Foothill football builds big lead, then holds off Lakewood on final play in quarterfinals

• November 16, 2024

TUSTIN — The Foothill football team’s last ride with coach Doug Case at the helm rolls on.

Next stop: the CIF-SS semifinals.

Gino Marchetti threw three touchdown passes to Nico Mancini and running back Nathan Gouvion added two scores as the Knights held on to beat Lakewood 38-35 in the CIF-SS Division 5 quarterfinals on Friday night at Tustin High.

The Knights (7-5) advance to face Palos Verdes (7-5) in the semifinals, and they extended Case’s tenure at least one more week. Case is retiring at the end of the season.

The Knights are also just one win away from their first CIF-SS finals appearance since 2002.

Lakewood had an opportunity at the end to the grab the victory, but Kade Casillas’ last-second heave to Caleb Tafua fell incomplete, setting off a jubilant celebration on the Foothill sideline.

“It came down to the last play,” Case said. “As a spectator you can’t ask for anything else, but as a coach, it gives me a heart attack.”

The Knights beat third-seeded Moorpark in the first round and will now host No. 2 seed Palos Verdes on Friday, Nov. 22.

The Lancers (7-5) scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-7 lead, but Foothill then scored 28 consecutive points for a 35-14 lead.

The Knights tied the game on Gouvion’s 28-yard run and forced a Lakewood punt late in the first half.

Foothill took over at their own 25 and scored in just 42 seconds later, using a 25-yard catch by Troy Naulty to flip the field. Marchetti and Mancini capped the drive with a lovely back-shoulder throw and catch that went for a 14-yard score and a 21-14 halftime advantage.

The Knights continued displaying their big-play ability in the third quarter with a 67-yard catch by Mancini less than a minute into the second half and a 40-yard run by Gouvion gave them a 35-14 lead.

“We had the ball in the second half and we went big right away. And then another touchdown by Gouvion. It was exciting,” Case said.

Mancini finished with four catches for 162 yards and three scores and Gouvion ran for 186 yards and two TDs.

“We gave up explosive plays,” Lakewood coach Justin Utupo said. “Foothill did a good job of running the ball to the boundary, and their receivers made the plays they needed to make.”

The Lancers responded late in the third quarter when Tafua caught a 10-yard TD pass from Casillas

The game started the shift when the Knights committed their only turnover early in the fourth quarter.

A snap went over Marchetti’s head and as he tried to corral it, a Lakewood player landed on him and he reinjured his throwing shoulder.

The Lancers capitalized on that turnover when JoJo Apisala scored a TD on a 5-yard run to bring Lakewood within seven points.

Knights backup quarterback Jake Lind came into the game on the next drive and completed one pass that went for 41 yards to Naulty. The Knights got a 29-yard field goal from Colton Thorne to take a 38-28 lead.

Utupo was hoping for a crucial stop and an opportunity to tie the game, but instead Naulty got free and made an important catch.

“They kept the tight end home in the run game and then caught us sleeping with the tight end pop,” Utupo said. “That kept the drive alive. Their kicker made the field goal and we go down 10.”

Apisala, who rushed for 153 yards, added an 18-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter.

Case now has 219 career wins between his time at Rancho Alamitos and Foothill, which places him in a tie with Terry Henigan, the longtime Irvine coach.

“We’re looking to get back to the finals but we can’t overlook Palos Verdes by any means,” Case said, “but if we want to get to the show then we have to take care of business next week.”

​ Orange County Register 

Newbury Park football wins battle with San Clemente in CIF-SS quarterfinals

• November 16, 2024

SAN CLEMENTE — Entering Friday, no team had taken the lead against Newbury Park’s football team this season.

San Clemente had the lead twice, but fell to Newbury Park 24-13 in a CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinal game at San Clemente High.

Newbury Park (12-0) entered the game as one of just four undefeated teams in the Southern Section. The Panthers will host Yorba Linda in the semifinals next week.

San Clemente (6-6) was an at-large team from the Alpha League. The Tritons beat Damien of La Verne in the first round.

“The kids have played some really tough teams this year and I give them credit,” San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz said. “After we lost to Mission Viejo (in the Alpha League), it could have been woe is us, but the kids battled back and beat two good teams.”

San Clemente led 7-3 at halftime and 13-10 entering the fourth quarter. Newbury Park kept its composure and regained control of the game in the fourth quarter.

“It’s unbelievable. We were ready for adversity,” Newbury Park coach Joe Smigiel said. “That is culture. When you’re a family, you don’t point fingers, you stay strong and get after people. That’s what we did.”

Newbury Park regained the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Brady Smigiel to Drew Cofield to take a 17-13 lead.

Smigiel, who is battling an injury he suffered in the first round against San Jacinto, threw for 210 yards with a touchdown and ran for a touchdown.

“A lot of kids’ dreams are to play college football and the NFL. My dream since I was a kid was to play Newbury Park football,” Smigiel said. “I was a ball boy here. To be able to come out here, my dad is the head coach, my brother is a receiver, it really is a dream come true.”

“I don’t talk about my son very much, but I’m so proud of him for a lot of reasons,” Coach Smigiel said. “He wasn’t himself tonight and they knew it. He just battled. To see what he did through adversity and being at maybe 60 percent, this is a time I’ll talk about him and how proud I am.”

There were three turnovers in five plays in the fourth quarter. Newbury Park hit San Clemente quarterback Jack Ferguson which caused the ball to pop up and Balen Betancourt intercepted a pass.

Two plays later, San Clemente defensive lineman Theo Preisler recovered a fumble to give the Tritons the ball back. On the ensuing play, Cofield intercepted a deep pass to give the ball back to Newbury Park.

“We had momentum on our side and they took it back over,” Ortiz said. “You play a quality team like that, you only get so many chances. They capitalized in the second half and made some good plays.”

Smigiel led Newbury Park on a 5-minute scoring drive and ran for a 3-yard touchdown to put the game away with one minute remaining.

“That’s the best defense we’ve seen this season and probably the best defense I have faced in my career,” Brady Smigiel said. “The coaches prepare us for adversity. I would compare our practices to boot camp. It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it’s sure worth it when you come back and beat a good San Clemente team.”

Jack Ferguson threw for 235 yards with a touchdown for San Clemente. Cole Herlean had 128 yards receiving with a touchdown and Colin Kohl ran for 80 yards with a score.

Newbury Park opened the game with a six-minute drive that ended with a 33-yard field goal by Bohdie Ing to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

San Clemente took the lead late in the second quarter on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Ferguson to Herlean to put the Tritons in front 7-3 at halftime.

The play was the first touchdown Newbury Park had allowed in four games dating back to October 10 against Calabasas and the first time the Panthers trailed this season.

Smigiel made an option pitch to Shane Rosenthal for a touchdown midway through the third quarter.

On the final play of the fourth quarter, Kohl picked up a bobbled pitch and ran the opposite direction for a 3-yard touchdown run which gave the Tritons a 13-10 lead.

Blake Bryce, Michael Guzman and Carter Taylor had sacks for Newbury Park.

Lee Puka Fuimaono had an interception in the second quarter for San Clemente. The turnover was just the third interception of the season for Smigiel.

Ferguson converted a big fourth down on a 20-yard pass to Max Kotiranta which led to the touchdown run by Kohl.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County firefighter returns home from hospital weeks after rollover crash that left 8 injured

• November 16, 2024

Firefighter Andrew Brown returned home to Orange County on Friday after being discharged from Colorado’s Craig Hospital following a fire utility truck rollover accident in September. Brown was one of eight fire personnel driving back from a 12-hour shift spent battling the Airport Fire in Orange County.

On Sept. 19, eight firefighters with the Orange County Fire Authority were involved in a solo crash rollover at around 6:50 p.m. on the northbound 241 Toll Road just north of Portola Avenue in Irvine. Six were seriously injured and two sustained minor injuries.

Seven of the firefighters were transported via ambulance to several hospitals and one was transported by an OCFA helicopter to another local hospital.

Brown was flown to Colorado on Oct. 2 to begin six weeks of intense rehabilitation at the Craig Hospital that specializes in neurorehabilitation. Brown sustained injuries to his beck, shoulder and spinal cord, according to KCAL News.

On Friday, Nov. 15, Brown walked off a plane at the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. In a video posted by the OCFA on Facebook, a room full of firefighters were waiting to welcome Brown back home.

“I was very concerned if I was ever going to be able to walk again or move my arms again,” Brown said in an interview by the OCFA. In that interview, Brown spoke about his limited memory of the accident, rehabilitation and what has been giving him strength in the months since the life-altering accident.

“With my initial injury, with my initial assessment, they expected me to leave the ICU on a ventilator and lying on a bed for at least a couple of months,” Brown said. He reported being off the ventilator within a couple of days after undergoing a surgery.

“I’ve gone a lot further in my recovery than I thought I was going to … It’s just blown me away at how much I’ve been able to accomplish. Like walking, and even walking up stairs.”

Recalling the night of the accident, Brown remembers the fire truck starting to tilt. His next memory is waking up outside of the vehicle.

“It was chaos, I didn’t move a muscle,” he said. Brown remembered the paramedics arriving and being loaded into an ambulance to be taken to the emergency room. “I remember being really scared and frightened during the ambulance ride that I was going to die. …I was just praying that God would take care of my wife who’s pregnant and that was my biggest concern, that’s all I could think about during the ambulance ride,” Brown said.

Brown said he draws his strength from his family in California, his wife, and their soon-to-be daughter. “I just want to be able to support my wife and hold my daughter and play with her some day. You know, throw her in the air and stuff. So, that was my biggest motivation to get back to normal is just being able to be a good husband and a good father.”

Brown said he would love to return back to the fire crew and go to the fire academy. “It’s a family I want to be able to return to, I think it’s the greatest job in the world.”

Brown provided advice for people who have suffered similar injuries. “Hold on to hope. Try to have the best attitude you can, every day. Some days are going to be hard and you’re going to feel like you’ve taken a step back but if you try to hold on to that good attitude and you put your best effort forward every day no matter how hard it is, you’re going to see more results.”

One firefighter from the Sept. 19 accident remains in rehabilitation at the Craig Hospital in Colorado.

The OCFA and its union, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association Local 3631, set up a relief fund for the eight injured crew members via the Fallen Firefighter Relief Fund.

​ Orange County Register 

Thousand Oaks football edges El Modena in Division 4 playoff

• November 16, 2024

THOUSAND OAKS – For two schools that are more than 80 miles apart and in two separate counties, the Thousand Oaks and El Modena football teams have become quite familiar with each other, playing three times over the last year with both teams winning one game each prior to Friday’s game.

The first game between the two teams was last year in the first round of the Division 5 playoffs when Thousand Oaks won and the teams also played in Week 0 of this season where El Modena won in overtime.

Thousand Oaks won the grudge match tonight in the Division 4 quarterfinals 21-14, with their running back Justin Lewis scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. Lewis finished the game with 30 carries for 142 yards and the two scores.

“It’s a great win. We lost to them Week 1 in a tough game,” Lewis said. “I thought tonight we played a lot better than in Week 1 and I just always kept running my feet.”

The Thousand Oaks defense delivered a strong effort in the game, holding El Modena to only 227 total yards of offense and grabbing two interceptions. The Lancers also had three sacks on El Modena’s very elusive quarterback and UC Davis commit Xzavior Guess.

The Lancer defense did a nice job containing Guess, who came into the contest with 1,232 rushing yards this season. Guess finished the game 10 carries for 40 yards and a 22-yard touchdown run in the first half. Guess also left with a little bit under four minutes left in the game with an injury.

Neither team was able to get much going offensively in the first half with the lone score for either team coming on the Guess run. The Guess score on El Modena’s first possession after Isaac Perez recovered an El Modena onside kick to open the game.

Thousand Oaks responded with a 14-play drive to the red zone on its first possession, but was stopped on a fourth down play. On Thousand Oaks’ second possession, Jackson Taylor threw an interception to Connor Smith of El Modena, but the Vanguards didn’t capitalize.

Thousand Oaks tied the game 7-7 when Taylor found Luke Sullivan on a 55-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the third quarter. El Modena answered when Guess found Smith on a 39-yard touchdown pass for a 14-7 lead after three quarters.

