Warriors’ Defense Dominates, as Usual

Two things epitomize the Woodbridge football team: defense and its opportunistic nature.

The Warriors relied on both Saturday to return to the Southern Section championship game for the first time in 10 years.

Converting two turnovers into 11 points and a special-teams play into seven more, Woodbridge scored a 31-7 victory over Servite in the section’s Division VI semifinal at Cal State Fullerton.

Servite (7-6) has been in the semifinals four of the last five years, losing twice. With its victory, Woodbridge (12-0-1) is 20-2-3 since going 25 games without a victory ending the 1996 season.

Woodbridge is making its first title game appearance since 1988, when it lost to Trabuco Hills. The Warriors defeated Chaminade in 1987.

Woodbridge will play another team from the Sea View League, Santa Margarita, Friday at a site to be determined.

Woodbridge’s defense allowed only 79 yards in 29 rushing attempts, holding Servite’s Matt Gogan to 33 yards in 14 carries; he was averaging 8.5 per carry.

Servite’s Dan Petropulos completed eight of 16 passes for 127 yards and one costly interception.

“Our defense has been setting us up all year,” said Woodbridge quarterback Scott Barlow, who completed 14 of 22 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns of 65, four and 34 yards. “They give us great field position. That’s exactly what the team game is all about.”

Barlow set the tone on the fourth play from scrimmage, throwing deep to Oren Masserman, who was waiting behind the secondary. Masserman (seven catches, 171 yards) caught the pass at the 25 and ran to the end zone to complete a 65-yard scoring play.

“Their quarterback was superb tonight,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said.

Both teams struggled offensively the rest of the quarter until Woodbridge’s defense came up with two turnovers.

Josh Coker recovered Gogan’s fumble at midfield, and Terwiske later kicked a 21-yard field goal.

Shane Harris’ interception at the 40 set up a 60-yard drive, spurred by a 41-yard completion to Masserman. Harris made a nice reaching catch in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown. Barlow passed to Jeff Hammond for the two-point conversion and a 17-0 lead.

Servite ended Woodbridge’s shutout streak at 11 quarters when it scored with 24 seconds left in the half on Petropulos’ six-yard pass to Pat Kinmartin.

Woodbridge’s punt return team delivered a heads-up play early in the fourth quarter. The ball, snapped from the Woodbridge 35, went over punter Scott Lambert, whose low line drive was snared by linebacker Rael Berkowitz at the 36--a punt of minus-one yard. Berkowitz’s 25-yard return set up a 34-yard pass from Barlow to Brandon Runk three plays later.