Ocean View Clinches Spot in Playoffs for First Time

Ocean View High School, long the doormat of the Sunset League, finds itself in an unfamiliar position after Friday night’s 21-7 victory over Huntington Beach.

First place.

The victory assures the Seahawks of a playoff berth for the first time in the school’s history. And now they can aim even higher.

Ocean View (6-2 overall, 3-0 in league play) needs only to win its final two games to win its first league championship. The Seahawks play Edison next week and then finish the regular season against Westminster.

“I don’t really want to talk about a league championship right now,” Ocean View Coach Howard Isom said. “We still have two games left and we have to play them one at a time.”

It was a night of cliches for the Seahawks. They overcame a 7-6 halftime deficit by doing well in three areas coaches like to talk about: defense, field position and turnovers.

Huntington Beach (6-2, 2-1), which gained 132 yards rushing in the first half, was held to only one yard on the ground in the second half. And, with the Oilers forced to throw, Seahawk linebacker Greg Johnston had a field day.

Johnston, who is 5-foot-8, deflected four passes at the line of scrimmage and had one sack. He even intercepted one of his own deflections, returning it 15 yards to the Oiler seven-yard line to set up the Seahawks’ final touchdown.

“I felt the ball and turned to see where it went,” Johnston said. “It fell right into my hands. A little guy like me is lucky to get one pass deflection, but four . . . “

Huntington Beach did not move into Ocean View territory in the second half until a final and desperate drive in the the last two minutes of the game.

The Seahawks, on the other hand, scored 15 points in the third quarter, but had to drive no further than 39 yards. A third Ocean View drive began on the 37, but ended when Shawn Rogers missed a 28-yard field.

Randy Karliner, who threw a touchdown pass in the first half, gave the Seahawks the lead early in the third quarter with a 32-yard touchdown run.

After Johnston’s interception, Albert Fagona scored on a seven-yard run. Karliner ran for a two-point conversion to give Ocean View a 21-7 lead.

Huntington Beach tried to get back into the game by passing. However, even when quarterback Jeff Gibson was able to a pass past Johnston’s outstretched hands, it usually turned into disaster.

The Seahawks made four interceptions, two by Andrew Wind.

The only offense the Oilers could manage was provided by fullback Doug Cunningham, who had 93 yards and one touchdown in 17 carries and caught five passes for 85 yards.