“It felt great to get the score. To put points on the board is always fun, especially in a game like tonight when they’re really needed.” Sullivan said.

Thousand Oaks tied the game 14-14 with a little under four minutes remaining when Lewis scored his first touchdown of the night from 11 yards out. On the possession following the Lewis score, Guess went down with an injury and was replaced by Ethan Sorenson for the Vanguards.

Following a Vanguard three-and-out with Sorenson under center, Thousand Oaks got good field position at the El Modena 37 following a tipped punt by Sullivan. Four plays after the blocked punt, Lewis punched it in with a little over a minute left in the game to give the Lancers a 21-14 lead. El Modena couldn’t get anything going on the final possession and their last offensive play resulted in a Thousand Oaks interception by Sullivan to clinch the victory.

Thousand Oaks will now host Pacifica next week in the Division 4 semifinals.

“I’m so proud of our kids. We didn’t panic. Our defense kept us around and kept them out of the end zone,” Thousand Oaks coach Ben McEnroe said. “This game was polar opposite compared to the other two games we played with them and I thought we did a great job running it between the tackles.”

Taylor finished the game 11 of 21 passing for 134 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception for Thousand Oaks. Hayden Vercher had three catches for 48 yards and Brady Beck had an interception for Thousand Oaks.

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Early scores from the quarterfinal playoff games Friday, Nov. 15

• November 16, 2024

Here is an early look at some of the scores from the high school football playoff games Friday, Nov. 15.

Check back later tonight for the complete list of scores.

FOOTBALL RESULTS

CIF-SS QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 1

Mater Dei 33, Sierra Canyon 13

Corona Centennial 25, Mission Viejo 20

Orange Lutheran 42, JSerra 20

St. John Bosco 31, Santa Margarita 29

DIVISION 2

Murrieta Valley 49, Los Alamitos 28

Oaks Christian 35, San Juan Hills 21

Yorba Linda 24, Serra 20

Newbury Park 24, San Clemente 13

DIVISION 3

Simi Valley 41, La Habra 34

Loyola 23, Crean Lutheran 20 (OT)

Edison 24, Bonita 0

DIVISION 4

St. Bonaventure 34, Redondo 20

Oxnard Pacifica 45, Long Beach Poly 41

Thousand Oaks 21, El Modena 14

DIVISION 5

Summit 45, Huntington Beach 14

La Serna 56, Rio Mesa 35

Foothill 38, Lakewood 35

Palos Verdes 27, Mayfair 13

DIVISION 6

St. Francis 28, Muir 27

Glendora 31, Rancho Verde 13

Dana Hills 38, San Dimas 35

DIVISION 7

West Torrance 44, Oak Park 28

Warren 40, Golden Valley 14

Peninsula 7, Yucaipa 3

DIVISION 8

Lancaster 22, Beckman 17

St. Pius X-St. Matthias 23, Segerstrom 22

DIVISION 9

Quartz Hill 55, Sonora 34

Long Beach Wilson 19, Village Christian 17

DIVISION 10

St. Anthony 20, Shadow Hills 13

South Pasadena 34, Valley View 31

DIVISION 11

Portola 14, Santa Paula 10

Baldwin Park 28, Big Bear 21

DIVISION 12

Mary Star 27, Dos Pueblos 23

Wilson/HH 27, Estancia 12

DIVISION 13

Gahr 34, Artesia 7

Pasadena 22, San Marino 16

DIVISION 14

San Gabriel 41, Costa Mesa 35

Ganesha 43, Century 42

L.A. CITY QUARTERFINALS

Open Division

Narbonne 47, Dorsey 13

Birmingham 42, Gardena 19

Banning 37, San Pedro 26

Carson 27, Garfield 17

Division I

Eagle Rock 27, Cleveland 20

Kennedy 49, Westchester 21

Division II

Chatsworth 36, Verdugo Hills 11

Sylmar 44, El Camino Real 13

​ Orange County Register 

Jake Paul cruises to one-sided decision over Mike Tyson

• November 16, 2024

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas — The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

Paying homage to one of the biggest names in boxing history didn’t do much for the fans that filled the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.

