Final score: Orange Lutheran 28, Santa Margarita 14
The game: Dual-threat quarterback Lj Northington rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another and the Lancers forced four turnovers en route to the key Trinity League victory. The Harvard commit scored on runs of 6, 20 and 8 yards and also threw an 80-yard TD pass to Austin Liles. Linebacker TJ Augustin led a defense that forced three fumbles, including one on its 2 on the final play of the first half. Jordan Williams added an interception and Xavier Steele blocked a punt.
Key to the game: Turnovers. The Lancers forced four turnovers and blocked a punt while the Eagles came away with only one turnover. Orange Lutheran scored a touchdown off one fumble and added a touchdown off the blocked punt. Santa Margarita scored a touchdown off its fumble recovery but also was hurt in the first half when the Lancers forced two turnovers with the Eagles driving in the red zone.
Orange Lutheran’s pass rush made it an uncomfortable night for Stanford commit KJ Costello to return from an ankle injury. The Lancers collected fumbles on two of their sacks and applied heavy pressure on Williams’ interception.
Player of the game: Northington. The senior rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries, picking up the slack for a rare quiet night by running back Dominick Austin. Northington’s speed advantage was evident when he reach the perimeter or into the second level. Northington also completed 8 of 14 passes for 152 yards, keeping the Eagles’ defense off balance.
Key stat: Orange Lutheran only outgained Santa Margarita, 374-356, but that only illustrates the importance of the turnovers. “We made a lot of mistakes,” Santa Margarita coach Rick Curtis said.
They said it: “We wanted to come in here and make a statement tonight and I think we did,” Northington said.
What it means: Orange Lutheran took a major step toward a top-three finish in the Trinity League. The Lancers are tied for second with Mater Dei with a 2-1 record. They take on St. John Bosco next week but close against 0-3 JSerra. A 3-2 finish certainly seems possible but the league can be unpredictable outside the Braves. Santa Margarita faces an almost must-win game with Servite next week at Cerritos College. The Servite-Santa Margarita winner could emerged the league’s top contender for an at-large berth if Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei stay on track. Chaminade and Alemany are other at-large contenders to watch in the Pac-5 Division.
