Cicero Passes Servite Over Santa Margarita

The Servite High football team, ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division V, defeated fourth-ranked Santa Margarita, 38-27, in front of about 5,000 Friday at Saddleback College.

Leading, 31-21, Servite’s Stephen Ward scored on a 38-yard pass-play from Greg Cicero with 6 minutes 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

The Eagles’ scored the last touchdown with 45 seconds remaining after Matt Brooks caught a 29-yard pass from Carson Palmer to cut the final deficit to 11 points.

But by then, the Eagles had long ceased to be much of a threat.

Setting the tone for the night, the Friars (3-0) mowed down the Eagles on their first possession, as Cicero completed passes of 35 and 32 yards to Nick Rodriguez and Chris Bystedt. Then, Vince Reed scored his first of four touchdowns of the evening on a three-yard run.

Reed scored again four minutes later on a one-yard run to make it 12-0.

The game had been much anticipated on both sides of the field. Servite is looking to return to the Southern Section final and Santa Margarita was hoping to prove it could play with the big boys.

Santa Margarita reached the quarterfinals last year and returned 16 starters this season, but was snubbed in the preseason by coaches of other Sea View League teams, who did not pick them as the preseason league favorite.

In the county rankings, Servite is No. 3 and Santa Margarita is No. 8.

“Two Catholic schools going at it. What can you say?” said Cicero, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. “They are a great team. We came out early and we got up early. They showed a lot of character coming back, but we did, too.”

Eagle Bryce Jackson recovered a Friar fumble at the Friar three-yard line with 2:21 to play in the first quarter and Billy Newman scored on a three-yard run to make the score 12-7.

But Servite outscored Santa Margarita, 19-7, in the second quarter on touchdown runs of four and two yards by Reed and a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Garko to take a commanding, 31-14 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles (2-1) held the Friars scoreless in the third quarter. In one of their better series of the night, the Eagles marched 58 yards in 11 plays to the Friar 15-yard line, from which Brett Crowder scored on a pass play from Palmer to cut the lead to 10 points, 31-21, with 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Palmer finished with 13 completions in 29 attempts for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two interceptions. Billy Newman led Santa Margarita with 169 yards in 23 carries.

“We got held up in the second half quite a bit, so we have some work to do,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said.

For Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan, the notion of Servite improving before playoffs is somewhat disheartening.

“If we want to win a CIF championship, we have to beat them,” Hartigan said.

But Hartigan said the Eagles’ season did not hinge on the game.

“Whenever you lose, it’s a tough loss. They are a good football team and we had to come in and play perfect and we didn’t,” he said. “It just means that we have to win the next two preseason games.”