OCVarsity football wrap-up: Friday’s stories, scores, photos and more

• October 5, 2024

This is the place to find all of OCVarsity’s scores, game stories, photos and more from the Week 6 football games.

Come back Saturday afternoon for our extensive roundup filled with highlights and stats from other games and lists of the Week 6 stats leaders and top performers.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

SCORES

High school football: All of the scores from Friday’s Week 6 games

PHOTOS & VIDEO 

High school football: Top photos from Friday’s biggest games, Oct. 4

High school football: Scores, highlights, interviews, video recap from Friday night

GAME STORIES

Mission Viejo football rumbles to victory over Long Beach Poly at SoFi Stadium

Freshman QB Koa Malau’ulu rallies St. John Bosco past Orange Lutheran in Trinity League thriller

Servite football wins battle with JSerra in Trinity League opener

Crean Lutheran football beats Foothill to make strong first impression in new league

Mater Dei football responds to challenge from Santa Margarita with strong second half

San Juan Hills football survives big rally by Corona del Mar to win Bravo League debut

QB Tommy Acosta’s passing leads Capistrano Valley football to victory over Western

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Undefeated Yorba Linda football rolls past Villa Park in Bravo League opener

Estancia football improves to 5-1 with victory over Rancho Alamitos

El Modena football does everything well in Delta League win over Trabuco Hills

La Habra football starts a new league with emphatic win over El Dorado

High school football: Scores from the Week 6 games Thursday, Oct. 3

Did you see this?

Mission Viejo football embraces chance to play at SoFi Stadium

Vander Ploog leads football, and family legacy, to new heights at Troy

Santa Margarita football coach Anthony Rouzier placed on administrative leave

Crean Lutheran football player Jacob Maiava loses eligibility appeal with CIF State

Los Amigos football coach Romel Guess and son Xzavior cherish their time together

Orange County football season stat leaders through Sept. 28

Orange County football: Michael Huntley’s players to watch in Week 6

Ex-Mater Dei and Newport Harbor QB Cole Leinart throws three TDs in debut with Redondo

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​ Orange County Register 

Servite football wins battle with JSerra in Trinity League opener

• October 5, 2024

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – It looked like an upset, from the outside. But inside the minds of the Servite football team the Friars win over JSerra was expected.

Servite beat JSerra 20-7 on Friday in the Trinity League opener for both at JSerra High.

Servite went into the game No. 5 in the Orange County Top 25 and No. 13 in the Calpreps.com state rankings. JSerra is No. 3 in the county and No. 6 in the Calpreps.com state rankings.

Both teams took 5-0 overall records into Friday’s game.

“We expected to win the game,” said Servite coach Chris Reinert. “These guys are strong because of their belief, they’re strong because of their belief.”

Servite plays Mater Dei next Friday, Oct. 11, in a league game at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. That’s a Servite home game. Mater Dei beat Santa Margarita on Friday.

JSerra plays Orange Lutheran in a league game next week at Orange Coast College. Orange Lutheran lost to St. John Bosco on Friday.

JSerra’s lowest points total before Friday was 28 points in a win over the CIF San Diego Section’s best team, Lincoln.

“The defense has been spectacular,” said Reinert, in his second season as Servite’s head coach. “(Defensive coordinator) Chris Redfern has been a godsend. The players on that side of the ball are playing hard and making plays.”

Servite senior running back Quaid Carr rushed for 131 yards on 24 carries. Carr, who committed to San Diego State, scored on a 1-yard run and on a 6-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Colin O’Connor.

Two important players for both teams, both seniors bound for major college football programs, did not play: Servite quarterback Leo Hannan, who committed to Michigan State, and JSerra linebacker Madden Faraimo, who has offers from every college that thinks it has a chance at him. Hannan, who has a leg injury, and Faraimo who has an injured wrist, could be back as soon as next week.

“We wanted to step up to the challenge that we had,” said Servite senior linebacker Thomas Cernius who had a sack. “We’re going to fight for our brothers in everything we do, every single play, every single down and that’s what we did.”

