Boone’s Catches Provide Spark, Villa Park Defeats Saddleback

All around Aaron Boone there was chaos.

Fumbles, interceptions, penalties, missed blocks, dropped passes, botched extra points. It was all there in Villa Park High School’s 17-13 victory over Saddleback Thursday at El Modena High.

Victory? Well, Villa Park persevered for its second victory in four games, anyway.

While teammates and opposition alike floundered in mediocrity, Boone, a senior wide receiver, was a steadying force for Villa Park. His seven pass receptions for 140 yards gave a sloppy game consistency.

He did not catch a touchdown pass, but a 42-yard gain set up the game-winning touchdown, an 11-yard scramble by quarterback Jason Martian with 11:37 left in the game.

“I’m happy,” said Boone, son of major league catcher Bob Boone. “It’s just exciting. I was getting a lot of passes. I just tried to hang on to them.”

Boone came into the game with eight catches in three games. With little else working for Villa Park, the Spartans looked to Boone for help. He wound up standing out like a sore thumb. Martian threw seven passes Boone’s way and he caught them all.

Martian was not always so successful.

Three of his first nine passes were intercepted. He finished a respectable eight-for-15 for 157 yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns. But he did run for two touchdowns--a 15-yard quarterback draw in the first quarter and the 11-yard improvisation in the fourth.

In between, Joe Hernandez kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Saddleback stayed close despite two interceptions by quarterback Paul Delgado and just 85 yards rushing.

The Roadrunners (2-2) took a 13-10 lead in the third quarter. Trailing, 10-7, at halftime, Saddleback scored on Delgado’s five-yard touchdown run.

Following Martian’s go-ahead touchdown, Saddleback drove to the Villa Park three-yard line. But Delgado, trying to pass on first and goal, was hit from behind by Dan Davis, fumbling the ball to Mike Fulton.

Fulton had clear sailing for what would have been a 90-yard touchdown, but he took the safe route, flopping on the ball at the 14.

It was as close as Saddleback would come to scoring the rest of the way.

“I’m happy with a win; we needed it right now, “ said Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney, who defeated his old Anaheim High teammate Jerry Witte. “It was like Coach Witte said, we both tried to give the ballgame away. We were lucky to get a win.”