McInally triumphs in OC All-Star Football Game again

Pat McInally can say he won the Orange County High School All-Star Football Game as a player and as a head coach.

Forty-six years after winning the game with the North, McInally led the South to a 28-6 victory in the 58th edition of the game at Orange Coast College on Friday.

At 64, McInally said he enjoyed being a part of the annual summer game for graduating seniors as much as he did when he was 18 years old. He was representing Villa Park back then, and this time as Brethren Christian’s coach.

“Way more nervous today,” McInally said, “but we were ready.”

As was the case when McInally played in the OC All-Star Game in 1971, his team only allowed six points.

Plenty of locals contributed to the dominating defensive effort, but none as much as Fountain Valley’s Angel Hernandez. He blocked a field-goal try and a punt, both leading to South touchdowns.

The outside linebacker also stuffed three plays behind the line of scrimmage and broke up a pass. For his overall performance, Hernandez earned the Defensive Player of the Game award, and it meant a lot to him after he endured a 1-9 season with the Barons in 2016.

“It was an honor and it was a blessing to be out here,” said Hernandez, who will continue his playing career at NCAA Division II Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma. “To have this opportunity to play in front of my family and represent Fountain Valley is amazing.”

Hernandez said he had 27 family members come out to support him one last time in Orange County. And they made noise late in the quarter, as they chanted “MVP! MVP!” after Hernandez blocked a punt.

The South took over on its 46, and on first down, it jumped to a 21-0 lead. Tesoro’s Shane Coleman caught a 54-yard touchdown, the longest on the night for the San Diego State-bound tight end.

Coleman set the OC All-Star Game record for touchdown receptions with three when Brethren Christian quarterback Joey Gutierrez lobbed a three-yard pass to him in the end zone. The score was Coleman’s second from three yards out, and he finished with six receptions for 106 yards and the Offensive Player of the Game award.

Gutierrez completed seven of seven passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns, the first to Brethren Christian receiver Nathan Sagastume. Seeing his two players hook up for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter was special to McInally, especially after how Brethren Christian’s season was cut short in 2016.

“A lot better than what happened,” said McInally, referring to Brethren Christian, a freelance team, not qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Division 10 playoffs, despite having a 9-1 record, because the 16-team bracket did not have room for an at-large entry.

McInally was able to coach four of his Warriors one last time. At the end, McInally saw Gutierrez, Sagastume, outside linebacker Dante Sanchez and receiver Jason Fuga go out on top.

Other locals on the South who played well were Corona del Mar defensive end Bryce Clabaugh, who recorded two sacks, Edison defensive end Kenny Carmichael, who teamed up on a sack, and Newport Harbor linebacker Gage Roberson, who had a couple of tackles for losses.

The player who got things going for the South was Hernandez.

Hernandez blocked a 45-yard field-goal attempt midway through the first quarter. The South wound up with the ball near midfield after a four-yard return and a 15-yard penalty on the North.

The play on special teams by Hernandez allowed the South to strike first. A couple of big plays got the South inside the five, after Newport Harbor offensive lineman Mike Jarboe opened up a hole on the left side for Tesoro running back Graeden Sharpe to gain 16 yards.

The South took the lead a play later. Saddleback Valley Christian quarterback Cade Henjum threw to the left to Coleman, who caught the three-yard touchdown pass with ease.

The next three possessions saw the North turn the ball over on downs, then it was the South’s turn, and again the North. A couple of local players, Clabaugh and Roberson came up with tackles for losses on third down. Clabaugh recorded a 12-yard sack and Roberson stuffed a run for a two-yard loss.

The second turnover on downs by the North resulted in a South touchdown. This time a different quarterback engineered the scoring drive.

Gutierrez ran for 16 yards, and then he completed five of five passes for 51 yards. The South covered 70 yards in eight plays, capping it with a Gutierrez to Sagastume touchdown. With about 3½ minutes to go in the first half, the South went ahead 14-0.

“It meant the world [to play], especially when I heard that the game was canceled [in April],” said Gutierrez, who found out in May that Costa Mesa United, a nonprofit group, saved the OC All-Star Game after the Brea Lions Club had canceled it because it was unable to secure a venue, a date and a major sponsor. “I was heartbroken because my high school [didn’t make] the playoffs because we weren’t in a league. I was … in bed one day and I was watching TV, and I got like an email saying, ‘Urgent news. The game is back.’ I was so stoked. I called my parents and I called all my friends and told them, ‘The game is back.’”

The return of the game also gave McInally a chance to win another OC All-Star Game.

When McInally played in the game, he was a receiver and kicker. As for his contributions as a player in the North’s 14-6 win in 1971, McInally said he remembers them well.

“A couple of PATs,” McInally said he converted, adding that he was known as “P-A-T McInally.”

david.carrillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByDCP