Tustin Is Wet, Wild About Its Victory

The Tustin football players got to live out two common dreams Saturday in a Southern Section Division V semifinal game against visiting Brea Olinda.

The Tillers got a chance to play on a muddy field in a driving rain storm and also advanced to a championship game thanks to a 9-7 victory.

All the scoring came early, before rain turned the field into something better suited for a tractor pull.

Tustin (13-0) advances to play Santa Margarita in the division final.

“I came to this school three years ago and told them there was enough talent here to win a league title and reach a CIF final,” Tustin Coach Myron Miller said. “Not too many people believed me, but three years later, we are there.”

The field was in good condition early because of the work of the Tustin staff, which included brining in a large pump. But as the rain got heavy in the second quarter, the middle of the field quickly turned to mud.

The slick surface slowed Tustin’s running game, but so did the inspired play of Brea’s determined defense. But Tustin’s defense also was able to keep Brea Olinda in check.

“I just played field position and we hung on by our nails,” Miller said.

Brea Olinda’s last drive started at the Wildcat 31 with 57 seconds and no timeouts left. Brea’s hope ended when defensive back Julius Williams got an interception near midfield on third down.

Moments before the interception, Williams had been at the sideline trying to get an assistant coach to fix his chip snap. But Williams sprinted to the secondary as the ball was snapped and ran under the floating pass of Brea quarterback Travis Blood.

“The snap wouldn’t buckle,” Williams said. “This is a big deal. We’ve worked hard to try and handle this. [Brea] gave us a great game. I don’t like playing in the mud, but I like it now.”

Brea had reached the Tustin 24 on its previous drive, but the threat ended when defensive lineman Dale Watkins won a wrestling match for a loose ball with Blood on third down.

“The defense stepped it up,” Tustin quarterback Todd Scott said. “They’ve been stepping up all season and nobody’s given them any credit.”

Scott didn’t complete any passes but contributed as the punter. His punt of 28 yards pushed Brea back to the 31 on its final drive.

“I said if we got that punt off we would win,” said Miller, who credited long snapper Brandon Malcom with being the key player in the game because he didn’t make a poor snap.

It was a low snap on a Brea punt that forced Scott Davis to a knee in the Wildcat end zone with 7 minutes 2 seconds left in the second quarter, giving Tustin a 9-7 lead.

Tustin scored its touchdown to start the game. The 15-play, 80-yard drive was capped by DeShaun Foster’s two-yard run. Foster finished with 147 yards in 30 carries. Foster has 53 touchdowns this season.

Brea tied it, 7-7, when Rasuli Webster scored from three yards with 1:43 left in the first quarter.

“I don’t think Santa Margarita is too worried about any team in Division V,” Miller said. “I’m going to take the next 12 hours and enjoy this and not worry about anything else until 9 a.m. Sunday.”

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Championship Games

Division I: Mater Dei vs. Long Beach Poly, Saturday at the Coliseum

Division V: Santa Margarita vs. Tustin, Saturday, site TBA

Division VIII: Laguna Hills vs. La Mirada, Friday, site TBA