ORANGE COUNTY SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Central Conference : Saddleback Receives Its Spark

There’s nothing like an 89-yard interception return to change the complexion of a football game.

That’s just the spark that Saddleback High School defensive back Nate Primous provided with his team trailing, 6-0, midway through the first quarter in the Roadrunners’ opening-round game of the Southern Section Central Conference playoffs against Norwalk.

Primous’ interception was the first of four for the Roadrunners as they shook off a poor start and rolled to a 49-18 victory Saturday night in front of 1,800 in Santa Ana Stadium.

Norwalk, the third-place team in the Suburban League, surprised Saddleback by scoring a touchdown on its first possession and appeared to be headed for another score with a first down at the Roadrunners’ six-yard line.

But Primous intercepted Norwalk quarterback Mike Troncoso’s pass a yard deep in his end zone and returned it 89 yards to the Norwalk 12-yard line. The Roadrunners scored on the next play and kept scoring until they had built a 49-12 lead in the third quarter.

Saddleback (10-1) scored four touchdowns in the second quarter and added three more in the third. The Roadrunners will meet Sunny Hills, also 10-1, in the second round at a site to be determined by a coin flip this morning in the Southern Section office at Cerritos.

“We were really lethargic at the outset,” said Jerry Witte, Saddleback coach. “I hate Saturday games. The kids had all day to think about how good they were, and you saw what happened.”

But Witte was more than pleased with quarterback Sean Therien’s return to the starting lineup. Therien suffered a broken collarbone four weeks ago against University and received doctor’s clearance Tuesday to participate.

The junior didn’t start, but relieved Hector Santa Cruz late in the first quarter and completed 8 of 10 passes for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns before retiring early in the fourth quarter.

Therien threw touchdown passes of 23, 22 and 2 yards and looked sharp in his return. Witte said the Roadrunners are a different team with Therien in the lineup.

“Hector did a good job the past three weeks at quarterback, but we weren’t the same without Sean,” Witte said. “It wasn’t a bad break and Sean has been throwing in practice for two weeks.”

Santa Cruz’ presence was felt in the defensive secondary, where he intercepted two passes, including one that he returned 32 yards for a touchdown. He also intercepted a two-point conversion attempt.

SADDLEBACK 49, NORWALK 18 N--Grider 7 pass from Troncoso (kick blocked)

S--H. Thurmond 12 run (Zavala kick)

S--Ontiveros 23 pass from Therien (Zavala kick)

S--Primous 1 run (Zavala kick)

N--Troncoso 6 run (pass failed)

S--Primous 22 pass from Therien (Zavala kick)

S--Santa Cruz 32 interception return (Zavala kick)

S--Santa Cruz 2 pass from Therien (Zavala kick)

S--Winn 13 run (Zavala kick)

N--Cardenas 34 pass from Najera (pass failed)

Attendance--1,800