ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: PREP EXTRA : University, Aliso Niguel Settle for Tie

University and host Aliso Niguel met Thursday to decide second place in the Pacific Coast League, but failed to do so.

The teams played to a 10-10 tie and a coin flip took place late Thursday to decide who earned the league’s No. 2 berth into the upcoming Southern Section playoffs. Laguna Hills, which beat both teams, won the league title.

University (8-1-1, 3-1-1 in league) trailed, 10-0, at the half but dominated the second half. The Trojans had a prime chance to win but Brett Lockwood’s 26-yard field-goal attempt was wide left with 50 seconds left.

University was held to 27 yards in the first half, but the team’s problems really started Tuesday when it was discovered that starting quarterback Damian Defeo has mononucleosis and would miss at least a week.

Defeo was replaced by Adam Fuller, who was removed in favor of Bryant Geary late in the first half. Geary, who passed for 25 yards and ran for 63 more in the second half, brought the University offense to life. He dashed eight yards around left end for a touchdown with 3 minutes 25 seconds left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 10-7.

The score capped a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took 8:35.

“We didn’t get them stopped,” Aliso Niguel Coach Joe Wood said. “That drive didn’t give us as many shots in the second half as we would have wanted.”