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Orange County Register

Mater Dei football shows its strength with dominate victory over St. John Bosco

October 26, 2024

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SANTA ANA — Mater Dei and St. John Bosco faced off Friday with the familiar task of settling two of the biggest stakes in their football rivalry.

The Monarchs dished out the clarity on the national rankings and the Trinity League in stunning fashion.

In a clash of the top two teams in the national rankings, No. 1 Mater Dei defeated No. 2 St. John Bosco 59-14 to claim at least a share of the Trinity League title before an estimated crowd of 8,000 at Santa Ana Stadium.

Daryus Dixson #8 of Mater Dei recovers a fumble in the first half of a game against St. John Bosco on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Aaryn Washington #21 of Mater Dei intercepts a pass and runs it back for a touchdown while playing St. John Bosco in the first half on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Aaryn Washington #21 of Mater Dei celebrates with Nasir Wyatt #31 after he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown while playing St. John Bosco in the first half on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) note: Stadium lights flashed on and off making the photo low quality in the dark.

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Daryus Dixson #8 of Mater Dei recovers a fumble in the first half of a game against St. John Bosco on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

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Mater Dei (8-0, 4-0) led 45-0 at halftime and later invoked a running clock for the entire fourth quarter.

For a while in the first half, the lopsided score was almost as shocking as St. John Bosco (8-1, 3-1) defeating Mater Dei 28-0 last season in league but the Monarchs far surpassed that level.

“I’m not going to say (I’m) surprised,” Mater Dei quarterback Dash Beierly said of the final margin. “I know Bosco is a really good team. Today wasn’t really their day but if you just looked at our team, we came out all cylinders playing really well.”

“It’s really hard to beat us when we’re all executing like that,” he added. “I was just happy to be a part of it.”

The Monarchs scored 22 points off three turnovers in the first half. Their offense scored five TDs and a field goal in the first two quarters.

“That’s the best first half we’ve ever played,” Mater Dei coach Raul Lara said. “I’m not surprised (by the score) … because I know when these guys are capable of doing the stuff we’ve been preaching, there’s nobody who’s going to beat them.”

“We’re so talented,” the first-year coach added. “We also reminded them that last year, even though they won the CIF championship and they won the state, they didn’t win the Trinity League. That was something that I told them, ‘You need to take back.’ “

The past two seasons, the rivals have split two games.

Last fall, St. John Bosco stunned Mater Dei 28-0 in league before the Monarchs responded with a 35-7 triumph in the CIF-SS Division 1 final.

In 2022, Mater Dei captured the Trinity League title while St. John Bosco stormed to the Division 1 crown.

Are the teams destined for a second meeting at the Division 1 final on Nov. 29 at Veterans Stadium? If a few coaches are correct, keep an open mind to a new-look pairing.

Last week, Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson called Mater Dei “the best” in Division 1 but added that there is more parity in the rest of the division “than there’s ever been.”

Mater Dei fueled that argument.

“Mater Dei is the clear top team in the country,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said. “I did not anticipate this (score) for sure.”

“But I also think we bring out the best in people and we brought out the best in Mater Dei tonight,” he added. “(We) got to learn from (this). We have to find some of the positives. … There’s still a lot of season left.”

Mater Dei asserted itself on the opening series. Safety CJ Lavender Jr. forced a fumble that cornerback Daryus Dixson recovered near the Braves 45 and returned 10 yards.

On the next play, Beierly tossed a 35-yard touchdown to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on a flea-flicker.

The hustling play by Lavender set the tone for things to come.

Mater Dei added a 23-yard field goal by Joseph Gutierrez later in the first quarter before scoring 34 points in the second quarter.

Running back Jordon Davison capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run as the lead pushed to 17-0.

On the ensuing possession, Lavender intercepted a pass that led to a 40-yard TD run by Beierly and a 25-0 lead.

Moments later, Mater Dei sophomore defensive back Aaryn Washington returned an interception 45 yards for a score as the advantage swelled to 31-0.

