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Anaheim knocks off Loara
Comments 0 | Recommend 0Anaheim knocks off Loara
ANAHEIM- Anaheim quarterback Luis Reyna wanted to hand the ball off. But when his running back slipped, he decided to take off with the ball himself.
Reyna made the busted play look perfect.
The junior scored on a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:56 left in the fourth quarter to lift the host Colonists to a 24-21 victory over Loara at Glover Stadium on Thursday.
Anaheim (3-1) forced Loara (3-1) to punt on its next possession and then ran out the final 3:09, thanks in part to a roughing the punter penalty on the Saxons with 1:51 left.
The game featured three lead changes in the second half as Anaheim rallied from a 14-7 deficit at halftime.
“Really huge (victory) because (this) is a new group,” said Anaheim coach Lanny Booher, who has three returning starters. “It was just a huge step for us.”
Loara took a 21-17 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter. Sophomore wide out Howard Gauta out-jumped his defender in the back of the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Marcus Meraz to cap a 91-yard scoring drive.
But Anaheim and Reyna countered despite the loss of No. 1 running back Mike Reyes, who left early in the second half because of a knee injury, Booher said.
Anaheim forced two turnovers in the opening minutes of the second half to take its first lead.
On the first play of the third, Reyes intercepted a pass at Loara’s 39. Anthony Lopez, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior, then rumbled for a 25-yard touchdown run to tie the score.
Anaheim next recovered a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 48-yard field goal by Ramon Mejia, also a two-way lineman.
Anaheim scored 17 points off turnovers; Loara scored 14.
Loara almost took the lead before Gauta’s touchdown.
On their previous possession, the Saxons had a 67-yard touchdown reception by James Gonzalez nullified because Meraz scrambled beyond the line of scrimmage.
“We felt like it slipped away,” Loara coach Dean Lappin said.
Loara outgained Anaheim, 266-260.
Click here for full game stats.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
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