SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Hawthorne Eliminates Loara With Fourth-Quarter Rally

For three quarters, Loara High School’s defense dominated Hawthorne in their Southern Section Division III quarterfinal round football game Friday night.

But somebody forgot to remind the Saxons they were playing the fourth quarter too.

Hawthorne scored 17 points in the final 9:54 to rally past Loara, 17-9, at Glover Stadium.

Hawthorne (10-2) advanced to the semifinals next Saturday night against St. Paul, a 42-7 winner over Beverly Hills.

“They have a big offensive line and they wore our guys out in the second half,” Loara Coach John deFries said of Hawthorne. “But that’s the way it goes. Hawthorne played well. That’s why they’ll be playing next week.”

Hawthorne trailed, 9-0, entering the fourth quarter, but Jeff Diaz kicked a 34-yard field goal with 9:54 left to trim the deficit to 9-3.

Then Hawthorne’s running game got going.

Tailback Morrell Orris scored on a 30-yard run with 4:35 left to put the Cougars ahead, 10-9. On the next possession, Loara quarterback Charles Gipson’s fumble was recovered by John Rojas at the Loara 43.

That set up a one-yard touchdown run by Armando Fernandez that pushed the lead to 17-9 with 1:42 left in the game.

The comeback spoiled an otherwise strong defensive performance by Loara (7-5). The Saxons intercepted Hawthorne’s Jamil Williams twice and gave up only 53 yards passing. Hawthorne had only six yards total offense in the first half.

“We contained them pretty well in the first half,” deFries said. “And we moved the ball pretty well.”

The Saxons had no problems moving the ball. They just couldn’t score.

Loara led, 3-0, at halftime, but the Saxons missed two scoring opportunities in the second quarter.

Chris Valentin’s 35-yard field goal with 11:50 left in the second quarter gave Loara the lead. And the Saxons got a break on the ensuing kickoff, when Curt Peil recovered a fumble by Ernie Rhea on Hawthorne’s 13.

But three plays netted only a yard, and Valentin’s 28-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

On its next possession, Loara drove to Hawthorne’s 24, but a Gipson pass intended for Scott Smith in the end zone was intercepted by Tyrone Watkins.

Loara did take advantage of a Hawthorne turnover in the third quarter.

Loara’s Bryant Jackson, a 6-1, 298-pound defensive lineman, intercepted a Williams pass and ran 54 yards to the Hawthorne 26. Eight plays later, tailback Shawn Easter scored on a one-yard dive to give Loara a 9-0 lead with 3:34 left in the quarter.