Special to OCVarsity

LA HABRA - Walnut's Leonard Rhodes rushed for five touchdowns while compiling 148 yards on 14 carries to surge the Mustangs past host Sonora, 47-13, Friday night in a nonleague game at La Habra High.

The Raiders (2-3) suffered their third consecutive loss heading into Freeway League play next week against La Habra.

"The reason we scheduled this game was to play against the spread offense," Sonora coach Paul Chiotti said. "Teams in our league run the spread and we need to do a better job of tackling."

Walnut scored on its first four offensive possessions, taking control of the ball three times in Raiders territory to take 26-6 halftime lead.

Trailing 7-0 early in the first, the Raiders responded with a 60-yard scoring drive. Jeffrey Keichline's 42-yard run put the ball on the Mustangs 7-yard line. Teammate Randy Vorick concluded the drive with a 7-yard TD run, making the score 7-6.

Vorick was Sonora's leading rusher, collecting 60 yards on 14 carries as well as recovering a fumble in the third quarter.

Raiders QB Chaz Woxland had a 20-yard TD run.

Laguna Beach take a big hit

By CHASEN MARSHALL, Special to OCVarsity

LAGUNA BEACH - Laguna Beach did what it could to try to neutralize the Francis Parker attack, but the Lancers still walked away with a 49-7 victory on Friday at Laguna Beach High.

Though the stadium was packed for the 75th anniversary of the high school, the Lancers didn't seem to let that bother them, as junior Deon Randall was Mr. Everything for his team.

Offensively, Randall ran for 181 yards with three touchdowns and passed for another 113 yards, connecting for three touchdowns through the air.

Defensively, he recorded Francis Parker's only interception.

Laguna Beach (1-5) broke the shutout in the second quarter when senior Andrew Paddon collected the kickoff on the 5-yard-line and raced 95 yards untouched for the Breakers only score of the evening.

Orange garners initial triumph

By LAURENS ONG, Special to OCVarsity

GARDEN GROVE- A punishing rushing attack and five takeaways powered Orange to its first victory, 35-21, over Rancho Alamitos at Bolsa Grande High School on Friday.

Panthers quarterback Edgar Bejarano ran for two touchdowns and hit Alfredo Carrillo on a 66-yard strike for a third. Eric Manzo rushed for 73 yards.

Orange (1-4) allowed just 210 yards of offense to the Vaqueros (2-3), sacked quarterback Mike Frank three times before he was pulled because of a possible head injury, and recovered three fumbles. Frank had a 15-yard TD scramble, and Peter Pham scored on 5- and 3-yard runs.

Rancho Alamitos offensive lineman Brian Taylor briefly lost consciousness blocking on a punt return midway through the third quarter and was taken by ambulance to St Joseph Hospital for further evaluation, a school official said.

Valencia cruises past Brea Olinda

By DALE RUHE, Special to OCVarsity

BREA- Two teams heading in opposite directions before starting league next week met on the Brea Olinda field Friday night. The team on the rise, Valencia, cruised to a 41-0 victory over the host Wildcats.

Ranked third in this week's CIF-SS Southwest Division poll, Valencia (4-1) posted 412 yards in total offense, 20 first downs and got rushing touchdowns from Dave Pina and Ruben Escarsega.

Brea Olinda (1-4), winless since the opening week of the season, recorded just 76 total yards and five first downs. The only aspect of the game the Wildcats were better than the Tigers came in fewer penalties

The Tigers were in command from the outset, taking advantage of a bad snap in punt formation that had Wildcats kicker Krysitain Hodges falling on the ball on the Tigers 1-yard line. Quarterback Pina opened the Valencia scoring with a 81-yard sneak less than three minutes after kickoff.

A lost fumble briefly derailed the Tigers' offensive attack later in the quarter, but it was business as usual soon thereafter.

An 11-play, 80-yard drive was capped when Escarsega scored from 4 yards out on the first play in the second quarter.

That was followed by a 812-play, 85-yard march, ending with Pina's second touchdown of the game from 9.yards out

Jesse Sandoval aided the Tigers with field goals of 28 yards late in the first half and 34 yards early in the third quarter.

The final two Valencia scores came in a two-minute span of the third quarter.