Paul won an eight-round unanimous decision over Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former heavyweight champion in his first sanctioned pro bout in almost 20 years.

All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, replaced by boos from bewildered fans hoping for more action in a fight that drew plenty of questions about its legitimacy long before it happened.

The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73.

“Let’s give it up for Mike,” Paul said in the ring, not getting much response from a crowd that started filing out before the decision was announced. “He’s the greatest to ever do it. I look up to him. I’m inspired by him.”

Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.

Even fewer rounds than the normal 10 or 12 and two-minute rounds instead of three, along with heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches, couldn’t do much to generate action.

Paul was more aggressive after the quick burst from Tyson in the opening seconds, but the punching wasn’t very efficient. There were quite a few wild swings and misses.

“I was trying to hurt him a little bit,” said Paul, who improved to 11-1. “I was scared he was going to hurt me. I was trying to hurt him. I did my best. I did my best.”

Tyson mostly sat back and waited for Paul to come to him, with a few exceptions. It was quite the contrast to the co-main event, another slugfest between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in which Taylor kept her undisputed super lightweight championship with another disputed decision.

It was the first sanctioned fight since 2005 for Tyson, who fought Roy Jones in a much more entertaining exhibition in 2020. Paul started fighting a little more than four years ago.

“I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself,” Tyson said when asked what it meant to complete the fight. “I’m not one of those guys that looks to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do.”

Tyson’s record is now 50-7 with 44 knockouts.

The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.

Tyson slapped Paul on the face during the weigh-in a night before the fight, and they traded insults in several of the hype events, before and after the postponement.

The hate was long gone by the end of the underwhelming fight.

“This guy’s always had my back,” Paul said about Tyson. “I love him. I love his family, his coaches. It’s just an honor to be in the ring with all of them.”

The fight set a Texas record for combat sports with a gate of nearly $18 million, according to organizers, and Netflix had problems with the feed in the streaming platform’s first live combat sports event. Netflix has more than 280 million subscribers globally.

“This is the biggest event,” Paul said. “Over 120 million people on Netflix. We crashed the site.”

STREAMING DELAYS FOR NETFLIX

Netflix’s first attempt at handling a live sports event did not receive a passing grade.

The fight experienced streaming problems according to many viewers on social media. Many viewers took to Twitter/X and Bluesky to express their frustrations with streaming and buffering problems before and during the fight.

According to the website Down Detector, nearly 85,000 viewers logged problems with outages or streaming leading up to the fight.

The bout was scheduled for eight two-minute rounds, as opposed to the normal three minutes and 10 or 12 rounds for most pro fights.

Netflix representatives had no comment via e-mails to The Associated Press on the streaming problems viewers experienced leading up to or during the fight.

The bout was Netflix’s biggest live sports event to date, and an opportunity to make sure it can handle audience demand with the NFL and WWE on the horizon. It streamed globally to Netflix’s 280 million subscribers at no additional cost.

Netflix will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day and will begin streaming WWE “Raw” on Jan. 6.

The streaming delays weren’t the only problems Netflix experienced leading up to the fight.

Viewers saw Tyson’s bare butt in only a jockstrap when he walked away at the end of a pre-fight interview in his locker room.

For some reason, Netflix chose to make light of the faux pas.

TAYLOR EDGES SERRANO IN CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

The rematch between Taylor and Serrano was as bloody and bruising as the original.

The disputed decision – and the reaction to it – was the same, too.

Taylor retained her unanimous super lightweight championship in a razor-thin unanimous decision over Serrano on Friday night in a slugfest remarkably similar to their epic bout in New York two years ago.

Taylor was scored a 95-94 winner by all three judges, drawing boos from the crowd.

The 38-year-old from Ireland remained the undisputed champion and in the super lightweight and lightweight divisions. It was the third victory since the first professional loss for Taylor (24-1, six knockouts).

Serrano, who kept punching despite getting a nasty cut over her left eye in the sixth round, was the crowd favorite much the same way she was in the the disputed split decision at Madison Square Garden in 2022.

In that sold-out slugfest, they were the first women headlining a combat sports event at the storied venue. The 36-year-old Serrano, a seven-division champion, is 47-3-1 with 31 knockouts.