Before halftime, Beierly tossed two of his three first-half TDs.

Gavin Honore caught a fade in the corner of the end zone and defensive lineman and emotional leader Semi Taulanga grabbed a short pass for his first career TD.

“We just had the mindset to come out here and kept our foot on their neck early on and that’s exactly what we did,” Lavender said of the fast start. “We came out flying, executing, and we got the job done.”

Negro said he was concerned of a shaky start.

“I thought if we could settle into the game and kind of keep it close early, then we’d have an opportunity to play,” he said. “But it was like an avalanche, and then we just couldn’t recover from it.”

Beierly, who is committed to Washington, completed 14 of 18 passes for 209 yards and three scores in the first half in addition to his rushing TD.

The senior finished with 308 yards passing and four TDs. Davison added 107 yards on 16 carries.

St. John Bosco scored on its first possession of the third quarter as sophomore Maliq Allen raced for a 71-yard TD.

Mater Dei’s defensive pressure limited Braves freshman QB Koa Malau’ulu. He didn’t have a first-down passing until the fourth quarter and finished 8 for 23 for 117 yards and a score.

Nasir Wyatt returned a fumble 6 yards for a TD off a sack by Dailon Clanton for the Monarchs’ final score with 2:58 left in the third quarter.

Next week, Mater Dei concludes the Trinity League season by playing host to Orange Lutheran at Santa Ana Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1. St. John Bosco plays host to JSerra (6-3, 1-3) on the same day.

Anaheim football makes big plays to beat Bolsa Grande, earn share of league title

Laguna Beach football makes stunning comeback to beat Dana Hills

Strong all-around effort carries Orange Lutheran football to victory over Servite

Fryer: Mater Dei’s fast, physical defense a difference-maker in win over St. John Bosco

Mission Viejo football stays motivated, rolls to win over Edison

Orange County Register

Lakers overcome 22-point deficit to defeat Suns

October 26, 2024

LOS ANGELES — If Tuesday’s season opener displayed what the Lakers will look like under Coach JJ Redick when they’re nailing the little details of the game early, Friday’s 123-116 home win against the Phoenix Suns showed they can kick into an extra gear when needed.

The Lakers came back from a 22-point first-half deficit to beat the Suns for their second victory to kick off the season after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the week.

The win marked the first time the Lakers opened a season 2-0 since the 2010-11 season, when they started 8-0.

Anthony Davis was at the center of the Lakers’ turnaround, showing that the Suns, just like the Timberwolves, had no answer for him defensively.

“There’s an intentionality to have him involved as much as possible,” Redick said. “We recognize what type of player he is and that he can create mismatches. The second part would be his patience. There’s a comfort level and a confidence level that he has that if the game starts getting wacky, he knows the ball’s going to come back to him.”

Davis led his team with a game-high 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting to go with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.

“He’s been doing this,” said Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who added 26 points. “It’s not un-normal for him to do what he’s been doing. I feel like he’s the best player on our team. And we played through him. And he’s such a high-level talent that I expect him to go out every single night and be dominant.

“What he’s been doing is kind of, it’s unreal obviously, but I expect him to go dominate the game in many facets. I’m just lucky to have him as a teammate.”

Davis went 13 of 17 at the free-throw line, spearheading a Lakers team that went 29 for 39 from the charity stripe.

He became just the third Laker ever with 35-plus points in the first two games of a season, joining Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

“I’m just going out there playing basketball,” Davis said. “Obviously, the team is doing a good job giving the ball in my spots. It’s easier when guys are making shots and making plays. Just kind of opens up, opens up the floor for me.”

Reaves reached his 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go with eight assists and four rebounds, while LeBron James scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half and finished with eight assists and four rebounds.

The Suns took advantage of the Lakers coming out of the gates sluggish, seemingly playing a step or two ahead of the hosts.

