ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / PREP EXTRA : Zaist Gives Santa Margarita a Kick It Needs : Sea View: Eagles win league opener, 17-14, over Irvine on last-second field goal by senior kicker.

Jeff Zaist was not actually standing on top of the world Friday night, but he sure could picture the view.

Zaist kicked a 46-yard field goal with three seconds to play to give Santa Margarita a 17-14 victory over Irvine in a Sea View League game before about 3,500 at Saddleback College.

“I usually keep my head down and by judging the crowd, I knew it was good,” said Zaist, a senior in his third varsity season.

The kick improved the Eagles’ record to 5-1 and 1-0 in league, their best start since 1993. It also provided a bit of redemption for Zaist, who missed an extra-point attempt in Santa Margarita’s 28-27 loss to Fountain Valley last week.

The Eagles came out on Friday with the memory of that loss burning in their minds. On their second possession of the game, they marched 47 yards down the field--aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty against the Vaqueros--to set up a five-yard touchdown run by Chris Collins. Zaist’s extra point gave Santa Margarita a 7-0 lead.

Irvine racked up 55 yards in penalties in the first half and also squandered two Santa Margarita fumbles near the end of the second quarter. After recovering one, Irvine drove 25 yards to the five yard-line, but Russ Diehl couldn’t gain a yard in two carries and Santa Margarita took over on downs. After recovering the second, Santa Margarita held Irvine at the 46-yard line.

The Eagles gained 125 yards in total offense in the first half to the 98 for the Vaqueros (3-3, 0-1).

But Irvine’s Dennis Gaitor returned the second-half kickoff 50 yards to the Santa Margarita 44, swinging the momentum in the Vaqueros’ favor. Russ Diehl and Jake Savona gained 28 yards in five carries, and Jared Flint connected with Zubin Irani for a 16-yard pass play before Diehl scored on a two-yard run, tying the score with 9:23 to play in the third quarter.

“We knew they were going to slam it down our throats,” Zaist said. “We knew we had to step forward and that’s what we did.”

Santa Margarita struck back on its next possession. Billy Newman returned a punt 25 yards to the 29, then helped the Eagles with 39 yards in five carries before scoring on a four-yard touchdown run. Newman finished with 25 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Irvine scored on its next possession--an 11-yard run by Savona--to tie it, 14-14, with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter. Savona finished with 108 yards in 23 carries.

Zaist’s kick came at the end of a scoreless fourth quarter. The kick was short of Zaist’s best, which he set last year, by one yard, but it will undoubtedly be his most memorable.