Houston Turns Out to Be Ocean View’s Best Defense

Deshai Houston of Ocean View continued to show he is one of the county’s most productive quarterbacks by throwing five touchdown passes in Friday night’s Golden West League opener against Saddleback at Santa Ana Stadium.

His biggest play, however, was an interception at the Seahawk eight-yard line with 47 seconds left in the game to preserve a 56-49 victory.

Ocean View had broken a 49-49 tie when Erick Falessi scored from the six with 2:21 left to play. The 65-yard touchdown drive was highlighted by a third-down 23-yard pass from Houston to Luka Levu and a 22-yard scramble by Houston on fourth-and-eight at the Saddleback 28.

Saddleback bounced back with three big pass plays on the next drive. Quarterback Ramon Saavedra hit Jesse Romeo for 23 yards and 25 yards. After Saavedra was sacked and his team hit with a holding penalty, Romeo took a lateral and threw a 19-yard pass to Emmanuel Pedroza to give Saddleback a third-and-six at Ocean View’s 13.

Saavedra, who was 14 of 29 for 315 yards and five touchdowns, threw his only interception of the game--to Houston--to end the threat.

Saddleback had tied the score at 49-49 on a 13-yard pass play from Saavedra to Romeo and a two-point conversion run by Joel Gonzalez.

Houston was 20 of 31 for 246 yards with no interceptions.

Special teams were a big factor in the game. Ocean View’s Alex Balderas returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Brett Crevda, after receiving a handoff from Pat Campbell, returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score late in the third quarter for a 49-35 lead.