Phoenix scored 14 fast-break points in the first quarter and knocked down 15 of its first 22 shots, 14 of them off assists, to take a 38-23 lead into the second that ballooned to 48-26 early in the quarter and 55-35 midway through the second.

The two-man game of Reaves and Davis kept the Lakers in the game, cutting the Suns’ lead to 61-52 at halftime.

The Lakers seemingly cracked the code, at least for one game, before the game’s midway break.

“We got to double-drag ball screens that we kept getting good looks out of,” Reaves said. “And like I said, playing alongside A.D. makes the game so easy. Coming off that ball screen and having him in the pocket just being able to throw him a bounce pass, chest pass, it doesn’t matter.

“I threw a couple of passes that I didn’t think were good passes to him that he caught and finished. Those possessions were huge for us to keep us in the game.”

They opened the third on an 8-2 run before mixing their defensive coverages and being sharper with their switching on defense, helping them pick up more stops and get out in transition offensively.

“It’s our job to go out and execute the game plan that the coaches put in front of us,” James said. “And we have to earn their trust. And if we go out and execute it, then we’ll continue to get more and more from our coaching staff.”

The Lakers finished with 28 fast-break points despite having just five at the end of the first quarter.

They also tightened up their transition defense, only allowing seven fast-break points in the final three quarters, and their ball security, turning the ball over just six times in the second half after having four turnovers in the first quarter.

“We stopped turning the ball over and we got back in transition,” James said. “They was kicking our butts in transition early on. But a lot of it was because of our turnovers. And it’s hard to get back and get matched on those things. So we cut that down and it allowed us to get back into the game.”

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Davis’ free throws at the 8:35 mark in the third gave the Lakers their first lead (68-67) since early in the first quarter. The Lakers led for the entire fourth, leading by as many as 12 before cruising to the eventual win.

Rui Hachimura had 14 points and seven rebounds. Rookie wing Dalton Knecht finished with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in 13 minutes off the bench.

Kevin Durant led the Suns with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists. Devin Booker scored 23 points while Bradley Beal had 15 points and nine assists.

The Lakers will return to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night, hosting the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back.

James, 39 and in his 22nd NBA season, said he plans on playing against the Kings, adding: “I plan on playing every game. We’ll see what happens if I don’t.”

NOTABLE

The Lakers shot 14 for 27 from 3-point range. Reaves was 5 for 7 from behind the arc while James, Knecht and Hachimura made two apiece. … Reddick is the first Lakers coach to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999. … The Lakers trailed 81-74 with three minutes left in the third quarter before scoring nine straight points to grab the lead. That was part of a 20-6 run during a nearly five-minute span from late in the third to early in the fourth.

Orange County Register

Brea Olinda football clinches share of Kappa League title with win over Segerstrom

October 26, 2024

SANTA ANA — The Brea Olinda football team continued its pursuit of a perfect regular season with a 30-18 victory over Segerstrom on Friday night.

The Wildcats improved to 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the Kappa League with one game left in the regular season. With the win Friday, they clinched at least a share of the league championship, their first since 2021 and first in a full season since 2015.

Brea Olinda faces Esperanza in their regular-season finale. Esperanza is tied for second place with the Jaguars (6-3, 3-1).

Senior quarterback Cullen Doyle led the Wildcats with 245 passing yards, two touchdowns and a rushing TD. On his 3-yard TD run, Doyle took a big hit near the goal line before extending the ball to the pylon.

Brea Olinda coach Justin Villasenor has been with the program since 2008 and is accomplishing some important goals in his first season as head coach.

“They’ve really bought in this year with me as a new coach,” Villasenor said, “set that discipline and accountability over the offseason and they trusted me, which I’m grateful for. All their hard work has paid off and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Doyle threw a couple of first-half touchdown passes, one to Jake Brooks for 31 yards and the other to Isaak Rivas-Melendez for 54 yards.

The Wildcats offense was getting some clean looks downfield and Doyle easily could’ve thrown for more.

“We’re fast,” Villasenor said. “We put our guys in the right spot and we can beat anyone out on the edge. We missed a few but our message was that it’s going to come again, so be ready.”

Villasenor had nothing but praise for Doyle’s impact on the program.

“He’s everything you want in a Brea football player,” Villasenor said. “When it comes to playing (the game), he’s smart, he gets the job done and he’s the leader. Everyone can look to him because he never shakes, he never rattles. I’m proud to have him and I’m lucky to have him, I love that kid.”

Segerstrom relied on its ground game to stay in the game with the absence of quarterback Jesse Lopez. The Jaguars were able take a brief lead in the third quarter.

Noah Tagaloa rushed for a career-high 223 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown for the Jaguars.

Tagaloa scored on a 53-yard run in the second quarter and also broke free for a 65-yard run to set up Andrew Diaz’s 3-yard score that made the score 18-14 Segerstrom with 9:16 left in the third.

“He told me before the game that this game was special to him because he’s playing against his cousin (Dalton Tagaloa) , my nephew,” said Segerstrom coach Joseph Tagaloa. “We had the whole family out here, so he wanted to come out here and show all the hard work that he’s put in over the last four years, I’m proud of him, I thought he played his heart out,”

The Wildcats defense was able to keep the Jaguars off the scoreboard from that point on. Meanwhile, their running game started to click behind Nathan Aceves.

Aceves gave Brea the lead with a 15-yard run and then Colby Thuman hit a 28-yard field goal on their next drive to make it 24-18.

Aceves finished with 104 rushing yards.

Anaheim football makes big plays to beat Bolsa Grande, earn share of league title

Laguna Beach football makes stunning comeback to beat Dana Hills

Strong all-around effort carries Orange Lutheran football to victory over Servite

Fryer: Mater Dei’s fast, physical defense a difference-maker in win over St. John Bosco

Mission Viejo football stays motivated, rolls to win over Edison

Orange County Register

Anaheim football makes big plays to beat Bolsa Grande, earn share of league title

October 26, 2024

GARDEH GROVE – Xavier Aviles provided a spark with a little spectacle and the Anaheim defense put theclamps on Bolsa Grande in a 35-18 victory to clinch a historic league championship.

It was the 31st football league championship for Anaheim, the most of any public school in Orange County, and secured the school’s 25th ticket to the Southern Section playoffs.

Aviles started his flash-and-dash in the second quarter of the Tango League contest. Anaheim (7-2, 4-0) was clinging to a 7-6 lead in what was becoming an offensive stalemate. A 15-yard punt gave Anaheim the ball at the Matadors 27-yard line.

After two straight incompletions, Anaheim wide receiver Victor Mejia took a handoff on a sweep then stopped and found Aviles along at the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

“The turning point was when I caught the first touchdown,” Aviles said. “That just set off the alarms. We had made some mistakes on defense, but we put them in the past, we stepped up and made plays on defense.”

Aviles provided the next big defensive play when Bolsa Grande (4-5, 2-2) was trying to wage an uphill battle, trailing 21-12 and getting the ball at its 10 with 5:49 left in the game. But on second-and-10, linebacker Arturo Velasquez deflected Michael Nguyen’s pass into the hands of Aviles, who turned the interception 10 yards for a touchdown.

Anaheim held the Matadors to 157 yards rushing, but most of that came on two touchdowns from Ray Bell, a 45-yarder in the first quarter and a 40-yard run in the second quarter.

“At first we were having a little trouble with our five down (defensive) linemen, but our coach fixed it later onthe game and we just dominated on defense,” said nose tackle Derrick Bojorquez.

He had four tackles for loss and a couple of other stops for no gain. He gave Bolsa Grande some different looks, playing at times over the center like a traditional nose tackle and at other times like an inside linebacker.

“We knew they were going to come hard, but we had a plan for them and we worked it,” Bojorquez said.