It might have started a little more slowly than the New York meeting, but things changed when Serrano, who is from Puerto Rico but lives in New York, sustained the nasty cut.

The injury forced the referee to call a timeout in the middle of the sixth round, and frequent closeups the rest of the fight drew gasps from the crowd in the first combat sports telecast from the streaming platform Netflix.

Serrano never stopped punching, though, and appeared to have Taylor teetering in the final seconds of the bout. Taylor leaned in on Serrano repeatedly, appearing to have trouble keeping herself up on her own. She had already been deducted a point for head-butting in the eighth round.

Taylor was fighting for the first time since avenging her only professional loss by beating Chantelle Cameron for the undisputed super lightweight title in a rematch in her home country a year ago.

The Taylor-Serrano fight in New York was more a celebration of women’s boxing, despite the questions over the result. Serrano was a little more frustrated this time, questioning how fair the fight was with her complaints of head-butts and holding as the fight progressed.

Serrano was in trouble after the sixth round, the ring doctor asking if she could continue as the wound was treated. She said yes, and didn’t show many signs of slowing down.

The pair traded flurries of punches most of the way, especially in the final round while knowing the judging would be close.

BARRIOS RETAINS TITLE VIA DRAW

Mario Barrios retained the WBC welterweight title in a draw with Abel Ramos on the undercard. Barrios was in control early before Ramos dominated the middle rounds. Each recorded a knockdown in the 12-round bout.

It was the first fight for the 29-year-old Barrios since he was appointed the WBC welterweight champ when Terence Crawford started the process of moving up from the 147-pound class.

Barrios, who is 29-2-1, had won the interim WBC title with a unanimous decision over Yordenis Ugás last year. The 33-year-old Ramos is 28-6-3.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange Lutheran football uses strong start and finish to beat JSerra in quarterfinals

• November 16, 2024

COSTA MESA – Orange Lutheran scored a touchdown the first time a Lancer touched the football, and Orange Lutheran went on to a 42-20 win over Trinity League rival JSerra on Friday in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 football quarterfinal playoff game at Orange Coast College.

The Lancers (8-3) will play at St. John Bosco (10-1) in the semifinals Friday, Nov. 22. Orange Lutheran lost to St. John Bosco 28-24 in a Trinity League game at St. John Bosco on Oct. 4.

Orange Lutheran’s previous advancement to a CIF-SS top-division semifinal was in 2008, when the Lancers lost to Tesoro in the Pac-5 Division semis.

JSerra concluded its season 6-5.

JSerra took Friday’s opening kickoff, was stopped on three plays, punted on fourth down and Orange Lutheran’s Logan Gutierrez returned that punt 58 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Lancers led 28-0 lead at halftime, JSerra had a great third quarter to make it a 28-20 game and Orange Lutheran scored two touchdowns while shutting out JSerra in the fourth quarter for the 42-20 win.

Orange Lutheran senior running back Steve Chavez rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Lancers senior quarterback TJ Lateef, who is set to go to Nebraska, completed 17 of 24 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

Lancers junior running back Kamryn Shingleton chipped in 71 rushing yards. Bubba McClure, a sophomore, and freshman Anhor Johnson had interceptions for Orange Lutheran.

JSerra junior quarterback Ryan Hopkins threw for 141 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore receiver Clark Cokley had three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. Travis Jeffrey returned an interception 38 yards for a Lions touchdown.

Orange Lutheran scored on its first offensive series on an 8-yard touchdown run by Steve Chavez that finished a 15-play, 74-yard drive. The Lancers converted twice on fourth downs, one on a fake-punt run of 21 yards by AJ Campbell and the other on a 14-yard, tackle-breaking run by Lateef.

Taking a 14-0 lead into the first quarter, the Lancers added two touchdowns in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.

In that second quarter Lateef scored on a 12-yard run – he dropped back to pass, found nobody open and popped through a large opening in the middle for the touchdown. After Orange Lutheran’s Bubba McClure made an interception in the Lancers end zone, Orange Lutheran drove 80 yards on seven plays that included a 31-yard run by Chavez and ended, with 11 seconds remaining in the half, on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lateef to Nico Bland. Bland made a difficult leaping catch on the end zone’s right sideline.

