Ocean View rallies for big road win over University

A Noah scored four rushing touchdowns for the Ocean View High football team on Thursday night, but it wasn’t the Noah you might think.

Senior running back Noah De Loera has gotten a lot of publicity for the Seahawks in the early season, and deservedly so. But this time it was junior quarterback Noah Hickman making plays with his feet and giving Ocean View some valuable momentum heading into league play.

Hickman had four rushing touchdowns as the Seahawks rallied for a 28-21 win at University in the final nonleague test before Golden West League play starts next week at Segerstrom.

Ocean View coach Luis Nunez has his team, ranked No. 7 in CIF Southern Section Division 13, believing. The program is off to a 4-1 start for the first time since 2010. And it was a gutsy win at previously unbeaten University (also 4-1), on the Trojans’ homecoming night.

“We were there last week,” Nunez said, referring to a 34-33 road loss against Katella. “I think it helped that last week we had a very similar game. Our kids were ready. It’s just a great win for our program, and I’m so proud of the kids. They bounced back after a tough loss. Golden West [League] is coming, and we know it’s going to be really tough. We’re ready.”

Thursday’s game was always within one possession. Ocean View never led until the fourth quarter, but held University scoreless for the final 19 minutes 40 seconds of the contest to get the hard-earned victory. Six-foot-four senior Nathaniel Washington made plays on both sides of the ball to help the Seahawks.

Following a four-yard University punt, Ocean View had the ball near midfield early in the fourth quarter, but penalties pushed the Seahawks back. Washington helped them somehow get out of a third-and-29 hole midway through the quarter, catching a 30-yard pass from Hickman in tight coverage at the University 40-yard line. The next play, he drew a pass-interference penalty on a flea flicker play, and the Seahawks continued marching down the field.

Five plays later, Hickman faked the handoff to De Loera running left. The right side of the end zone was wide open, and Ocean View had its first lead of 28-21 with 5:57 remaining after Adam Meyer’s fourth conversion kick of the evening.

“That’s our zone read,” Nunez said. “Both Noahs, they help each other each other out. If they key too much on De Loera, Hickman’s a good enough athlete to make you pay.”

De Loera was held out of the end zone for the first time this season, finishing with 21 carries for 80 yards. But Hickman added 12 carries for 81 yards and the four touchdowns. It was one more rushing touchdown than he had in the Seahawks’ first four games combined, and one number more than his jersey number of No. 3.

After the game, Hickman made sure to credit the Seahawks’ offensive linemen, a list that included Andrew Helmer, Nathan Castillo, Jake Reynolds, Jeffrey Herman, Luis Garcia and Dillon Grunbaum.

After Ocean View took the lead, Washington came up big on the ensuing University possession, intercepting a pass near the Trojans’ sideline at the Ocean View 45-yard line.

“We had to bounce back from last week,” said Washington, who finished with seven catches for 112 yards. “Tough game, tough opponent. [University] played a great game, but we had to capitalize on that turnover … [The ball] slipped right through [the receiver’s] hands and came right to me. It felt great. I felt on fire. I felt like I couldn’t be stopped. It felt really good.”

But a personal foul, one of 14 Ocean View penalties on the night, negated Washington’s sizable runback. Then a three-and-out meant that the Seahawks had to punt. Meyer’s punt pinned University fairly deep, as it was returned to the 18-yard line with around two minutes left.

Trojans quarterback Tristan Lucas, who had a passing and rushing touchdown, tried to bring the home team back. He got the Trojans all the way to the Ocean View 21-yard line with less than a minute left, after an 11-yard pass to Branton Lucas.

Tristan Lucas spiked the ball, but he was then sacked by Ocean View’s Alex Nieves for a two-yard loss. After a couple of incomplete passes, the Seahawks took over on downs with just 20 seconds remaining in the game.

Nunez knows that the Golden West League will be challenging this season. Last year, Ocean View finished fifth in the six-team league, ending the season with five straight losses.

“We’re 0-0 now,” Nunez said. “We’re going to enjoy tonight, and [Friday], we’re getting ready for a really good Segerstrom team.”

Ocean View…………………..0 14 7 7 — 28

University……………………0 14 7 0 — 21

SECOND QUARTER

Uni – B. Lucas 7 pass from T. Lucas (Kelley kick), 11:16.

OV – Hickman 8 run (Meyer kick), 5:56.

Uni – T. Lucas 1 run (Kelley kick), 1:30.

OV – Hickman 21 run (Meyer kick), 0:00.

THIRD QUARTER

Uni – Dolan 8 run (Kelley kick), 7:40.

OV – Hickman 1 run (Meyer kick), 0:46.

FOURTH QUARTER

OV – Hickman 5 run (Meyer kick), 5:57.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

OV – Hickman 12-81, 4 TDs; De Loera, 21-80.

Uni – Goodfriend, 9-35.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

OV – Hickman, 13-17-0, 175.

Uni – T. Lucas, 13-27-1, 141, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

OV – Washington, 7-112.

Uni – Hausam, 1-42.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo