Tipped Pass Saves Santa Margarita Victory Over Tustin

Santa Margarita is still breathing, but just barely.

Thanks to a deflected pass in the back of the end zone by Brian Finneran with eight seconds left in the game, Santa Margarita hung on to beat stubborn Tustin, 21-16, Friday night at Saddleback College to keep its playoff hopes alive.

The Eagles (7-2, 4-2) need only to beat Newport Harbor next week to clinch third place in the Sea View League and a playoff spot. A loss would have made the playoffs unlikely.

“It would have been devastating,” Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said.

Tustin (3-6, 1-5) had nothing to play for, except perhaps pride and a chance to be spoiler. The Tillers played their role well. After being soundly outplayed in the first half, Tustin dominated the clock and the game in the second half.

The Tillers found themselves behind 21-6 at halftime, mainly because they couldn’t stop sophomore running back Chris Collins, who transferred from Tustin before the school year. Collins piled up 142 yards by halftime in 18 carries, as Tustin took away Santa Margarita receivers Brian and Brad Finneran.

Collins, who finished with 169 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries, got hugs from his former teammates after the game.

“I grew up with these guys,” he said. “My best friend is (Tustin running back) Che Holloway. There’s no way you can’t get up for this game.”

But Tustin actually seemed more up in the second half. The Tillers took the second-half kickoff 78 yards in 14 plays and scored on Jon Lauderdale’s three-yard run with 3:13 left in the the third quarter.

The next time they touched the ball, they drove 63 yards for a 22-yard field goal by Zack Matthews, making it 21-16 Tustin with 6:29 remaining.

Most of Tustin’s second-half yardage was gained by Lauderdale (115 yards, 23 carries), whose plodding style chewed up yardage and time.

“You can’t have our defense out there that long,” Hartigan said. “They’re decent, but not for that long.”

Santa Margarita had to make one more stand after the offense turned over the ball on three downs. The offense had only one first down in the second half after getting 11 in the first half.

Tustin methodically moved the ball into scoring position with a combination of Lauderdale runs and Devin Pohl receptions. On fourth and six at the Santa Margarita 15, the Eagles’ season hung in the balance.

Wilson appeared to find running back Lamar Barrett open in the back of the end zone, but 6-foot-4 Brad Finneran knocked the ball away at the last instant. Barrett still got his hands on it, but couldn’t control it.