Live blog: St. Bonaventure advances to finals with 35-8 victory

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Devon Blackledge rushed 18 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns and Logan Meyer completed 11 of 16 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown as top-seeded St. Bonaventure proved why it is ranked among the top teams in the state with a 35-8 victory over Saugus in Friday night’s Northern Division semifinal game at Ventura High.

The Seraphs (12-1) advance to next week’s final against the winner of Saturday’s semifinal game between Valencia and second-seeded Moorpark.

Saugus (9-4) averted the shutout with an 11-play, 73-yard drive capped by Ryan Zirbel’s 9-yard touchdown with 1:09 left. Zirbel then threw to Mario Lara for a two-point conversion, but that was all the points the Centurions could muster.

Zirbel rushed for 74 yards in nine carries. Saugus quarterback Desi Rodriguez rushed for 55 yards in 19 carries and completed 13 of 25 passes for 129 yards with one interception.

Blackledge scored on a 34-yard run to give defending champion St. Bonaventure a 35-0 lead with 4:54 remaining.

-- Steve Galluzzo