Pina completed a 825-yard pass to Isaac Dominguez and Escarsega added 4-yard touchdown run.

Capo Valley wastes its chances in loss

By JONATHAN KAY, OCVarsity staff

SANTA MONICA - Suddenly, Capistrano Valley had scored two touchdowns in 28 seconds, and was ready to give undefeated Santa Monica a game.

But that stretch, which tied the score late in the first half, was as close as the Cougars would get. From that point, each offense received two gifts. The Vikings took advantage of both, and the Cougars took advantage of neither in a 28-14 loss at Santa Monica College.

"After the second score, we felt like we could do anything," wide receiver Lee Casas said. "We were really playing as a team."

Casas caught both of Brandon Brennan's touchdown passes. He held on to the second one, from 19 yards out with 3:25 left in the half, despite drawing a pass interference call. That drive had been set up when Jordan Bertini's kickoff dropped on the Vikings' 20-and bounced backward, allowing the Cougars' Michael Hollis to recover.

The Cougars forced Santa Monica (5-0) to go three-and-out, but a muffed punt gave the Vikings the ball on the Capistrano Valley 35. Four plays later, Vikings running back Christian Ross plunged in for a 6-yard touchdown.

The Cougars defense held up for most of the second half, as a Weston Rhodes interception and a tipped punt gave their Capistrano Valley's offense the ball in Vikings territory on consecutive possessions. But the Cougars (2-3) managed only five first downs in the second half and did not score.

Capistrano Valley lined up with four receivers through most of the game, because tailback Bardia Rezaei (hip pointer) left after one carry.

"This is good for us," said Coach Chi Chi Biehn, whose team opens South Coast League play against Aliso Niguel next week. "We've seen three quality opponents the last three weeks, and we've gotten better."

La Quinta interception foils Santa Ana rally

By HUGO PACHECO, Special to OCVarsity

On what appeared to be a potential winning drive for the host Santa Ana Saints, La Quinta's Jonathan Rio returned an interception 65 yards to put the game away with :53 seconds left in the fourth quarter Friday night.

Rio's touchdown secured a 27-14 victory for La Quinta.

After Santa Ana tied the game at 14, La Quinta drove 60 yards and scored with 1:55 left in the final quarter on a 2 yard quarterback sneak by George Martinez. The Saints blocked the extra point to make it 20-14.

Santa Ana drove down the field but turned the ball over as La Quinta racked up its third interception of the game with 1 minute left in the game.

Martinez led his team with 148 yards on 12 of 16 passing and two scores plus the eventual winning rushing score.

Costa Mesa has a breakthrough

By JOSH DIGGS, Special to OCVarsity

COSTA MESA -Antwon Byrd was ready for an encore.

After having a 56-yard touchdown run called back for a holding penalty late in the third quarter, Bryd took the handoff on the very next play and sprinted 67 yards for his third score of the night to lead Costa Mesa to its first victory of season, 35-6, over Century in a nonleague game at Estancia High on Friday.

Byrd finished with 175 yards rushing and touchdowns runs of 84 and 67 yards to go with 57 yards receiving, including a 43-yard touchdown pass from Todd Davis.

The defense forced two interceptions and Jeff Dye led a spirited special teams unit with a blocked field goal and extra point.

"It's really big to get the first win out of the way, especially with Estancia coming up," Byrd said. "We didn't let our record bother us. We just hope to carry this momentum over and stay focused."

Century fumbled the opening kick off and Nick Pederson scored from 5-yards out five plays later for an early lead. The Centurions responded with a 12-play drive that culminated with Abraham's Palacios 18-yard touchdown run to make it 7-6, but Byrd scored three unanswered touchdowns and the Mustangs' defense took over.

Brian Waldron's 16-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter made it 35-6.

Davis finished 5 for 9 passing with 93 yards and a score.

Ricky Canales led Century with 68 yards rushing on 16 carries.

Beckman beats Woodbridge, improves to 5-1

By BRENT SHAVER, Special to OCVarsity

TUSTIN – Beckman has been here before.

The Patriots' 21-14 nonleague victory over Woodbridge Friday night at Tustin High improved their record to 5-1 heading into Pacific Coast League action next week.

But they know that their early season mark doesn't mean a whole lot.

Beckman started the 2006 campaign 5-0 before finishing at 6-4 and was 4-1 to open the 2007 season before ending up 5-5.

It is still looking for its first playoff berth.

"We've been establishing this program and working on this season now for nine months," Beckman coach Fred Shambaugh said. "We know what teams like Laguna Hills, Irvine and Uni have done in this league. I feel we are getting closer."

Beckman had another close game with Woodbridge (0-5). The Patriots held on to beat the Warriors last year, 20-16.

Woodbridge's last victory came against Beckman in 2006.

The Warriors looked good early Friday night, taking a 7-0 lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Kelley to Nick Grstein with just under a minute left in the first half.

Beckman didn't wait long to answer, however. Tyler Sackman dashed for a 65-yard touchdown run on the next play to tie things up heading into the half.

Beckman took the lead for good midway through the third quarter when Cody Demavivas dove in from 1 yard. Sackman had a big 25-yard run and Cole Ambrose connected with Cameron Castly on a 42-yard pass on a third-down play to help keep the drive alive.

A 13-yard touchdown run by Keith Lawson with 8:46 left gave Beckman a 21-7 lead. Woodbridge scored its final points with 2:13 to play.

"They played us tough," Shambaugh said. "Woodbridge gave us the kind of test that I think will really help us going into league."

JSerra beats Katella to stay unbeaten

By LOU PONSI, OCVarsity staff

ANAHEIM The JSerra football team created opportunities on defense and capitalized on good field position in a 35-2 victory over Katella in a nonleague game played Friday at Glover Stadium.

The Lions (5-0) will head into Trinity League play next week with an unblemished record against nonleague opponents.

"It was a good tune up for league," JSerra coach Jim Hartigan said of Friday's victory. "It wasn't our best performance but I'll take it. I'm proud of our kids."

In the first quarter, a 57-yard punt pinned the Knights (1-4) deep in their own territory and the JSerra defense kept them there.

The Knights were forced to punt from their own 8, giving the Lions field position inside the Katella 30.

Four plays later, a 2-yard scoring run by Logan Welbaum gave JSerra a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Colby Goldschmied's 7-yard touchdown run gave JSerra a 14-0 lead.

Katella fumbled the ensuing kickoff return giving the Lions a short field on the 19.

JSerra quarterback completed an 18-yard pass to Bobby Brown and then tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Otto Behrle to make the score, 21-0

The Lions put the game out of reach with touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.

JSerra's defense jammed the line of scrimmage and never allowed the Knights offense to gain momentum.

Aside from a safety, the Knights only other scoring opportunity was a missed 52-yard field goal try.

Brannon helps Pacifica power past Troy

By LAURENS ONG, Special to OCVarsity

FULLERTON - Running back Josh Brannon rushed for 292 yards as Pacifica defeated Troy, 27-0, in a nonleague game Friday night at Fullerton High School.

Brannon's only score in the game was a 3-yard touchdown run with 4:19 left in the fourth quarter. Still, it was a workhorse night for the senior Pacifica back. Among his 34 carries, Brannon had runs of 64, 32 and 35 yards and helped sophomore quarterback Mario Nava to a win in his first varsity start.

Nava, filling in for injured senior quarterback Raymond Huizar, completed his first varsity pass on a 7-yard play to running back Jacob Saludes in the second quarter. Nava also completed his first TD pass with 1:56 left in the third quarter, a 3-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Gulley.

Nava finished the game completing 5-of-11 passes, for 33 yards.

An 85-yard opening kickoff return by Pacifica's Cody Johnson was the only score during the first half.

Whittier Christian has no trouble with Kern Valley Christian

By STEPHAN MARTIN, Special to OCVarsity

WHITTIER – Whittier Christian used a nearly flawless performance in the third quarter to turn a tie game into a rout, as the Heralds outscored Kern Valley 21-0 on its way to a 34-7 nonleague victory Friday night.

The Heralds opened the third quarter with scoring drives of 57 and 61 yards respectively. The Herald running game was the key to the second half offense, with Nick Camarillo gaining 82 of his game-high 117 yards in the second half. Justin Trevino broke the 7-7 tie in the third quarter on a 12-yard scoring run that saw him break three tackles and reverse directions before finally breaking turning his run up the field and into the end zone.

The Heralds Zach Beckert finished the scoring in the period when he stepped in front of a Kyler Emery pass and returned the interception 35 yards for a touchdown. The Herlads (3-3) outgained the Broncs 150 yards to 5 yards in total offense in the third quarter and did not allow Kern Valley to gain a first down in the second half until there was 4:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. Beckert added a second interception in the fourth quarter and the Herald defense sacked Emery five times.

The only score of the first half for the Heralds came on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Stephen Anderson to Jordan Chavira-Pearman. Anderson and Chavira-Pearman also combined on a 10-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.

Orange Lutheran rolls over Banning, 42-7

By CHRIS TOBOLSKI, OCVarsity staff

COSTA MESA - It didn't take Orange Lutheran long to put points on the board against Banning in its 42-7 victory Friday night at Orange Coast College.

Damani Wilson returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and the Lancers were off and running. After holding the Pilots on three-and-out, the Lancers got the ball back and scored again on their first play.

Running back Kyle Dravis broke free for 59 yards and Orange Lutheran led 14-0 with 8:48 to go in the first quarter. The Lancers improved to 4-1 before beginning Trinity League play next week against JSerra.

"I think, hopefully, we improved," Lancers coach Jim Kunau said. "We have a long way to go to compete in our league. We really just wanted to improve. Tonight was a positive step."

Kunau said he was most concerned about containing Banning's speed and athleticism. Outside of a late-fourth quarter touchdown, the Lancers defense withstood the challenge.

"Overall, the defense played real well," Kunau said.

The Lancers defense even got into the scoring act. Terrence Brown returned an interception 31 yards to push Orange Lutheran's lead to 28-0 with two minutes to play before halftime.

Banning's Joel Panteau, who led the Pilots with 82 rushing yards, was injured on the last play and laid motionless on the field for 20 minutes after the game. He was eventually moved onto a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.

Sage Hill falls short against Army-Navy

By UMAR HUSSAIN, Special to OCVarsity

NEWPORT HARBOR - Sage Hill high school fell to Army-Navy of Carlsbad 14-6 on Friday night.

The Sage Hill Lightening had allowed 145 points in their first four games, but held the Warriors to only 14, all coming in the second quarter. They even added two interceptions and a fumble recovery on defense. However, The Lightening were their own enemy as two special teams mistakes led to two Army-Navy touchdowns.

On the first Warrior scoring drive, a 24-yard punt by the Warriors deflected off a Sage Hill player and back into the hands of the Warriors. With the momentum, Warrior running back Tommy Brown found daylight on a 37-yard run, which led to his one-yard touchdown run.

Then the Warriors capitalized on a failed fake punt attempt by Sage Hill, which was snapped poorly to Craig Jackson on 4th and 2 on the Lightning's own 44-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Varden Bernstein connected with Derrick Buchanan on a 34-yard touchdown pass.

The Lightning only struck once when Randall Mycorn tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dusty Orrantia in the 1st quarter. They nearly struck again late in the 4th, but were stopped inches short on 4th and 1 on the Warrior 11 yard line with 2:11 left.

Western pulls out victory against Marina

By JIMMY LIANG
Special to OCVarsity

ANAHEIM -– Though Western coach Toby Howell recorded milestone win No. 100 Friday night, the victory will probably not be one for the scrapbook.

Electing to go for the win, visiting Marina was stopped on a 2-point conversion with over one minute to play as Western escaped with a sloppy 14-13 triumph at Handel Stadium.

"When we needed you to step up, you stepped up," Howell told his players after the game, def lecting any personal achievement and instead focusing his players.

Marina(2-3) had recovered a Western fumble at the Pioneer 18 with over three minutes remaining and needed only four plays before Sam Wilson scored on a 3-yard toss.

After calling timeout, the Vikings lined up in a Power-I formation and ran the same play, only to be stopped well short of the goal line.

"We had just run the play for a touchdown," said Marinacoach Dan Petrone, who passed on a potential overtime. "I thought it was our best chance to win the game."

Western (3-2) recovered the ensuing onside kick and was able to run out the clock, capitalizing on a 213-yard, two touchdown rushing night from Ruben Ortega.

The junior running back scored on Western's first offensive play, a 73-yard gallop, and gave the Pioneers the lead again in the fourth quarter on 6-yard run to cap a 65-yard drive.

