ANAHEIM – Savanna used timely defense and a strong running game to hold off a furious rally by Bolsa Grande during a frantic fourth quarter to get its first win Saturday night at Glover Stadium, 49-39.
The Rebels, who rushed for 349 yards in the game, won despite blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead and knocking Matadors starting quarterback Anthony Porras out of the game.
Bolsa Grande’s Reno Lace filled in for Porras and tossed a pair of touchdown passes and ran for one more as the Matadors (0-2) erased a deficit and turned it into a 39-36 lead with 2:31 left.
But Savanna answered one last time on its next play from scrimmage when Leroy Hibbert turned a quarterback keeper into a 65-yard go-ahead score putting the Rebels ahead for good.
Lace finished with 147 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions and 139 passing yards in relief of Porras.
James Asiata was a constant threat downfield for Bolsa Grande and he caught four balls for 150 yards and a pair of scores.
Savanna jumped in front when Devin Timms intercepted Porras on the Matadors first play of the game returning it to the 4. Anthony Dow punched the ball in with a TD run the next play giving Savanna the early lead, 6-0.
After a Rebels field goal, Bolsa Grande responded when Porras threw a quick pass to Asiata who made a defender miss en route to a 45-yard touchdown.
But Savanna was too strong on the ground as Logan Thomas, Robert Rogel and Hibbert combined to wear down the Matador defense. Rogel also had a pair of interceptions and scored on both off them.
With 10:44 left in the second quarter Bolsa Grande’s Lee Tran went down with an injury and play was halted as paramedics carried him off after a lengthy delay. Tran was taken to UCI Medical Center.