Nguyen threw for 154 yards, but a third of that came on a 56-yard TD pass to Jacob Ortiz in the fourth quarter to keep the Matadors within 10 points.

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Orange County Register

USC football makes a statement in routing Rutgers

October 26, 2024

LOS ANGELES — As World Series shockwaves that spread from Chavez Ravine slowly settled in the second quarter, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam five miles north setting off a thinned-out crowd at the Coliseum, USC’s Kyle Ford turned upfield on a crossing route and delivered his own dash of Los Angeles magic.

Six months earlier, the senior receiver – traitorous for a season, playing a year for UCLA after beginning his career as a Trojan – announced his return to USC with a simple proclamation: “My fault I was trippin.” His return east, though, had largely come up empty for seven games. But when opportunity struck Friday night against Rutgers, Ford seized it and didn’t trip, nabbing a pass from quarterback Miller Moss and breaking free in open turf.

Rutgers defensive back Bo Mascoe approached. Ford extended his right arm at his facemask. Mascoe went sprawling, and Ford kept churning, and flew skyward into the end zone a few steps later over another Rutgers defender. Two broken tackles. Touchdown.

Ten minutes remained in the second quarter. And it was, still, the hardest USC’s offense had to work all night.

The Trojans bludgeoned Rutgers from end to end Friday night, turning swaths of open turf into another victory for the West Coast on a momentous sports night for Los Angeles, downing the Scarlet Knights 42-20 at the Coliseum.

Steady-as-ever bellcow back Woody Marks provided the first punch, scoring three first-quarter touchdowns. Moss threw a constant flurry of jabs from kickoff to buzzer, finishing 20 of 28 for 308 yards. And sophomore receiver Makai Lemon provided the knockout, with 70-yard and 40-yard third-quarter catch-and-runs on the same crossing routes that confounded Rutgers all night long.

These Trojans returned home the Friday night of a short week, wounded physically and in ego after a handful of debilitating cross-country trips. Head coach Lincoln Riley, accepting blame with nowhere else to put it, needed a shining moment as a play-caller. Moss, calling Monday for critics to “keep that same energy,” needed a mistake-free night. And the program, most of all, needed to finish a football game, bungling away four close games into a 3-4 record.

“We’ve had some opportunities to separate in some games, and we haven’t,” Riley said Monday.

They separated Friday, as Ford separated from that second-quarter tackle. Separated, as Los Alamitos High product Lemon separated in the second half, finishing with 256 all-purpose yards in a true breakout of a catch-and-go day.

The hardest these Trojans had to strain ultimately came at the hands of defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, put in a highly unenviable position with a rash of injuries. Safety Kamari Ramsey, cornerbacks Jaylin Smith and Jacobe Covington, and nickel Greedy Vance Jr. all were scratched Friday, leaving USC down four erstwhile starters — and soon five, as defensive tackle Nate Clifton exited in the first quarter on an already-thin defensive line.

In the second quarter, after Ford’s get-off-me touchdown put USC up 21-3, Lynn threw a heavy dosage of soft coverage at the Scarlet Knights. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis entered Friday’s matchup commandeering one of the poorer passing attacks in the FBS, hauling in a 53% completion rate. But chunk-yardage cushions gave him sudden comfort, and Kaliakmanis marched Rutgers down the field on a pair of 22- and-15-yard completions before the Scarlet Knights’ Antwan Raymond punched it in to cut USC’s lead to two scores.

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And like so many other scripts before in this confounding 2024 season, USC came out of the second-half gates flat. Kaliakmanis, after missing a couple deep shots in the first half, hit on a 45-yard bomb to Dymere Miller and then a 25-yard touchdown strike to Christian Dremel. Suddenly, after a nifty two-point conversion, Rutgers had cut USC’s lead to a score, and another game dangled in the balance.

But Riley brought USC immediately back, throwing another crossing-route concept at Rutgers on a subsequent play, as Lemon freewheeled to a 70-yard catch-and-run. Moss, after weeks of calls for his job, finished the drive with a touchdown keeper and finished another with a 40-yard touchdown catch-and-run to Lemon.

