Servite Roars Back and Defeats Marina, 24-14

Even after opening the season with a 29-12 victory over Colton last week, Servite High School football Coach Leo Hand kept telling anyone who would listen that the Friars were not a very good football team.

Right, Leo.

And the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to win the World Series this year.

Servite made believers of Marina on Saturday night. After spotting the Vikings a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the Friars roared back for 24 unanswered points on their way to a 24-14 win in front of 5,000 fans at Santa Ana Stadium.

Servite used the big play on offense--there was quarterback Tim Rosenkranz’s 79-yard touchdown pass to Nick-John Haiduc in the third quarter that gave the Friars a 17-14 lead, and there was Rosenkranz’s 37-yard completion to Jeff Fieldhouse that set up Derek Noggle’s 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter--but it was the Friars’ defense that won this game.

Servite allowed Marina 105 total yards and 14 points in the first 7 minutes of the game, but held the Vikings to 34 yards the rest of the way. The Friars, blitzing heavily in the second half, sacked Rick Vanderriet eight times for a loss of 52 yards. They also forced two turnovers on fumbles, one which led to a field goal.

“I think we’re going to be a pretty decent team after all,” Hand conceded following the game. “I’m a little surprised.”

He was shocked at the many mistakes his offense made. Five times Rosenkranz fumbled the snap from center, but he recovered each time. Rosenkranz threw three interceptions, two to Keith Laszlo, and the Friars also lost two fumbles.

But when Rosenkranz was hot, he looked great. He completed just seven passes on the night, but those went for 205 yards. The senior also rushed for a touchdown in the second period.

It looked as if Marina (1-1-1) might run away with this game at the outset, as it took the Vikings just five offensive plays to score two touchdowns.

Servite’s Sal Sirna fumbled the opening kickoff, with Marina’s Mike Cross recovering at the 24-yard line. Four plays later, Sean Magula scored on an 11-yard run and Ben Lefrancois added the extra point.

On their next possession, which began on their 19-yard line, Magula turned what appeared to be a broken play into an 81-yard touchdown run.

Magula first ran into Vanderriet while attempting to take the handoff. The quarterback finally made the exchange, at which point Magula bounced off one of his linemen, spun around, broke a tackle at the line and sprinted free of the defense for his long scoring run.

Servite had excellent field position in Marina territory four times in the first half, but the Friars came away with just one touchdown, Rosenkranz’s one-yard run with 24 seconds left in the second quarter that cut the lead to 14-7.

Servite finally capitalized in the second half, though. John Garcia recovered a fumble at the Viking 15-yard line and Pat Blottiaux, who made three extra points, kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it 14-10.

Servite took the lead when Rosenkranz, from his 21, lofted a bomb to Haiduc, who ran under the ball at the Marina 35, made the catch and continued untouched into the end zone. The Friars took advantage of a Marina penalty for their final score.

Ray Goldsboro was called for an illegal fair catch after a Friar punt, and Servite regained possession at the Viking 39. Rosenkranz hit Fieldhouse at the 2-yard line, and Noggle scored two plays later.