Santa Ana Valley Fumble Gives Villa Park Game, Playoff Berth

Villa Park High School’s football playbook is full of all kinds of offensive and defensive schemes, but the Spartans’ win over Santa Ana Valley Friday night wasn’t by design.

Brad Creagan scored the winning touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone and intercepted a pass with 21 seconds remaining to give Villa Park a 24-21 victory over Santa Ana Valley in a Century League game at Santa Ana Stadium.

The victory guaranteed a playoff berth for the Spartans (6-3, 3-1 in league). With Villa Park protecting a three-point lead, Creagan intercepted a Gary Graves pass that was intended for Mike Castleberry at the Villa Park two-yard line.

“We put Creagan on Castleberry in the second half,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said. “Our defensive coaches came up with that one at halftime. It wasn’t in our original game plan.

“Creagan hustled. He was in the right spot.”

Creagan was in the perfect spot with 9 minutes 19 seconds left in the game. This time, it was by accident.

Villa Park running back Ellis Williams broke loose on a 68-yard run, but fumbled the ball at the Santa Ana Valley seven. Creagan dove on the ball as it bounced into the end zone.

Creagan’s touchdown was the only score in the second half, following an offensive show by both teams in the first half.

Santa Ana Valley (4-3-2, 1-2-1) opened the scoring with a six-yard touchdown run by James Barclay with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Barclay finished with 165 yards in 13 carries.

Villa Park tied it, 7-7, on Jason Martian’s 34-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Aaron Boone with 40 seconds left in the first quarter.

Santa Ana Valley took the lead again on Fono Lutui’s two-yard touchdown run with 6:46 left in the second quarter.

Two plays after the kickoff, Boone was in the end zone again, catching a 78-yard touchdown pass from Martian. Castleberry blocked Joe Hernandez’s extra-point attempt to preserve the lead.

Fullback Lloyd Ape scampered in from five yards out with 4:12 left in the second quarter to push Santa Ana Valley’s lead to 21-13.