MISSION VIEJO – With JSerra playing in its first playoff game in program history, Lions coach Jim Hartigan was confident that his team would perform well on the big stage.
His confidence proved to be warranted, and the Lions were dominant in their 55-16 first-round victory over Santiago of Corona at Saddleback College.
“We’ve been on the big stage [all season] in the Trinity League,” Hartigan said. “Certainly the playoffs are do-or-die, but I felt confident that we were going to come out and play well.”
The Lions (10-1) immediately took control of the game on the defensive side. Defensive back Isaiah Diego-Williams intercepted Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett’s second pass of the game and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
The disastrous start for the Sharks (6-5) was the beginning of a trend, as they would turn the ball over five times in the first half.
After the Sharks got on the board with a field goal in the first quarter, JSerra responded with a touchdown drive that was punctuated by a 5-yard pass from Nick Robinson to Ethan Aguayo.
The Lions struck again when Connor O’Brien returned a blocked Santiago punt 20 yards for a touchdown.
On the ensuing Santiago possession, Sam Phillippi intercepted a Barnett pass to set up 42-yard touchdown run by running back Edward Vander. Vander later scored on a 1-yard run to give the Lions a 42-3 halftime lead.
Vander finished the game with 121 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. Robinson completed 5 of 10 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown.
For Santiago, Barnett finished with 19 completions on 36 attempts for 198 yards and two interceptions.
Barnett, considered one of the top high school quarterbacks in the country, will continue his career at Alabama.
Santiago tight end Woody Brandom caught four passes for 67 yards. Running back Justin Brown had 40 rushing yards and one touchdown.
“We have another big game next week,” Hartigan said. “But there’s no doubt that a win in the playoffs, as well as reaching 10 wins, is a big deal for our program.”
JSerra will face Bishop Amat in the Pac-5 quarterfinals.
