IRVINE – Calvary Chapel found itself in quicksand from the get-go, making one mistake after another.
An opportunistic University bunch pounced on three of the Eagles’ first-quarter miscues and turned those hiccups into 21 points, which proved to be plenty of cushion in the Trojans’ 42-13 win over Calvary Chapel on Thursday night in a nonleague game at University High.
The Eagles’ first three possessions of the opening quarter resulted in a botched snap on a field goal attempt, an interception and a fumble.
After Calvary (0-4) failed to get up a 24-yard chip shot from deep inside University territory early, the Trojans marched 86 yards on 10 plays to grab a 7-0 advantage. Junior receiver Alex Pourdanesh scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 6-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Thomas Keeling.
The Trojans (3-0) doubled their lead on the Eagles’ ensuing possession. Calvary quarterback Sam Lak and the offense again drove deep into University territory, but the senior signal caller threw an ill-advised pass on a fourth down that Trojans corner Jalen Robertson picked off. He scooted 94 yards in the opposite direction.
Robertson, Darrius Outland and Pourdanesh each intercepted Lak, accounting for three of the Eagles’ five turnovers.
University would go up, 21-0, at the end of the first quarter after an Eagles fumble gave the Trojans possession at Calvary’s 32-yard line. Sophomore running back Zachary Goodfriend capped a three-play, 32-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run that put an exclamation mark on the opening 12 minutes of play.
The Trojans led, 28-0, at halftime after Keeling connected with Daniel Dolan on a 26-yard strike down the middle of the field late in the second quarter.
Keeling finished with 129 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Pourdanesh caught three passes for 23, accounted for 100 yards rushing and added an interception. He accounted for University’s two scores of the second half: a 60-yard run and a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com
