Servite's rush to victory

FULLERTON Servite's move of D.J. Shoemate to running back continued to pay huge dividends Friday night. 

The senior rushed for 242 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries to lead No. 3 Friars to a 28-13 victory against No. 2 Orange Lutheran in a Trinity League game in front of 8,500 at Cal State Fullerton. 

The Friars (6-1, 2-0) moved Shoemate from wide receiver to running back last week and the USC commit carried the ball 31 times for 184 yards in a 32-15 victory against Santa Margarita. 

This time, he worked even harder against the Lancers (6-1, 1-1), ranked third in the state. 

"Obviously, he was the best player on the field," said Orange Lutheran coach Jim Kunau, whose squad lost for the first time since its overtime loss to Servite in league last season. "He had a lot of tremendous plays tonight." 

Looking like a player who regained his form from his breakout sophomore season, Shoemate had touchdown runs of 1, 7 and 55 yards and spectacular one-handed catch on a fourth-quarter screen pass on a fourth-down conversion. 

But the senior's biggest play against Orange Lutheran might have been on defense. 

After Shoemate lost a fumble deep in the Lancers' territory early in the fourth quarter, he changed the game two plays later. 

As a defensive end, he pressured quarterback Blake Hyepock and grabbed an interception in seemingly one swift motion at Orange Lutheran's 7. 

On the next play, Shoemate spun off a tackle, scored the go-ahead TD score and sparked the Friars' 21-point fourth quarter. 

"Everyone makes mistakes but like our coaches always say, it's how you come back," said Shoemate, who missed most of last season with a foot injury. "My desire for this game is tremendous." 

"That was a huge play," Kunau said of Shoemate's interception. 

After Servite took a 14-7 lead on Shoemate's 7-yard run with 9:53 left in the fourth, the Friars' defense forced another turnover. On the Lancers' next possession, linebacker Anthony Hannon returned a fumble 24 yard for a score with 7:51 left and a 21-7 lead. 

The Friars defense then held again, setting the stage for Shoemate's 55-yard touchdown run with 4:18 left. 

Servite's offensive line of Stuart Hein, Ryan Dragoo, USC commit Matt Kalil,Zachary Burge and Michael Snitzler helped Servite finish with 301 yards rushing. 

Servite's defense forced four turnovers and held the Lancers to 30 yards rushing. 

"The defense did a great job," Shoemate said. 

The score was tied, 7-7, at halftime. 

Servite opened the game with an all-running, 79-yard scoring drive that chewed up 6:42. Shoemate had eight carries for 44 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-goal. 

The Friars also converted a fourth-and-1 from the Lancers' 14 thanks to a penalty against Orange Lutheran. 

The Friars' drive also featured quarterback Johnny McEntee, who had four carries for 29 yards. 

Orange Lutheran answered in the second quarter with an 80-yard scoring drive. Tyson Seneca capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run. 

The drive didn't start well for the Lancers. Key lineman Don Williams was injured on the first play and didn't return. Orange Lutheran also lost a few other players in the hard-hitting game. 

For all the plays Shoemate made, he also almost completed a pass and it would have been a big one late in the first half. On a third-and-4 from Servite's 34, the Friars tried a double-pass with Shoemate, who appeared to complete about a 50-yard pass to Joseph Baquerizo with 1:36 left in the second. 

But the play was nullified for an illegal receiver down field penalty and the score remained tied. 

There were three double-passes attempted in the game. 

Servite, ranked 15th in the state, plays JSerra next week.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com