After a scoreless first quarter Servite scored on the first play of the second quarter. Carr scored on his 1-yard run. Carr and O’Connor had back-to-back 35-yard runs on the drive.

The point-after kick attempt was blocked, leaving the Friars with a 6-0 lead.

JSerra answered quickly, scoring on a 12-yard run by quarterback Ryan Hopkins. Carter Meza’s point-after kick was good to put the Lions on top 7-6.

Servite constructed an excellent scoring drive to conclude the second half. Starting at their 14-yard line, the Friars went 86 yards on 12 plays. On fourth down at the JSerra 6 with four seconds remaining, on a well-designed play, O’Connor passed to Carr coming out of the backfield for the touchdown. An unsportsmanlike penalty after the play pushed Servite back to the 18-yard line from where a two–point conversion try was an incomplete pass that was overthrown beyond the end zone.

The Friars had a 12-7 lead at halftime. Servite scored the second half’s only touchdown on another ling drive, this one covering 90 yards on 12 plays that included a 15-yard run by Gavin Gutierrez and a 29-yard run by Carr. O’Connor scored on a 4-yard run around left end. His pass to tight end Luke Vanskiver added two points.

Servite’s offensive line of seniors Brandon Bass and Gavin Jones, junior Jaden Rasic and freshmen Keiden Lokeni and Elijah Mueller opened the holes for Carr and Gutierrez consistently Friday.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers, without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, drop preseason opener

• October 5, 2024

PALM DESERT — With their two stars sidelined for rest, the Lakers opened preseason with a 124-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Acrisure Arena.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis sat out the first exhibition, with new coach JJ Redick citing their gold-medal run with Team USA at the Paris Olympics over the summer and their workload during training camp as the reason for them not playing.

“There was a lot of good stuff that we did,” Redick said, mentioning the Lakers losing the possession battle as a standout from Friday. “I told our guys before the game, ‘Three things I’m going to judge you on, how I’m going to measure this game are our organization, our talk and our level of competition.’ And I thought the third one, we had that at a really high level. The other two, we gotta get better.”

The star duo not matching up created more opportunities for other players on the roster.

Austin Reaves and first-round pick Dalton Knecht led the Lakers with 16 points apiece, with Reaves also recording seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Knecht shot 7 of 11 from the field and 2 of 5 on 3-pointers.

“His ability to play consecutive possessions and compete was really good,” Redick said of Knecht. “Sometimes the game can speed up for him a little bit and that reflects itself in some turnovers. But he knows who he is as a player. And I thought he did a really good job of being aggressive and taking the shots that we want him to take.”

Max Christie, who started in place of James, had 11 points and six rebounds. He showcased his athleticism with a pair of blocked shots at the rim against Timberwolves players driving to the basket.

“Well [Redick’s] asked me to be kind of that dog on defense, pick up fullcourt,” Christie said. “I tried to do a little bit of that. There’s a comfort level that I’m going to get a little bit more comfortable with. I haven’t really done that a lot in my career. Throughout the season there is going to be a lot of guys that can handle it and move with the ball really fast. So I got to get more comfortable with that, but that’s something he’s asked me to do and I definitely am fully bought in.”

D’Angelo Russell (14 points, three assists) and Gabe Vincent (11 points) also scored in double figures.

Bronny James, LeBron’s son who the Lakers drafted in the second round, finished with two points and three blocked shots.

“As a coaching staff, before the game, as we were kind of going over our rotation matrix, we were talking about Bronny,” Redick said. “He’s had some really good days in August and September. He’s had three really good days this week. We’re really happy with his progress. He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and I think can turn into a really disruptive defend. That manifested itself.

“On the offensive end, he’s still figuring out who he is. That’s our job as a player development program just to build him in. But truthfully, he’s so easy to coach. He’s got a great soul. And just a great energy about him. I like being around him. I’m rooting for him. He’s a good player that we’re happy to have in our program.”

