In a Night of Big Plays, Crowder’s Tackle Looms Largest

Santa Margarita’s Brett Crowder was thinking only one thing as he chased Newport Harbor’s Ray Ohrel in the third quarter Friday: “I’ve got to run him down.”

And so, all those extra wind sprints in practice, all the conditioning that prepared him for Friday’s track meet of a football game paid dividends when Crowder tackled Ohrel from behind at the eight-yard line after a 72-yard run.

On the next play, Ohrel fumbled. And four plays later, Santa Margarita scored.

A 13-point swing that meant everything to sixth-ranked Santa Margarita, which won its Sea View League opener against unbeaten Newport Harbor, 36-22, in a game that was much closer.

Both teams are 5-1.

“We work so hard in practice and have that never-say-die attitude,” said Crowder, a defensive back who made a big defensive play in a game where offense was the star. “I just wasn’t going to let him score.”

This is the kind of night it was: Ohrel rushed 34 times for 272 yards and one touchdown. Josiah Fredriksen completed 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. And they were on the losing team.

They fell to Billy Newman, who ran for more than 200 yards for the second consecutive game, carrying 24 times for 247 yards and touchdowns of 80 and 13 yards.

They fell to Carson Palmer, who completed seven of 13 passes for 187 yards--that’s 26.7 yards per completion--two touchdowns and threw a fourth-quarter interception (by Eric Runfola) with 6 1/2 minutes left that appeared to seal a 22-20 victory for Newport Harbor.

And they fell to John Minardi, who caught four passes for a school-record 172 yards--43 yards per catch--and one touchdown.

“I told them this would be a four-quarter game,” said Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan, “and that’s what it came down to at the bitter end.”

It was a little more bitter on the other sideline, though.

Ohrel’s 19-yard touchdown run gave Newport Harbor a 22-20 lead with 10:01 left and Runfola’s interception on the ensuing drive gave the Sailors more momentum. But Santa Margarita’s defense forced the Sailors to punt four downs later.

The Eagles had the ball at their 14 with 4:38 left. Palmer passed to Minardi for 10 yards, then to Minardi for 63. Then Newman scored from 13. Crowder took Palmer’s pass on the two-point conversion for a 26-22 Santa Margarita lead.

No problem, because in this game, 3:33 was plenty of time. And on fourth-and-sixth from their own 24, it appeared the Sailors found their man about 40 yards downfield. Brad LaBass found a hole in the Eagle secondary, but Fredriksen’s pass dribbled off his hands in full stride and the game was decided.

Newman carried 15 yards and then Palmer ran in from nine to close the scoring with 2:01 left.

Hartigan ranked the victory as the school’s best since joining the Sea View League in 1992.

“I don’t think there are words for it,” said Newman. “Our emotions are running wild right now.”