Servite goes on the attack to get back on track
Servite goes on the attack to get back on track
Game played at Saddleback College.
They had lost two in a row and hadn’t won this month. This was no time for standing around.
Instead, Servite relied on big plays. The Friars had six offensive plays of 27 yards or more, sacked Santa Margarita quarterback Ryan World four times in the first half and intercepted two passes — one for a touchdown — on the way to a 39-19 victory over the Eagles at Saddleback College.
“This game — we needed it,” said junior quarterback Cody Fajardo, who rushed for 121 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown, and threw for 133. “It was a big rebound for us. I’m glad we got that bad taste out of our mouths.”
Penalties and a Santa Margarita blocked punt helped Servite (4-3, 1-1) nearly squander a 19-0 lead, as the Eagles (2-5, 0-2) scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half. But Santa Margarita never got closer than seven points.
Bijon Samoodi’s 34-yard touchdown run with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter gave Servite a 33-19 cushion, and the Friars’ defense sealed the victory by stopping World inches shy of a first down at the Servite 5-yard line, with about seven minutes left in the game.
Friars coach Troy Thomas said he could live with the 100 yards of penalties because his team had focused on playing aggressively during the week of practice.
“That was something we didn’t feel like we did last week,” in a loss to Mater Dei, Thomas said. “It’s just good to get a win. … It’s been a long time since we felt a victory.”
World threw for 296 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, on 23-of-39 passing. But after the Eagles’ late first-half run, they scored only once in the second half, on their second drive.
“The biggest issue was their defensive line,” World said. “They’ve got some monsters.”
The Eagles (2-5, 0-2 Trinity League) also had a 55-yard touchdown pass called back on their first drive, quashing any early momentum. World was picked off two plays later.
Servite improved to 4-3 (1-1 Trinity) and will have a shot against first-place Orange Lutheran next week at Cal State-Fullerton.
Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com




