Ocean View Wins Shootout, Loses Flip

They played 48 minutes of football, combined for 89 points and 973 yards of offense, yet the playoff fates of Ocean View and Saddleback came down to a coin flip after the game.

Ocean View’s 48-41 victory over Saddleback at Huntington Beach High put the two teams in a three-way tie with Westminster for second in the Golden West League.

Saddleback (5-5, 2-2) won the toss, getting the league’s No. 2 seeding for the playoffs. Westminster will go to the playoffs as the No. 3 entry because of a victory over Ocean View this season.

Ocean View (6-4, 2-2) has to hope for a wild-card entry.

“We put ourselves in a position to play in CIF,” Ocean View Coach Harold Eggers said. “We have a pretty good chance, but you never know.”

The Seahawks put themselves in that position by taking command in the second quarter with two touchdown runs by Erick Falessi and two touchdown receptions by Phillip Smith, one of which came on a 34-yard pass from wide receiver Bryton Stefnik. The Seahawks took a 40-20 lead into halftime.

The Roadrunners rallied behind running back Joel Gonzalez. Gonzalez ran for three touchdowns in the first half, but left the game with a sprained ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return until the fourth quarter when he caught a screen pass for a 67-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 40-34, but Saddleback got no closer.

Ocean View’s Jason Rhoads had 204 yards rushing.

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GOLDEN WEST

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League Overall School W L T W L T Tustin 4 0 0 9 1 0 Saddleback 2 2 0 5 5 0 Westminster 2 2 0 3 6 1 Ocean View 2 2 0 6 4 0 Santa Ana 0 4 0 0 10 0

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WEEK 10

Thursday’s results

* Santiago 46, Santa Ana 28

* Tustin 71, Westminster 0

Friday’s result

* Ocean View 48, Saddleback 41