Servite Shuts Out Villa Park, 7-0

If Servite was looking for a good test to determine its playoff worthiness, Friday’s game against Villa Park provided the blue book.

The Friars, in particular their defense, aced the exam. Servite scored the game’s only touchdown in the first quarter on a two-yard run by David Bedard and made it stand for a 7-0 victory before an estimated 1,600 at Cal State Fullerton.

By posting their second shutout in as many weeks, the Friars (10-2) advance to play El Toro, which beat Loara, 21-3, Friday night, in the Southern Section Division V semifinals.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the week we would only score one touchdown and win, I would not have believed it,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said. “Villa Park is such an explosive team. And the fact we only scored one touchdown was my fault; too often I had people in the wrong formations or the wrong situations.”

The questions--could the Friars contain Sean McMahon and the Spartans’ passing game? Would Servite’s backfield of Bedard and Frank Patti buckle under the Villa Park defense?--took all 48 minutes to answer.