Villa Park’s Late Rally Beats Loara

Nate Harris caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Matt Jackson with 21 seconds remaining in the game as Villa Park rebounded for a 21-17 victory over Loara in a nonleague football game Thursday night at Western High.

The Spartans, who gambled and lost on a two-point conversion in losing to Trabuco Hills, 17-16, in the waning seconds of last week’s game, did not squander their final scoring opportunity against Loara.

Loara had taken a 17-14 lead after a 14-play, 65-yard scoring drive consuming 6 minutes 38 seconds. Andy Guajardo scored his second touchdown of the game from five yards to give the Saxons the lead with 5:35 remaining in the game. The drive included a five-yard reverse by Johnny Patton on fourth down.

Villa Park (1-2-1) opened its final drive on its 29 and was backed to its 19 on a holding penalty. Jackson hit Wann for 14 yards and Robby McConchie for 13 yards to move the Spartans to their 46. Three runs by Dache Dameron totaling 10 yards netted another first down but a seven-yard loss on a completed pass and an incompletion put Villa Park back to the 50 with 47 seconds left and one time out remaining.

Villa Park received a pass interference penalty for a first down on the Loara 35 and Wann then ran for seven yards.

Jackson connected with Dallas Dapper for a 19-yard pass to give Villa Park first and goal on the nine and set up the game-winning touchdown pass.

Dameron gave Villa Park a 7-0 lead on a seven-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Loara (2-2) took the halftime lead on a 22-yard field goal by Jose Moreno and a seven-yard touchdown by Guajardo.