With Jarred Vanderbilt (feet surgery) and Christian Wood (left knee surgery) sidelined in addition to James and Davis, the Lakers cycled through a variety of small-ball lineups.

Friday was Redick’s first action as a head coach after not coaching the Lakers during summer league.

“The anxiety that people may assume I’m having is around how my team is going to perform,” Redick said pregame. “We’ve mentioned the word preparation. And once you’ve invested a lot in preparation, you kind of have to just accept that. And then it becomes, you know, I want to see how my team does against another team. That’s where any sort of anxiety comes.

“I have, and I’ve talked to some of the guys, I’ve given myself some grace in terms of some of the nuanced stuff. I’m not gonna be perfect. That’s OK. The preparation and attempting to get buy-in from our guys, that’s been my focus and will continue to be my focus throughout preseason.”

Anthony Edwards, who was also on Team USA, and Julius Randle, whom the Timberwolves acquired on Wednesday in a trade that sent longtime franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, didn’t play for Minnesota.

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All of the Timberwolves’ starters played 10 or fewer minutes.

Rob Dillingham (21 points), the No. 8 pick in the draft, Josh Minott (22 points, eight rebounds and three steals) and Luka Garza (20 points, nine rebounds) led Minnesota off the bench.

The Lakers will return to Acrisure Arena on Sunday for another exhibition against the Phoenix Suns.

​ Orange County Register 

Freshman QB Koa Malau’ulu rallies St. John Bosco past Orange Lutheran in Trinity League thriller

• October 5, 2024

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BELLFLOWER — Orange Lutheran’s football team prepared for its Trinity League opener at St. John Bosco by navigating a challenging nonleague schedule that included a duel with the reigning national champion. The Braves tested their young squad as well, introducing a freshman quarterback to elite competition.

Both strategies set the stage for an intriguing showdown Friday, and the teams didn’t disappoint.

Freshman Koa Malau’ulu tossed four touchdowns in the second half, including the go-ahead strike with 50 seconds left, to rally host St. John Bosco past Orange Lutheran 28-24 in a thrilling game.

The game produced five lead changes in the second half — including four in the final 12 minutes — and ended with the Braves sacking Orange Lutheran QB TJ Lateef near midfield.

“I knew he had the moxie. I knew he had the savvy to be able to go out there and play,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said of Malau’ulu, who tossed a 23-yard TD to Carson Clark with 50 seconds left for the go-ahead score.

St. John Bosco (6-0, 1-0), ranked No. 2 in the nation by MaxPreps, started Malau’ulu in place of emerging Matai Fuiava. Negro said Fuiava — who has passed for more than 1,000 yards — was available but nursing injuries.

With the Braves trailing 10-0 at halftime, Malau’ulu responded with TD passes in the third quarter to Daniel Odom and Madden Williams as St. John Bosco took a 14-10 lead.

The teams traded the lead multiple times in the fourth.

Orange Lutheran (4-2, 0-1), ranked No. 16th in the nation by MaxPreps and seeking its first victory against the Braves since 2010, took a 24-21 lead on a 5-yard TD run by Steve Chavez with 4:02 remaining.

But Malau’ulu calmly led the Braves down field for a comeback in his first Trinity League game. “Greatest league in the world,” he said.

The Lancers led 10-0 at halftime behind their ball-control offense and defense.

Orange Lutheran opened the first quarter by chewing up nearly seven minutes in driving for a 32-yard field goal by Aiden Migirdichian.

The Lancers’ offense seemed to show several twists on the drive, including a pass back to Lateef.

Orange Lutheran consumed the final three minutes of the first quarter and marched to the St. John Bosco 2 for a fourth-and-goal in the middle of the second period. The Braves’ defense stopped a scramble by Lateef in a play that loomed more significant as the game progressed.

