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  • A 10 am start meant that there was plenty of...

    A 10 am start meant that there was plenty of room at Glover Stadium for Loara fans. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Glover Field is reflected in a tuba in Loara's marching...

    Glover Field is reflected in a tuba in Loara's marching band. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Ariana Meri of Loara's dance team covers her heart during...

    Ariana Meri of Loara's dance team covers her heart during the national anthem. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • A Loara fumble in the first quarter was recovered by...

    A Loara fumble in the first quarter was recovered by Magnolia's Alfonso Vergara. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Magnolia's Jorge Heredia makes a tackle on Loara's Jiggy Mendoza...

    Magnolia's Jorge Heredia makes a tackle on Loara's Jiggy Mendoza during Saturday's game against Loara. Loara played Magnolia in a non eague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Loara's Jiggy Mendoza gets taken down during Saturday's game against...

    Loara's Jiggy Mendoza gets taken down during Saturday's game against Magnolia. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Loara quarterback Frankie Nocella eludes a tackle during Saturday's game...

    Loara quarterback Frankie Nocella eludes a tackle during Saturday's game vs. Magnolia. Nocella rushed for 100 yards and accounted for four TDs as Loara broke a 12-game skid.

  • Loara's Frankie Nocella scrambles for yards during Saturday's game against...

    Loara's Frankie Nocella scrambles for yards during Saturday's game against Magnolia. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Loara's Pedro Zamora pulls in a punt during Saturday's game...

    Loara's Pedro Zamora pulls in a punt during Saturday's game against Magnolia. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Loara's Piggy Mendoza scampers for a touchdown during Saturday's game...

    Loara's Piggy Mendoza scampers for a touchdown during Saturday's game against Magnolia. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Magnolia's Raymond Perez reaches out to grab Loara's Frankie Nocella...

    Magnolia's Raymond Perez reaches out to grab Loara's Frankie Nocella during Saturday's game. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Loara's Frankie Nocella gets brought down by Magnolia's Filipine Ofisa...

    Loara's Frankie Nocella gets brought down by Magnolia's Filipine Ofisa during Saturday's game. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Magnolia's Damien Rosales wasn't able to bring down Loara's Frankie...

    Magnolia's Damien Rosales wasn't able to bring down Loara's Frankie Nocella. Nocella put on a spin move and scored a touchdown during Saturday's game. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

  • Magnolia's Raymond Perez gets brought down by Loara's defense during...

    Magnolia's Raymond Perez gets brought down by Loara's defense during Saturday's game. Loara played Magnolia in a nonleague game at Glover Field in Anaheim.

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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – For a few minutes there, they found themselves in foreign territory.

There were actual smiles in the postgame handshake line. Arms were raised toward the sky and index fingers pointed No. 1 to the sound of the alma mater.

Besides the celebration, it had even been a while since Loara’s offense last lined up in the victory formation. Now that they’ve shaken the cobwebs off, Coach Mitch Olson and his players hope all those actions become routine.

Saxons quarterback Frankie Nocella ran for 100 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, while running back Jiggy Mendoza had 149 yards rushing and a touchdown of his own as Loara snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 34-7 triumph over Magnolia High at Glover Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The victory was the Saxons’ (1-1) first since Halloween night of 2014. Loara finished last season with an 0-10 record, falling by an average margin of 23 points.

“You don’t always get what you deserve, but today I thought we played a pretty darn good ballgame,” said Olson, moments after addressing a noticeably pumped group of players. “It gets the monkey off your back. Sometimes I think when you lose for a while, you start to doubt yourself and you start hoping that it happens.

“The kids focused this week. They paid attention. They got on each other. They came out and played a really good game, which gives you the belief we can go out and continue this.”

A pair of Nocella touchdown scrambles and a 70-yard scamper from Mendoza gave the Saxons a 20-0 halftime lead.

Magnolia (0-3) made things interesting midway through the third quarter when Nathan Michel connected with Damien Rosales for a 23-yard TD pass. A quick Loara three-and- out on the ensuing possession gave the Sentinels newfound energy and a chance to further chip away at the deficit.

Faced with a fourth-and-1 on its own side of the field, Magnolia lost any momentum it had built up when Michel’s quarterback sneak was stuffed by the Saxons defensive line for a turnover on downs.

Two plays later, Nocella found a wide-open Isaac Lobatos over the middle of the field for a 24-yard touchdown pass, extending Loara’s lead back to 20 points headed into the fourth quarter.

Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com