Breakers Hold Off Vikings 21-18, 63rd Homecoming This Friday

Football (5-1)

Laguna surprised Marina and their homecoming crowd last Friday night at Boswell Field at Westminster High School holding on for a 21-18 victory. Breakers squandered early opportunities then held off the Viking comeback helped by three big defensive plays in the second half.

First Quarter:

Breakers used a lot of the first period in a 16-play drive that ended on the Marine four-yard line when Andrew Johnson and Shane Lythgoe missed on an exchange allowing the fumble to end the drive. Marina was held to three plays and a punt before Laguna drove 36 yards in five plays for their first score. Noah Handel was perfect on the point after. Marina’s next possession was short and the Breakers received the punt to open the second quarter.

Second Quarter:
Six plays and less than two minutes into the second quarter it was 14-0 as another Andrew Johnson to Sean Nolan pass play completed the first half scoring. Marina would have the ball twice after this and Laguna once, all three ending in punts.

Third Quarter:

Breakers kicked off and Marina used two big pass plays enroute to their eight-play drive to score. Their kick missed and Laguna led 14-6. Breakers missed on three pass play incompletes punting back to the momentum-fueled Vikings. Laguna’s defense stiffened, and Marina was forced to punt from their 42. Shane Lythgoe rushed the punter for a perfect block with Jake Harper picking up the ball for an additional 10-yard return. One-play one-pass, and it was 21-6 Laguna.

Marina didn’t fold and put together an 80-yard drive for a score, but their quarterback slipped just shy of the end zone on a two-point conversion run. Marina’s final drive of the quarter made it to the Laguna 26 but a bad pass to the end zone was intercepted by Jack Pigott for a touchback.

Fourth Quarter:

Breakers drove to the Marina 7 but another fumble stopped the drive. Marina came back to march 35 yards but Sean Nolan snagged a pass attempt to stop the drive. By the time Marina’s final drive worked there wasn’t any time remaining. Breakers had five key sacks in the final period to help stop the Viking momentum.

Up This Week:

The Breakers’ 63rd homecoming game is this Friday, Oct. 5, at Guyer Field against D12 rival Rio Hando Prep, a private Christian school from Arcadia. The Kares are 4-1 losing narrowly to Big Bear 17-13 last week. The Breakers’ only loss was to the Bears 29-26 on Aug. 31. Laguna is 23-38-1 in Laguna homecoming games and is currently on a two-game homecoming win streak.

The last home game is Friday, Oct. 19, as the Breakers will host Ocean View (6-0) to attempt to secure a playoff spot.

SSCIF Division 12 Poll for Oct. 1: 1 – Linfield Christian 2 – Bellflower, 3 – Tahquitz, 4 – Laguna Beach, 5 – Ramona/Riverside, 6 – Rio Hondo Prep, 7 – Northwood, 8 – Santa Clarita Christian, 9 – Glenn, 10 – Rowland

2018 Season Game 6 @ Marina Statistics

L – Nolan 6 pass from Johnson (Handel kick) 1:32 1^stQ

L – Nolan 21 pass from Johnson (Handel kick) 10:04 2^ndQ

M – 9 pass (kick failed) 9:10 3^rdQ

L – Nolan 21 pass from Johnson (Handel kick) 6:13 3^rdQ

M – 6 pass (run failed) 3:26 3^rdQ

M – 37 pass (pass failed) 0:13 4^thQ

Rushing: Lythgoe 13-54, Johnson 6-(28), Harper 1-(2), Nolan 2-18, Team 2-(2)

Receiving:Villalobos 3-28, Nolan 6-136, Diver 1-7, Ball 3-35, Lythgoe 2-16, Crawford 1-8

Passing: Johnson 24-16-0 230 yards 3 TDS 188.4 rating YTD= 144.0

Interception Returns: Pigott 1-0, Nolan 1-0

Punt Returns: Nolan 2-5, Lythgoe 1-10, Harper 0-11

Kick Off Returns: Nolan 1-4

Punts: Nolan 4-173 yards 43.3 average

Kick Offs: Handel 4, 3 touchbacks; Pass defense rating [NCAA formula]: 158.1, YTD = 110.0

Milestones: Andrew Johnson is tied for 5^thfor season TD passes at 19 – Record is 26

Sean Nolan has 10 receiving TDs tied for 4^th– record is 19