MISSION VIEJO – Momentum can be a tricky thing, but JSerra appears to have harnessed it heading into its first postseason.
The Lions will enter the playoffs riding the wave of three straight Trinity League wins – more than they’ve ever had in any single season – after a 38-21 win over Servite on Friday at Saddleback College.
“When your kids are gaining confidence and they feel like they’re playing well, that builds momentum,” JSerra coach Jim Hartigan said. “There’s no question we’ve played strong all year, so hopefully that will bring positive momentum into the playoffs.”
JSerra (9-1, 4-1) got a workmanlike performance from junior running back Edward Vander, who finished with a game-high 145 yards and three touchdowns, but also got timely gains from senior quarterback Nick Robinson, who threw for 151 yards and a TD on 11-of-15 passing.
The most important play of the game, however, may have come in the opening moments of the second half, when JSerra’s Riley O’Brien fielded the first third-quarter kickoff. The sophomore took a step forward in the center of the field, then threw the ball backward to Ethan Aguayo, who broke one tackle and took the ball 95 yards for a score.
Before the Friars (4-6, 1-4) could even blink, they were down 24-7 early in the third quarter and never got within a single score of the Lions the rest of the way.
Servite showed flashes of brilliance, but could not sustain it. The Friars scored with ease their first drive of the game and stopped the Lions on fourth-and-goal twice, but could not build on the momentum-shifting plays. Quarterback Travis Waller had a hand in each Servite score, with two rushing TDs and another through the air, and finished with 175 yards on 11-of-24 passing.
Senior running back Tate Beachley added 108 rushing yards on 17 carries.
“When we’re on and when we play together, we’re a very powerful team,” Servite coach A.J. Gass said. “Our downfall this year is that we haven’t had all the pieces working at the same time.”
Servite remains a strong candidate for an at-large berth to the CIF-SS Pac-5 Division playoffs.
Contact the writer: jbalan@ocregister.com
