In the End, Lancer Coach Is Angry : Football: After a 39-8 loss, Orange Lutheran’s Taube questions L.A. Cathedral’s 27-point fourth quarter.

Los Angeles Cathedral High School’s football team scored 27 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, and that was enough to anger Orange Lutheran Coach Tim Taube.

Taube was upset because Cathedral scored two touchdowns in the final 55 seconds of a 39-8 nonleague rout at Orange Lutheran High.

Cathedral (4-0) scored on a 38-yard pass play with 55 seconds remaining and then recreated a Marx Brothers scene with two laterals after an interception to reach the end zone on the final play of the game. That play had the usually mild-mannered Taube questioning the winning team’s motives.

“They were rubbing it in our face,” Taube said. “I thought it (final two touchdowns) was very uncalled for and not something I would do. Most teams in our league (Olympic League) wouldn’t do that.”

A year ago, Cathedral didn’t have the means to run up the score while finishing 2-8. But 17 returning starters have helped Cathedral to its best start since 1980.

“Most teams beat us like this last year,” said Cathedral Coach Jesse Carrillo, defending his team’s play in the final quarter. “I know they’re unhappy, but we didn’t do anything to run up the score.”

Orange Lutheran (1-3) was outweighed on both lines by an average of 40 pounds and was playing without two-way starters Rick Krumes and Todd Williamson, who were out because of knee injuries.

Still, the Lancers managed to stay close until the final quarter, thanks to quarterback Lenny Gavin and wide receiver Cory Fleming.

Gavin’s 60-yard pass to Fleming early in the second quarter set up Orange Lutheran’s only touchdown. Gavin and Fleming teamed up again for a seven-yard touchdown play and then Gavin scored on a two-point conversion run for an 8-6 lead.

Cathedral’s superior size appeared to wear down Orange Lutheran midway through the third quarter. Cathedral quarterback Gerald Valdivia threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to running back Francisco Lopez to put Cathedral ahead for good, 12-8, but the Phantoms were just getting started.

In the second half, Valdivia passed for 184 of his 314 yards and three touchdowns passes. He was still firing in the final minute.

Cathedral has outscored four opponents, 125-41, and plays host to Brethren Christian on Saturday.

“We lost to Brethren, 35-0, last year, so it’s going to be interesting to see how much we’ve improved,” Carrillo said.