MISSION VIEJO – Junior quarterback Matt Robinson ran for two touchdowns, passed for another and rolled up 292 yards in total offense to lead JSerra to a 35-7 victory over Sacramento Charter in a nonleague season opener Friday night at Saddleback College.
The Lions overcame a slow start and a 125 yards in penalties to pull away from the Dragons in a ragged game that lasted two hours, 45 minutes.
Robinson carried 14 times for 113 yards and hit on 13 of 19 passes for 179 yards, connecting with Riley O’Brien four times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the JSerra defense came up with two interceptions and a blocked field goal to stymie a Sacramento team that averaged 56 points a game last year.
The Lions blocked a 23-yard field goal attempt on Sacramento’s first possession of the game, and Elijah Jefferson intercepted a Dragons pass in the end zone to stop the second drive as the first quarter ended scoreless.
Robinson opened the scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, capping a 14-play, 80-yard drive.
The Lions made it 14-0 on their next possession, as Robinson scored from the 6-yard line with 4:42 left in the half. Jefferson set up the score one play earlier with a 19-yard run, dragging a pile of defenders the last 7 yards.
Despite 75 yards on seven penalties in the second quarter alone, the Lions held a 14-0 lead at halftime.
JSerra struck quickly in the second half, taking a 21-0 lead on Jefferson’s 62-yard run on the second play of the third quarter.
Sacramento came back on the next possession to score on a 5-yard pass from Derek Shelton to Davon Owens.
The Lions made it 28-7 at the end of the quarter with a 95-yard, 10-play match in just three minutes, capped by Nick Callen’s 4-yard touchdown run with 1:01 left.
O’Brien capped the scoring with 6:28 left in the game, making a leaping catch of a Robinson pass over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown play.
Jefferson finished with 79 yards rushing on just five carries and added a second interception late in the game. Callen had 76 yards on 12 carries.
Shelton passed for 197 yards to lead Sacramento, and Tariq Hollandsworth ran for 119 yards on 14 carries.