The Lancers’ defense then forced a quick punt to give its offense the ball at the St. John Bosco 38. Orange Lutheran stayed aggressive and capitalized with a 30-yard TD pass from Lateef to wide open tight end AJ Ia on a fourth-and-2. The strike opened a 10-0 lead.

Linebacker Talanoa Ili helped the Lancers’ defense finish the half strong with a tackle for a 2-yard loss on third down.

Next week, Orange Lutheran plays host to JSerra at Orange Coast College on Oct. 11. St. John Bosco plays host to Santa Margarita on the same night.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mission Viejo football rumbles to victory over Long Beach Poly at SoFi Stadium

• October 5, 2024

INGLEWOOD — The Mission Viejo football team enjoyed a lot of success the past two seasons, including a CIF State championship. But one feat that had eluded the Diablos was a win over Long Beach Poly.

Mission Viejo added that to its list of accomplishments Friday by beating Poly 49-14 at SoFi Stadium.

The game was just the second high school football game to take place at SoFi Stadium and the first this season. Servite and St. John Bosco will play each other at the stadium on Oct. 18.

Mission Viejo fell to Long Beach Poly each of the last two seasons and both games ended with the Jackrabbits scoring a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the game.

“We talked about it all week long that this was going to be the experience of a lifetime,” Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said. “They obviously wanted to remember it in a good way.”

Mission Viejo (7-0) ran for 378 yards with five touchdowns. Hinesward Lilomaiava led the Diablos with 170 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. Davonte Curtis ran for 109 yards with three touchdowns.

“We wanted to really focus on the run game this week and be very physical,” Johnson said. “We came out tonight and obviously did a good job in the run game.”

Johnson praised Mission Viejo’s offensive line that featured Sonny Pa’u, Dylan Felli, Gavin Disbro, Joshua Bates and Noah Lee.

“We have an amazing offensive line coach, he has those guys playing really well right now,” Johnson said.

Both teams had interceptions on their opening drives of the game. Mission Viejo scored first late in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Curtis.

Mission Viejo safety Brock Defries intercepted a Long Beach Poly pass at the Diablos 1-yard line. The Diablos went on a 99-yard scoring drive capped by a 30-yard touchdown run by Curtis.

Long Beach Poly (2-4) had a bad snap on a punt which gave Mission Viejo the ball at the Jackrabbits’ 47-yard line. Mission Viejo quarterback Luke Fahey ran for a 20-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-0.

Sophomore Tay Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a Long Beach Poly touchdown. Wright also had an interception for the Jackrabbits.

Draiden Trudeau threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Bell III just before halftime to give Mission Viejo a 28-6 lead at the half.

Trudeau threw for 106 yards with a touchdown and Fahey threw for 118 yards with a touchdown.

Fahey threw a touchdown pass to Vance Spafford on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Lilomaiava and Curtis each had running touchdowns in the second half for the Diablos.

Benjamin Harris ran for Long Beach Poly’s only offensive touchdown of the game in the third quarter.

Zachary Foeldi, Defries and Jaden Williams had interceptions for Mission Viejo’s defense and Carter Wegis had a sack.

Mission Viejo is 7-0 for the first time since 2019. The Diablos have a bye week before opening Alpha League play against San Clemente.

“I’m very excited about playing this league and going against great coaches and great programs,” Johnson said. “We know our first opponent, San Clemente, really well and they’ve beaten us. So we have another get back game.”

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​ Orange County Register 

High school football: All of the scores from Friday’s Week 6 games

• October 5, 2024

All of the scores from the CIF Southern Section and L.A. City Section football games Friday, Oct. 4.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