And USC, finally, found Big Ten closure.

Orange County Register

Laguna Beach football makes stunning comeback to beat Dana Hills

October 26, 2024

LAGUNA BEACH — You could see it on the field in the moments before halftime. The Laguna Beach football team was done. Toast. Finished. Their malaise was evident and clear to the homecoming crowd that gathered to watch them play for a piece of first place in the Foxtrot League.

A wide-open pass was dropped. Quarterback Jackson Kollock was sacked on consecutive plays. The Breakers had no answer to the Dana Hills score and momentum that gave the Dolphins a seven-point lead with a few minutes left in the first half.

Ah, but that’s why they play the second half.

The Breakers are the new poster boys for “bouncing back.” They shook off their first half malaise and scored on Kollock’s 11-yard pass to the backup slot, Jack Hooper, with 20 seconds remaining to score a 35-32 victory over the Dolphins.

Kollock finished 12 of 20 for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for a score.

On the other sideline, Dana Hills quarterback Vanden Dugger had a night. He completed 21 of 32 for 251 yards, four touchdowns, and a first-half interception at the 16-yard line. His favorite receiver, James Leicester, caught five passes for 122 yards and a TD.

Both teams are defending league champions. Laguna Beach earned a share of first place with the win over the previously unbeaten Dolphins (8-1 overall, 3-1 in league).

The Breakers (8-1 overall, 3-1 in league) close out league play next week at home against Orange while Dana Hills will play host to Northwood, hoping for the same kind of bounce-back that the Breakers showed.

And we mean bounce back. Laguna Beach lost last week to Aliso Niguel, 34-14, and looked like it was still showing the effects from that drubbing in the first half. But it showed what kind of medicine a good second half can provide to a team that’s struggling.

“This means a ton, to overcome the injuries and the adversity this team has faced,” said John Shanahan, who in his ninth season as Laguna Beach’s coach, which includes a Southern Section title and three consecutive league championships. “We’ve got some important victories in late October and November, but this victory ranks way up there.”

And for good reason. The grit his team showed was remarkable. They looked like the wind had gone completely out of their sails at halftime. You could see it from the stands, you could see it on the sidelines. “It sure looked that way,” Shanahan said.

But in the locker room, Minnesota-bound Kollock said his team was just getting warmed up. “The first half we didn’t play to our full potential, but there wasn’t a point where I felt we were out of it,” said Kollock, who tweaked his ankle on the final drive. “We knew we had to execute and do our job.”

And did they ever. Their only offense in the first half was an 82-yard kickoff return by Charlie Hunt. Other than that, the Breakers were outgained 158-44 and Dana Hills ran 31 plays to Laguna’s 18. But halftime gave them a second wind.

Trailing 14-7 at the break, the defense got a stop on the opening possession and good field position at the Laguna 45. Kollock rifled a 22-yard scoring pass to sophomore Brady Stringham, who made a nice sliding catch across the goal line to tie the score at 14-14.

A three-and-out gave Laguna possession at the Dana Hills 46, and Kollock immediately hit Hooper for a scoring pass behind the Dolphins secondary to go ahead on the deep ball, 21-14.

Dana Hills pulled to 21-20 on Radley Geiss’s 1-yard run, though the key play was a controversial roughing the quarterback on third-and-15 to keep the 89-yard drive alive. But the point-after was blocked by Hooper to protect a 21-20 Laguna lead.

Dana Hills recovered the onside kick with Cameron Weaver catching the ball in stride. Dugger got most of the 47 yards on the first play, a 46-yard completion too Leicester. Laguna stuffed the run twice before Dugger hit Chuck Eckl for a 1-yard score. The 2-point conversion was intercepted by Stringham but Dana Hills led, 26-21, with 7:58 left in the game.