The Vikings had tied the game on a Drew Jordan 32-yard touchdown pass from Zach Couey.

Irvine knocks off Cypress, 7-6

By TIM BURT, OCVarsity staff

IRVINE - Irvine's football team earned some respect for the Pacific Coast League on Friday night at Irvine High.

The Vaqueros held on to defeat Cypress, 7-6, in a nonleague game to improve their overall mark to 5-1.

Cypress, the defending CIF Southern Division champion, defeated University, another PCL team, 35-7, last week at Western High. But the Centurions ran into a fired up Irvine team that had two interceptions and forced three fumbles by Cypress (2-3).

"It was exciting, that's for sure," Irvine coach Terry Henigan said. "Our offense moved the ball and our special teams did a great job.

"They have great special teams and we were scared to death and we didn't want them to win the game on that and we didn't, so we were happy about that."

But Cypress came close.

Shawn Hansen kicked a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 42-yarder at the end of the second quarter.

Hansen had a chance to give his team the lead when he attempted a 45-yard field goal with 1:33 left, but under a ferocious rush, the kick fell short.

"The whole team worked pretty hard," defensive lineman Nik Abele said. "We practiced hard and came out in the game and worked hard."

Cypress was led by quarterback Max Reza, who completed 9 of 18 passes for 102 yards. Reza also rushed for 105 yards on 19 carries.

The Centurions had a chance to take control of the game late in the half when they drove near midfield. But Cypress fumbled, Abele recovered and Justin Reihanifam capped the scoring drive with a 1-yard dive to put Irvine ahead, 7-3.

Cypress cut the lead to 7-6 on Hansen's second field goal but Irvine was able to hold on in the second half.

Liberty Christian gets pounded by Avalon

OCVarsity staff

Garden Grove - Sammy Salgado rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another, but it wasn't enough as Liberty Christian (2-3, 0-1) fell to visiting Avalon, 60-30, Friday at Garden Grove Park.

The Minutemen couldn't hand the Lancers (4-0) their first loss of the season, after falling behind by 35 points in the first quarter.

The early deficit was a combination of turnovers and sharp offensive execution by Avalon.

"There is a reason by why they are 4-0, " Coach Nick Karavedas said. "They smash opponents early and a good team takes advantages of foes sloppiness."

Walker propels Estancia past Ocean View

By ANDY EISER, Special to OCVarsity

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Kyle Walker racked up 228 rushing yards and returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown Friday to spark Ocean View in its 27-8 nonleague victory over Estancia at Ocean View High.

Walker gained 136 yards on 17 carries in the first half, and his 12-yard touchdown run gave Ocean View (3-2) a 13-0 lead with 6:09 left in the first quarter.

A Blake Hitchcock field goal gave the Seahawks a 16-0 lead at the half, then Walker extended the homecoming excitement by finding a seam down the middle when Estancia (2-4) kicked the ball to him to begin the third quarter.

"Everybody wedged, and my brother (Blake) took out the kicker," Walker said. "It was important because we usually start the second half slowly."

Carlos Mendez gained 151 yards on 21 carries for Estancia, but the Eagles' offense was largely bottled up while playing from behind all evening.

Corona del Mar's defense shuts down Villa Park

By JASON EICHELBERGER, OCVarsity staff

NEWPORT BEACH - A stout defensive effort and the grinding running of junior running back J.D. Abbott helped the Corona del Mar Sea Kings end their nonleague schedule in victorious fashion.

Abbott carried 22 times for 100 yards and a touchdown, while the Sea King defense limited Villa Park to 16 yards rushing in a 17-5 victory Friday at Newport Harbor High.

"I think this was a big win for us," said Sea King coach Jason Hitchens. "Anytime you win your last nonleague game, it gives you momentum heading into league play."

The Sea Kings (5-1) put the first points on the board less than five minutes into the game. After recovering a Spartan fumble, sophomore kicker Andrew Boehm booted a 37 yard field goal to give the Sea Kings a 3-0 lead.

The Sea Kings defense then helped set up the first touchdown of the game. A sack by junior Justin Tam forced a Spartan punt deep in their territory. The Sea Kings capitalized five plays later, as senior quarterback Mitch Sands threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tyler Haly to increase the advantage to 10-0.

