Football (1-3)
Laguna’s post season opportunity may have been lost when Laguna allowed Orange to rally past the Breakers in a contest played Friday, Sept. 15, at Guyer Field.
Photo by Kim Blaser
Only 16 teams of the 46 schools in Division 12 will participate in the playoffs. If Laguna wins the Orange Coast League, the team still could find themselves out if more than 16 Division 12 teams win their conference.
Against the Division 13, top-ranked Panthers, Laguna held Orange on the opening drive and were driving for the initial score when the visitors took a deep pass 84 yards for an interception return and then ran for a two point conversion.
Laguna was forced to punt on their next try with the ball, but held Orange on downs to get the ball back with 2 ½ minutes remaining in the initial quarter. One play with a great pass to Sean Nolan put the Breakers on the scoreboard. Laguna then added the go-ahead touchdown on a 39-yard run by Curtis Harrison on the final play of the quarter. Breakers squandered a couple of opportunities before the intermission but added their third score after Adam Armstrong picked off a pass returning it to the midfield in the closing minute. Harrison hit Armstrong for 11 yards and then tossed a “Hail-Mary” to the end zone that Sean Nolan brought down for a score as time expired at the half.
In the third quarter, Breakers had one solid drive of nine plays; 32 yards that at one point was on the Panther 15 but ended on downs and no points to show for it. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a clear Panther fumble on a pass play was ruled against Laguna that if “further review” prevailed at the high school game could have been a game changer deep in Panther territory. None of Laguna’s four possessions went anywhere and the visitors took advantage of some poor Laguna tackling for the tying score and then sealed the win on a bomb with just over a minute remaining.
Up this Friday is Division 7, fifth-ranked St. Margaret’s. The Tartans are tough, but not as good as last year when they rolled Laguna 38-0. Breakers will be off the following weekend and open league play on Friday, Oct. 6 with league favorite Godinez at 7 p.m. at the new stadium at Santa Ana Valley HS. You can listen to the contest live at www.kx935.com.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||
| Orange | 8 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 26 |
| Laguna Beach | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
O – 94 Interception return (run) 7:44 1st Q
L – Nolan 58 pass from Harrison (Handel kick) 2:20 1st
L – Harrison 39 run (kick wide) 0:41 1st
L – Nolan 33 pass from Harrison (kick failed) 0:00 2nd Q
O – 23 FG 5:34 3rd Q
O – 2 run (run) 9:30 4th Q
O – 40 pass (kick) 1:06 4th Q
| LB | O | |
| 1st Downs | 13 | 17 |
| Rush/Yds | 30-96 | 38-196 |
| Pass Yds | 202 | 164 |
| C-A-I | 12-31-3 | 12-31-3 |
| Plays/TYG | 61-298 | 69-360 |
| Fumbles/Lost | 1-1 | 3-0 |
| Return Yds | 32 | 84 |
| Punts/Ave | 5-35.2 | 5-28.0 |
| Penalties/Yds | 7-50 | 8-65 |
| TOP: | 22:20 | 25:40 |
Rushing: Harrison 23-83, Lythgoe 4-8, Castillo 2-13, Johnson 1-(8)
Receiving: Armstrong 2-14, Nolan 5-120 2 TD, Castillo 1-0, Konkle 1-25, Ball 1-26, Lythgoe 2-18
Passing: Harrison 31-12-3 202, 2 TDs 95.4 rating
Interception Returns – Armstrong 1-28, Nolan 1-0, Ball 1-0 Punt Returns – Nolan 1-4 ; Kick Off Returns Nolan 2-11 PUNTS Nolan 5-176 35.2. average; Kick Offs Handel 3, 2 Touchbacks
