Saddleback Celebrates in Style

Football players don’t normally break out singing loudly after games.

But when Saddleback Coach Jerry Witte joined his players after a 22-20 victory over host Westminster Friday in a Golden West League game, they belted out a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” for the coach.

The sometimes gruff Witte smiled as his players finished the song.

Chances are there would have been no postgame serenade had Westminster made a two-point conversion with less than a minute left in the game.

Westminster moved 68 yards for a touchdown that came on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Scott Spradling to wide receiver Chris Brewer in the left side of the end zone with 57 seconds to play.

After a timeout, Spradling rolled left but his pass for two points fell incomplete.

The on-side kick didn’t go the required 10 yards and Saddleback ran out the clock after that.

It was the fifth consecutive victory for Saddleback (6-1, 2-0). Westminster (1-6, 0-2) has lost six in a row since opening the season with a 41-19 victory over La Quinta.

“I told the kids this was going to be a tough game and that it would be close in the fourth quarter,” Witte said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told them that.”

Saddleback took a 15-14 lead midway in the third quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Victor Licea.

The key play in the drive was a 57-yard run by tailback Joseph Tagaloa that started as an off-tackle play. He finished with a game-high 159 yards in 19 carries.

Saddleback went ahead, 22-14, with 40 seconds left in the quarter thanks to a fourth-down gamble at the Westminster 11.

Quarterback Juan Cabral dropped back rapidly, then tossed a screen pass to Frankie Gonzalez in the right flat. Gonzalez broke a tackle at the five-yard line and another at the goal line, then fell into the end zone.

Saddleback’s first-half touchdowns came on runs of six and three yards by Tagaloa. The second touchdown was set up by a blocked punt by Saddleback’s David Pedroza that gave the Roadrunners a first down at the Westminster 18.

Westminster still led at the half, 14-12, thanks to an impressive late rally. Spradling moved the Lions 79 yards in 1:23.

The touchdown came when wide receiver Erick Arthur raced past three Saddleback defenders to grab a 35-yard pass in the end zone with seven seconds left.

Spradling finished 10 of 16 for 162 yards and Brewer caught six passes for 97 yards.