Seven plays later, Kollock ran into the end zone from 3 yards. The 2-point conversion failed but now Laguna had a 27-26 lead with 6:30 remaining.

Dana answered in resounding fashion. Dugger connected on three consecutive passes, of 20, 26, and 29 yards – the last to Leicester to go up, 32-27, following the failed 2-point attempt with 5:26 left in the game.

That set the stage for the game-winning drive, 69 yards in 11 plays as the Breakers moved the ball downfield and and the clock inside the minute mark. On fourth-and-4 from the 11, Kollock passed to Hooper on the right sideline, who broke a tackle at the 5 and scored with 20 seconds remaining. A pass to Hooper was good on the conversion to make it 35-32.

“I thought we could get a stop,” said Dana Hills coach Tony Henney. “We didnt convert the 2-point conversions, we had a kick blocked. … Field position hurt us, but we had our chances.

“They’re a great football team. They are who they are, and they’re very good at it.”

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Strong all-around effort carries Orange Lutheran football to victory over Servite

Fryer: Mater Dei’s fast, physical defense a difference-maker in win over St. John Bosco

Mission Viejo football stays motivated, rolls to win over Edison

High school football: Early scores list from Friday’s games

Orange County Register

Strong all-around effort carries Orange Lutheran football to victory over Servite

October 26, 2024

COSTA MESA — Orange Lutheran came in well prepared for its Trinity League football showdown against Servite on Friday at Orange Coast College.

Orange Lutheran never stopped applying pressure on defense and quarterback T.J. Lateef led the offense with three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown as the Lancers went on to a 38-0 victory over the Friars.

The Lancers (7-2, 3-1), who are ranked No. 3 in the county, take on first-place Mater Dei (8-0, 4-0) in the final regular-season game on Friday, Nov. 1.

After the Monarchs’ 59-14 victory over St. John Bosco on Friday, the Lancers are in a tie for second place with the Braves (8-1, 3-1).

Orange Lutheran coach Rod Sherman said the victory was the Lancers’ “most complete game of the season.”

“We’re excited to go play Mater Dei next week,” Sherman said. “We know they’re an unbelievable football team. We’ve played a lot of Top 20 teams in the country and we feel like we’re a Top 20 team in the country. We’re going to be ready to go next week.”

Mater Dei and the Braves are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, respectively.

The Friars (6-3, 1-3), who are ranked No. 4 in the county, play No. 6 Santa Margarita (3-6, 0-4) next week.

“I thought our defense was physical at every level,” Sherman said. “We really got after the pocket and won at the line of scrimmage defensively. Those guys played really, really hard.”

The Lancers forced the Friars into third-and-long situations in all five of the Friars’ drives in the first half.

Those drives resulted in a punt, a stop on fourth down followed by three more punts.

On one first-half drive, the Friars had a first-and-10 on the Lancers 17.

The Lancers allowed a yard on first down, forced consecutive incompletions in the end zone and then stopped the Friars on fourth down.

Orange Lutheran took over and drove 91 yards, capping the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Lateef to Chris Flores, to give the Lances a 7-0 lead.

After a Servite punt in the second quarter, the Lancers took over on their 11 with one minute, 47 seconds left.

The Lancers executed a textbook two-minute drill, exhibiting excellent clock management, driving 89 yards in 12 plays.

Lateef capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Ia, giving the Lancers a 14-0 lead at the half.

With Orange Lutheran leading 17-0 early in the third quarter, the Friars gambled and went for it on fourth-and-3 from their 38.

Linebacker Talanoa Ili tackled Quad Carr for an 8-yard loss and the Lancers took advantage of the short field when Lateef hit Nico Bland for an 11-yard touchdown, upping the lead to 24-0.

The game was played with a running clock for most of the fourth quarter.

“I believe that we have a very skilled defense and that our game plan was just to rally to the ball and just stop the run,” side defensive lineman Jireh Moe, one of the Lancers’ anchors on defense. “We stop the run first, then once we stop the run it was smooth sailing.”

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