CIF SOUTHERN SECTION

Almont League

Bell Gardens 46, Alhambra 0

Montebello 37, Keppel 0

Schurr 52, San Gabriel 0

Angelus League

Cathedral 50, Alemany 6

St. Paul 27, St. Francis 17

Baseline League

Damien 45, Etiwanda 3

Rancho Cucamonga 10, Upland 7

Bay League

Culver City 21, Palos Verdes 18

Inglewood 34, Leuzinger 29

Big West Upper League

Chaparral 55, Vista Murrieta 28

Bravo League

San Juan Hills 31, Corona del Mar 28

Newport Harbor 34, Tesoro 31

Camino Real League

St. Monica 35, Mary Star of the Sea 18

Channel League

Moorpark 38, Oak Park 14

Oxnard 51, Royal 17

Ventura 34, Buena 20

Del Rio League

La Serna 42, El Rancho 18

Santa Fe 48, California 22

Delta League

Capistrano Valley 35, Western 25

Tustin 37, Cypress 7

Desert Empire League

La Quinta 31, Palm Springs 16

Palm Desert 24, Xavier Prep 0

Epsilon League

Crean Lutheran 38, Foothill 20

Huntington Beach 42, Laguna Hills 3

Foothill League

Hart 35, Castaic 7

Valencia 55, Canyon Country Canyon 7

West Ranch 48, Saugus 24

Foxtrot League

Dana Hills 20, Aliso Niguel 10

Laguna Beach 7, Northwood 6

Gateway League

Downey 45, La Mirada 13

Mayfair 39, Bellflower 0

Golden League

Highland 35, Littlerock 13

Palmdale 53, Knight 18

Lancaster 7, Quartz Hill 0

Hacienda League

Chino 54, Walnut 24

Covina 23, Los Altos 18

South Hills 30, Diamond Bar 29

Inland Valley League

Moreno Valley 21, Citrus Hill 20

Perris 48, Lakeside 30Iota League

Troy 35, Sonora 21

Ironwood League

Aquinas 27, Ontario Christian 13

Village Christian 36, Heritage Christian 21

Valley Christian 33, Capistrano Valley Christian 13

Ivy League

Orange Vista 49, Paloma Valley 12

Vista del Lago 43, Liberty 26

Kappa League

Brea Olinda 49, Westminster 0

Esperanza 42, Garden Grove 6

Segerstrom 35, St. Margaret’s 27

Lambda League

La Palma Kennedy 34, Placentia Valencia 19

Manzanita League

Desert Chapel 60, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac 42

Desert Christian 75, San Jacinto Valley Academy 38

Anza Hamilton 55, Nuview Bridge 0

California Military Institute 59, Vasquez 3

Marmonte League

Bishop Diego 26, Camarillo 0

Oaks Christian 42, Oxnard Pacifica 20

Simi Valley 42, St. Bonaventure 28

Mesquite League

Big Bear 50, Western Christian 14

Linfield Christian 42, Maranatha 35

Mid-Cities League

Gahr 31, Lynwood 7

Norwalk 56, Compton Early College 6

Paramount 49, Firebaugh 0

Miramonte League

Garey 33, Bassett 14

La Puente 53, Workman 6

Mission League

Notre Dame SO 28, Bishop Amat 21

Sierra Canyon 42, Chaminade 3

Mission Valley

Arroyo 39, Rosemead 16

El Monte 28, Gabrielino 14

Mojave River League

Apple Valley 41, Sultana 6

Serrano 47, Ridgecrest Burroughs 0

Moore League

Lakewood 49, Long Beach Cabrillo 0

Millikan 52, Long Beach Jordan 6

Mountain Pass League

San Jacinto 49, Tahquitz 3

Temescal Canyon 14, Elsinore 0

Ocean League

West Torrance 54, Morningside 0

Omicron League

Garden Grove Pacifica 42, Irvine University 0

Pacific League

Burbank Burroughs 47, Hoover 21

Pioneer League

North Torrance 21, Santa Monica 14

Peninsula 35, South Torrance 0

Redondo 35, Torrance 7

Rio Hondo League

La Canada 35, Temple City 0

South Pasadena 55, Pasadena Poly 7

River Valley League

Norte Vista 28, Patriot 21

Jurupa Valley 22, Rubidoux 7

Sierra League

Bonita 27, Glendora 14

Charter Oak 43, Claremont 3

Colony 23, Los Osos 6

Sigma League

Los Amigos 27, Ocean View 6

Skyline League

Carter 58, Riverside Notre Dame 0

Colton 26, Fontana 19

