Orange Glen Rallies, Upends Helix

The odds were against Orange Glen High School going into Friday night’s game at Helix High School.

Orange Glen was facing the county’s No. 1-ranked defense and the No. 3-ranked offense.

Helix had given up only 23 points all season and had lost just once--to highly regarded Point Loma.

Orange Glen wasn’t supposed to defeat Helix, 15-14, in the quarterfinal of the San Diego Section football playoffs. But Noel Toloumu’s winning touchdown with 28 seconds remaining kept alive what has become a three-year Orange Glen tradition:

The Patriots had defeated the Highlanders in the playoffs the past two years.

“We knew they were supposedly the best defense,” Orange Glen receiver Brian Kooiman said. “But they had almost everybody back from last year. We were pretty confident going in. We knew we could beat them.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, when Orange Glen scored its two touchdowns that the Patriots took control of the game.

Toloumu scored on a one-yard run to give Orange Glen (8-4) the victory. Orange Glen had driven the ball to the six-yard line and faced a fourth-and-five when Helix was called for offsides. The ball was moved half the distance, to the three.

Joaquin Randal carried 2 1/2 yards, missing a touchdown by a foot. Toloumu scored on the next play.

“The best team won tonight,” Orange Glen Coach Rob Gilster said. “I believe we were the best team.”

Randy Boozer put Orange Glen within striking distance, hauling in a 71-yard touchdown pass from Omar Navarro on the Patriots’ first possession of the fourth quarter.

Led by Navarro, who completed 22 of 44 passes for 254 yards, Orange Glen drove steadily throughout the game, but was continually stopped by the Highlanders defense.

“At halftime coach told us we were stopping ourselves in the first half,” Kooiman said. “We got a few things straight, and we finally got it together.”

Helix scored in its first possession of the game. Andreal Crimon scored on a eight-yard pass from Greg Wilbur. In the second quarter, Chris Baker scored on a 14-yard pass from Wilbur. They also connected on a two-point conversion to lead 14-3 at the half.