Woodbridge stuns Northwood, ends 20-game losing streak

IRVINE - Woodbridge fans poured onto the field Friday night as the Warriors ended the program's 20-game losing streak with a 14-11 Sea View League victory over Northwood at Irvine High.

Woodbridge, which had lost 10 consecutive league games the past two years, started this league campaign with a bang by rallying from a 3-0  halftime deficit to upset Northwood (2-4, 0-1).

Woodbridge lost its last five games of 2006, went 0-10 last season and had started this year 0-5.

"I'm just happy for the senior group, they've worked so darn  hard," Woodbridge coach Rick Gibson said. "They've never given up.

"It's over. This is this year's group; our streak is over at five. For the coaching staff, it seems like it's been forever to get this feeling."

Sophomore Max Neser, one of three quarterbacks used, scored on a 36-yard run with 30 seconds left in the third quarter to put Woodbridge ahead, 7-3.

"I had an open lane to score," said Neser.

Neser then hit Kyle Merritt on a 55-yard touchdown play early in the fourth quarter to put Woodbridge ahead, 14-3.

But the Warriors (1-5, 1-0) couldn't celebrate yet.

Northwood quarterback Kyle Beane connected with Cody Inglis on a  57-yard TD pass, and Inglis hauled in the two-point conversion to make it 14-11  with 8:49 remaining.

The Timberwolves got the ball back with 3:55 left on their own  20, but the drive stalled near midfield.

"They outplayed us and out-coached us. That's all there is to  it," Northwood coach Rick Curtis said. "Our hats are off to them and I know  it's been hard for them.

"When you lose 20 games in a row, it's tough, and we kept  watching the films and we saw them improving and working hard, and all four  quarters, so that's what worried us going into the game."

Beane came on for starting quarterback Andrew Stephenson, who  might have suffered a concussion late in the first half, Curtis said. Beane  played the entire second half.

Contact the writer: tburt@ocregister.com