Irvine Wins Second League Title in a Row

The Irvine system--sturdy defense and a relentless rushing attack--clinched a second consecutive league championship when the Vaqueros rolled over University, 35-7, at Irvine High Friday night.

Irvine, the fifth-ranked team in Orange County, got three touchdowns and 117 yards rushing from Scott Seal, and its defense shut out the Trojans over the final three quarters, allowing just four first downs. The Vaqueros (8-1, 6-0) locked up the Sea View League title after winning the South Coast last year.

The Irvine defense has allowed only one second-half touchdown this season.

The lone bright spot for University (1-8, 1-5) was a 14-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that consumed nearly seven minutes in the first quarter. Quarterback Chris Peake improvised runs when pressured and completed a 19-yard pass to Rico Roberson to set up Peake’s three-yard touchdown run.

But it was all Irvine after Peake failed to complete a pass on a fake punt on the first play of the second quarter. The Vaqueros took over at the University 32 and scored nine plays later on Seal’s one-yard run.

Seal added a three-yard run to end a drive the next time Irvine got the ball, and quarterback Aron Garcia hit Tony Mathis with a 40-yard scoring pass on the possession after that.

Garcia also threw four yards to Tony Arellano for the game’s first touchdown.