Sunbelt League

Hemet 40, Riverside Poly 26

Hillcrest 35, Arlington 28

Rancho Christian 38, Valley View 20

Tango League

Garden Grove Santiago 24, Costa Mesa 22

Westminster La Quinta 45, Bolsa Grande 34

Tri-County League

Agoura 50, Santa Paula 26

San Marcos 31, Fillmore 17

Trinity League

Servite 20, JSerra 7

Mater Dei 40, Santa Margarita 18

St. John Bosco 28, Orange Lutheran 24

Zeta League

Saddleback 25, Godinez 19

Nonleague

Artesia 42, Channel Islands 7

Desert Hot Springs 46, Twentynine Palms 0

Grace 49, Glenn 12

Grand Terrace 41, Kaiser 16

Mission Viejo 49, Long Beach Poly 14

San Gorgonio 40, Montclair 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Edison 42, Helix 14

Gardena 22, Jurupa Hills 6

Rio Hondo Prep 24, King’s Academy 0

L.A. CITY SECTION

Central League

Contreras 28, Hollywood 6

Roybal 7, Belmont 0

Bernstein 55, Mendez 6

Coliseum League

Crenshaw 35, Dymally 0

King/Drew 48, Washington 12

Dorsey 33, Fremont 0

East Valley League

Arleta 41, Verdugo Hills 21

North Hollywood 33, Grant 7

Sun Valley Poly 47, Monroe 12

Eastern League

Bell 42, South Gate 40

Garfield 48, South East 30

Huntington Park 28, L.A. Roosevelt 12

Exposition League

Manual Arts 42, Jefferson 7

Marquez 18, Angelou 7

Marine League

Narbonne def. Banning, forfeit

Carson 31, San Pedro 20

Metro League

L.A. Jordan 44, Locke 0

Rancho Dominguez 56, View Park 20

Northern League

Franklin 40, Lincoln 0

L.A. Wilson 59, L.A. Marshall 20

Southern League

Los Angeles 24, Maywood 20

Diego Rivera 44, Torres 3

Sotomayor 20, West Adams 7

Valley Mission League

Panorama 46, Reseda 12

Sylmar 31, Canoga Park 6

Van Nuys 36, San Fernando 30

West Valley League

Birmingham 64, Chatsworth 0

Cleveland 29, Granada Hills 28 (OT)

El Camino Real 37, Taft 12

Western League

Palisades 22, Fairfax 14

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​ Orange County Register 

San Juan Hills football survives big rally by Corona del Mar to win Bravo League debut

• October 5, 2024

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — San Juan Hills appeared to be in total control during the first half of the Bravo League football opener against Corona del Mar Friday at San Juan Hills High School.

After taking a three-score lead while holding the Sea Kings scoreless in the first half, the Stallions found themselves in a down-to-the wire battle.

A late takeaway wound up being the difference for the Stallions, who hung on for a 31-28 victory.

“If you’re in this league, it means you’re a very good football program with very good coaches,” San Juan Hills coach Robert Frith said. “Every single program in the Bravo League has coaches that are very experienced and so it’s no surprise that Corona Del Mar was able to make adjustments and really challenge us there at the end.”

The Stallions (5-1, 1-0) led 17-0 at the half before Corona del Mar (3-3, 0-1) received the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards, with quarterback Brady Annett’s 5-yard touchdown run getting the Sea Kings on board.

San Juan Hills quarterback Timmy Herr hit Elijah Ayala for a 12-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession to build the Stallions lead back up to 17.

Annett then connected with James Garrett for a 4-yard score on the Sea Kings’ next possession to cut the lead to 10 again.

The Sea Kings then got huge momentum boost when linebacker Breck Clemmer delivered a solid hit on Herr, jarring the ball loose.