JSerra scored all of its points in a six-minute segment of the third quarter:  Jeffrey’s 38-yard interception return; Hopkins scored on a 17-yard run; and Hopkins threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Cokley. The point-after kick after the Cokley touchdown was wide left, leaving the score at 28-20.

Chavez scored on a 2-yard run 55 seconds into the fourth quarter to make it 35-20 and Lateef found the end zone on a 4-yard run with 3:30 remaining to stretch the Lancers lead to 42-20.

Orange Lutheran defeated JSerra 23-17 in a league game on Oct. 11.

The Lions finished in a tie with Santa Margarita and Servite for fourth place in the six-team Trinity League.

Orange Lutheran lost in the Division first round last year, to Centennial of Corona.

​ Orange County Register 

Mission Viejo football falls to Centennial in thrilling Division 1 quarterfinal

• November 16, 2024

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MISSION VIEJO —  A trip to the semifinals and public school bragging rights dangled Friday as the tantalizing rewards for Mission Viejo and Centennial in the CIF-SS Division 1 football quarterfinals.

In a game dubbed the public school “Super Bowl” in California, Centennial’s defense made a superb play late in the fourth quarter to seal a dramatic 25-20 victory at Mission Viejo High.

In the semifinals next week, the Huskies (9-2) play host to top-ranked Mater Dei, which defeated Sierra Canyon 33-13 in another quarterfinal.

Mission Viejo (10-1) trailed 25-20 as it drove for a go-ahead score late in the fourth. But on fourth-and-goal from the Centennial 2, the Huskies pressured quarterback Draiden Trudeau and lineman Fifita Tauteoli-Moore intercepted the ball with 4:51 left.

Centennial ran out the clock to reach its second straight semifinal in Division 1.

“It was a heck of a game,” Centennial coach Matt Logan said. “Our defense came back and made stands when they had to. They were phenomenal.”

Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson blamed himself for a “poor” play call on fourth-and-goal but praised his team for its season. “We lost some really good seniors,” he said. “We’re still going to go down as one of the top teams in the country.”

No. 5-seeded Centennial led 19-10 at halftime but No. 4 Mission Viejo quickly scored 10 points to take its first lead.

Luke Fahey capped the opening possession of the third quarter with a 47-yard TD pass over the middle to Cash Semonza. After Mission Viejo’s Zachary Foeldi recovered a fumble at the Huskies 26, Caleb Sylvia booted a 22-yaed field goal to give the Diablos a 20-19 lead.

Centennial responded before end of the third period with a 10-yard TD run by quarterback Husan Longstreet as the Huskies took a 25-20 lead into the fourth.

Centennial started fast in the first quarter thanks to a few tackle-busting run by running back Malachi Roby. The junior, who recently returned the Huskies’ lineup, scored on 1-yard run as the Huskies took a 7-0 in the middle of the first period.

Mission Viejo responded with an 89-yard scoring drive late in the first quarter. Hinesward Lilomaiava capped the march with an 8-yard TD run with 2:17 left in the opening frame.

The Diablos appeared to grab the momentum on the ensuing possession as Dijon Lee Jr. recovered a fumble at his 14.

But Centennial’s defense held to give the Huskies a chance to regain the lead. Roby capped the next possession with a 26-yard TD burst up the middle with 7:06 left in the second quarter. Centennial led 13-7 after the PAT missed.

Roby finished the first half with 99 yards on nine carries and had 189 yards overall.

After the Roby’s second TD run, Mission Viejo drove for a 34-yard field goal by Sylvia to trim its deficit to 13-10 before one of the biggest plays of the first half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lee appeared to catch a surprise, pooch kick along the Mission Viejo sideline. But flags flew and Centennial took possession at the Mission Viejo 45. On the next play, Longstreet tossed a 45-yard TD to a streaking Cory Butler Jr. for a 19-10 lead with 3:10 left the half.

Mission Viejo blocked the PAT but the Huskies seized the momentum.

Mission Viejo and Centennial last clashed in the playoffs in 2022. Mission Viejo defeated Centennial 31-28 in the Division 1 quarterfinals in Corona.

​ Orange County Register