The Spartans (2-3) defense helped set up their only points of the first half with less than two minutes remaining. After an interception by senior Parker Roberts, senior quarterback Tyler Watkins completed passes to three different receivers to help set up a 33 yard field goal by senior kicker Andrew Miller, making it 10-3 at the half.

However, the Sea Kings regained the momentum to start the second half, as they embarked on a 12 play, 80 yard drive that took over half the third quarter. Abbott punctuated the drive with a two yard touchdown run, giving Corona del Mar a 17-3 lead.

After a safety narrowed the gap to 17-5 late in the fourth quarter, the Sea King defense stopped the Spartans final drive, and Abbott sealed the win by picking up two crucial first downs to help run out the clock.

SATURDAY NIGHT GAMES

St. Margaret's wins big in Welch's return to the valley

By STEPHEN COLLINS
Special to OCVarsity

NORTH HILLS - Much had been said regarding St. Margaret's football game Saturday against Los Angeles Baptist, most of it concerning Coach Harry Welch's return to the valley, where he spent four decades at the helm of powerhouse Canyon of Santa Clarita.

But Welch was more concerned with how his players would perform against a Knights team that had won four games in a row.

The Tartans proved they were up to the task, dominating L.A. Baptist, 52-0, to extend their winning streak to 33 games.

St. Margaret's (5-0) scored on all of its offensive possessions except its last, when it was content to let the clock run out against Baptist (4-2).

Alex Brolick wasted no time getting the Tartans on the board as he fielded a punt after the game's first possession and raced 79 yards for a touchdown.

Brolick had 234 all-purpose yards.

Johnny Murayama scored the next two touchdowns on runs of 11 and 6 yards, thhen Brolick scored on a 54-yard punt return.

Brethren Christian isn't shaken by loss

By BRIAN SMITH, Special to OCVarsity

COVINA - Despite a 28-12 loss to unbeaten Western Christian on Saturday afternoon, Brethren Christian coach Bruce Eien felt pretty good about his squad's performance.

The Warriors (0-5) have played three unbeaten teams this year, which Eien said will prepare his squad for league play. Eien said all the Warriors' opponents have been ranked in the top 10

Behind 21-0 to start the fourth quarter, Brethren closed to 21-12 midway through the period on a 3-yard pass from Brad Hess to Drew Fabriegas and a 1-yard run by Fabriegas, who rushed for 103 yards.

"We wanted to run the ball more to take some of the pressure off Brad," Eien said.

Hess was 9 for 18 for 123 yards. Matt Bodziak caught five balls for 71 yards to lead the way.

The Warriors would get no closer, however, as the Lancers (5-0) recovered the ensuing onside kick and scored nine plays later on an 11-yard run by Ryan Salausa.

"If we play the way we did today later in the season (against league teams), we'll be just fine," Eien said.

Fairmont rallies to beat Sherman

By MARTIN HENDERSON, Special to the Register

CERRITOS -Things couldn't have started much worse for Fairmont Prep, but couldn't have ended much better.

The Huskies fell behind by two touchdowns in the first quarter, but roared back to a 49-20 San Joaquin League victory Saturday over Sherman Indian of Riverside at Valley Christian High.

Kevin Wagner passed for three touchdowns, and Richard Johnson scored three times for Fairmont (3-2, 1-1).

Sherman Indian fullbacks Barry Oakgrove (6-1, 230) and William Lewis (5-10, 220) pounded through the defense early on.

Lewis scored on runs of 15 and 5 yards to give the Braves (1-4, 0-2) a 14-0 lead with 1:49 left in the first quarter.

It was all Fairmont after that.

Michael Graves knocked Lewis from the game with a dislocated shoulder.

Johnson's 37-yard kickoff return set up a 27-yard TD pass from Wagner, Minh Dang scored from 31, and Johnson scored from the 5 to make it 21-14 with 3:49 left in the half.

Contact the writer: preps@ocvarsity.com

Reader Comments

Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.
1. Keep it civil and stay on topic.
2. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
3. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.

Oldest First | Newest First | Show Recommended Only

Top viewed sports stories

Most Commented Articles

Most Recommended Articles

Tag cloud

Related links

Save & share this article

Week 5 football scores and recaps