Defensive tackle Damien Zeno-Herrera grabbed the loose ball out of the air before it ever touched the ground and ran it in for a 25-yard touchdown.

The Sea Kings had possession and were trailing by three with eight minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the game.

This time, it was the Stallions who made the big play on defense when defensive back Chris Williams caused a fumble with a hit on a receiver after a completed pass.

Linebacker Greg Blomdahl made the recovery for the Stallions, who converted the takeaway to an 11-yard touchdown run from Ayala with two minutes, 38 seconds left.

The Sea Kings scored on a 22-yard pass from Annett to Emori Davis, but there were only 56 seconds left and the Stallions recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Herr finished with 156 yards passing and two touchdowns on 17 attempts and Ayala rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

One of Ayala’s runs went for 73 yards, which the Stallions converted into a field goal.

Annett completed 11 of 12 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, all in the second half.

The Stallions came into the contest having held three nonleague opponents to nine points or less.

After forcing the Sea Kings to punt on all five of their first half possessions, it appeared there might be a similar outcome for the Stallions.

“Whoever wins league, or even comes in second or third, they’re battle tested,” Frith said. “I’m not surprised that this game was as close as it was.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Crean Lutheran football beats Foothill to make strong first impression in new league

• October 5, 2024

IRVINE — If the Epsilon League opener on Friday night between Crean Lutheran and Foothill was any indication of where the power might lie, the Saints demonstrated why it should belong on their side of the field.

Crean Lutheran looked like the team to beat in the newly formed league during its 38-20 win against the visiting Knights, who scored two late touchdowns to make the score closer than how the game played out.

“They’re a good football program and getting better each and every year,” Foothill coach Doug Case said of the Saints (5-1, 1-0), who spent the past six seasons in the Empire League, finishing 0-5 as recently as 2021 before posting a 7-3 mark over the past two seasons.

Saints coach Rick Curtis said he expects the Epsilon League to provide the ideal level of competition for his team. Crean Lutheran still has league games remaining against La Habra, El Dorado, Huntington Beach and Laguna Hills.

“Everybody’s physical,” Curtis said. “It’s the kind of league that’s going to challenge us. It’s going to be competitive. We’ve got to be ready every week.”

The Saints have already withstood adversity after losing starting quarterback Caden Jones to a knee injury in a 23-9 loss to San Juan Hills on Sept. 13.

Freshman Dylan D’Epifanio has started the past two games and the Knights won them both. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns against Foothill.

“He’s done a great job,” Curtis said. “He’s smooth and pretty calm back there, so we’re really pleased with his progress.”

Taurian Nash led the ground attack for Crean Lutheran.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries, highlighted by a 93-yard touchdown burst on the first play from scrimmage in the second half.

“We’ve been working this offseason, we know what we have,” Nash said. “We have the players, it’s just going out here and executing.”

Crean Lutheran didn’t waste any time asserting dominance.

The Saints forced a three-and-out on the opening series and then marched down the field on their first offensive drive, taking a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Nash.

Crean Lutheran made it 14-0 with 5:27 still left in the first quarter on a 55-yard touchdown reception by Drew Deese.

Colton Thorne kicked field goals of 40 and 37 yards in the first half for Foothill (3-3, 0-1), but the Saints took a 21-3 lead on a 9-yard touchdown reception by Carter Jones and stretched it to 24-6 on a 24-yard field goal by Connor Stephens with 32 seconds left in the first half.

Nash then unleashed his long touchdown run to start the second half, using a stiff arm to push away the final defender.

“I seen him out of the corner of my eye,” Nash said. “I knew I had to stiff arm him just to get into the end zone.”

Although the Knights received late touchdowns on a 52-yard reception from Nico Mancini and 4-yard run from backup quarterback Fysher Jamieson, Case said there’s plenty of work left to be done.

“We need to play better defense, we need to execute our offense better. We just need to get better across the board,” he said. “We didn’t have an easy game this year, so we’re trying to stay healthy and trying to compete.”

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​ Orange County Register