PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS / CENTRAL CONFERENCE : Bolsa Grande Finally Gets Untracked, Tramples Glenn, 42-20

The measure of how good Bolsa Grande High School is may lie in the fact that it played a game ranging from mediocre to poor Friday night and still beat Glenn, 42-20, in a first-round Central Conference playoff game in Bolsa Grande Stadium.

The Matadors (11-0) seemed well aware that they were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in Orange County, since their play in the first quarter was flat, bordering on paper thin.

On the first play from scrimmage Glenn quarterback Tracy Maziek completed a 76-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Charlie Angel, who had sneaked behind the Bolsa Grande secondary.

Ricky Lepule fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Glenn was in possession at the Bolsa Grande 13. When the Glenn drive stalled, John Game kicked a 26-yard field goal to put Glenn ahead, 10-0, with 9:05 left in the first quarter.

The next time the Bolsa Grande offense got on the field, it drove 36 yards only to give back the ball when it couldn’t convert a fourth and two.

This is the same offense that had produced two backs, Travin Lui and Ricky Lepule, who rushed for more than a 1,000 yards, and a third, quarterback Damon Fisher, who had gained 972 yards.

“We just didn’t look very good,” said Greg Shadid, Bolsa Grande coach.

That is until Lui took a handoff late in the first quarter and ran 66 yards for a touchdown.

Lui, who gained 139 yards in 13 carries, scored again with 10 minutes left in the half, capping a 32-yard drive that was set up by a Glenn fumble.

The score put Bolsa Grande ahead, 14-10, and gave most people the impression that Glenn had played a nice quarter of football but was now about to be trampled.

Except that Glenn marched down the field and scored on Game’s 27-yard field goal to pull to 14-13.

Bolsa Grande answered with Lepule, who broke away on a 87-yard run touchdown that saw him break three tackles and literally drag a free safety 10 yards. Lepule rushed for 216 yards in 16 carries.

Bolsa Grande appeared to put the game away again , when Jim Usey recovered teammate Lui’s fumble in the end zone to put the Matadors ahead, 28-13.

But Glenn running back Kenefi Teo turned a screen pass into an 86-yard touchdown pass play and Glenn pulled to 28-20. Teo rushed for 116 yards in 20 carries.

Bolsa Grande finally put the game away in the fourth quarter with Lepule and Lui each scoring touchdowns.

Fisher rushed for 59 yards, improving his season total to 1,031 and giving the Matadors three running backs who have rushed for more than 1,000 yards, the first time that’s been accomplished in Orange County.

Bolsa Grande will play Saddleback in the second round.