CENTURY LEAGUE FOOTBALL : Big Plays Key Santa Ana Valley Victory

Santa Ana Valley made all the big plays during a 20-7 victory Saturday over El Modena, extinguishing any post-season hopes the Vanguards had entertained.

Santa Ana Valley’s Tristan Lynch returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Thomas Yandall returned a fumble seven yards for another score to highlight the Century League victory at Santa Ana Stadium.

El Modena (5-4-1, 1-3-1 in league) could have tied Canyon for third in league with a victory, and winning a coin flip would have awarded the Vanguards the league’s automatic playoff bid and No. 3 seeding for the Southern Section Division IV playoffs.

El Modena Coach Steve Howard knew the outcome of that coin flip before Saturday’s game, but would not reveal the results.

“I’ll never tell,” Howard said. “It wasn’t that the kids weren’t up for the game tonight, we just made mistakes.”

Two first-half fumbles by El Modena resulted in Santa Ana Valley touchdowns, helping the Falcons (5-5, 2-3) and their first-year coach, Scott Orloff, reach the .500 mark and fourth place in league.

“It’s the first time since 1981 that this school has had five wins or a .500 record,” Orloff said. “Finishing fourth, we still applied for a wild-card berth in the playoffs . . . but at least it was nice to have the opportunity to do that.”

Santa Ana Valley’s defense kept bending, but it broke only once. El Modena quarterback Matt Mitchell completed 13 of 25 passes for 179 yards and an interception, helping the Vanguards compile 15 first downs.

El Modena took its only lead when Brandon Ogden scored on a two-yard run with 10 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Then Lynch, who rushed for 68 yards in 12 carries, returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards, tying the score, 7-7, on the final play of the first quarter.

Lynch’s return gave the Falcons momentum, and the defense kept it by forcing a turnover with 7 minutes 55 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Santa Ana Valley defensive end Vaati Sio sacked Mitchell at the El Modena 10, and after the ball bounced free, Yandall scooped it up at the seven and ran it in for the touchdown and a 14-7 Santa Ana Valley lead. The Falcons sacked Mitchell five times.

On El Modena’s next possession, Brett Daeley, who rushed for 55 yards in 16 carries, fumbled at the Vanguard 49 and Alexander Maia recovered for Santa Ana Valley.

Five plays later on fourth and inches, Dwayne Cherrington took a handoff and bolted off the right side of the line for a 24-yard touchdown run to give Santa Ana Valley a 20-7 lead. Cherrington rushed for 76 yards in 22 carries.

The teams were penalized a combined 22 times for 235 yards.