THE PREPS : FOOTBALL / EMPIRE LEAGUE : Katella’s Patience Rewarded With Victory Over Century

Katella quarterback John Baldridge ran, danced, jumped, then flung himself on the ground and pounded his fists into the Santa Ana Stadium turf. This was a moment to devour, not savor.

“Finally, finally, finally,” Baldridge said. “Finally, we won one.”

Yes, it had been that long.

The Knights’ 24-23 victory over Century Saturday was their first on-the-field victory in nearly two years. It ended a string of 17 games after which the only silver lining was a forfeit by El Dorado last season. It’s hard to celebrate one of those.

So Baldridge, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for the game-winner, was not going to let the moment pass passively. After all, the Knights (1-5, 1-0) were tied for first in the Empire League.

“We worked our butts off all week for this and it feels great,” Baldridge said.

It ought to. Baldridge completed six of nine passes--all to Josh Welton--for 143 yards. Baldridge had 18 yards rushing, but 11 came on a scramble for a touchdown that gave the Knights a 24-23 lead with 4 minutes 37 seconds left.

Baldridge juked one Century player at the five-yard line, then raced for the flag. It was the fifth time the lead had changed in the game.

Century (1-4-1, 0-1) had one more shot at a sixth turn-around, but its last possession ended with a failed fake punt at midfield.

“I could tell last week that we were getting better,” said Coach Larry Anderson, whose team had scored only one touchdown until Saturday.

A key reason for the Knights’ improvement was the return of running back Dustin Goetz. A senior, Goetz had ankle surgery in the spring and missed the first four games. He missed half his sophomore season after having a hole in his lower intestine surgically repaired.

He came back last week and gained 94 yards in a 21-0 loss to Western. Goetz had 116 yards in 19 carries Saturday.

“That’s the big thing we’ve been missing, someone to move the ball on the ground,” Anderson said.

It helped loosen things up for Baldridge. He hit Welton for a 34-yard touchdown pass on the Knights’ first possession. They teamed on a 39-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give the Knights a 15-14 lead.

Century quarterback Jerry Diaz was nine of 16 for 202 yards. His passing set up touchdown runs of 10 and nine yards by Roland Cortez, who gained 55 yards rushing.

Diaz’s one-yard touchdown run on fourth down gave the Centurions a 23-18 lead with eight minutes left.

Then Baldridge made his run, followed by his dance.