Orange Lutheran Dominates St. Monica

Jon Talmage caught 10 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns to lead Orange Lutheran to a 57-6 victory over Santa Monica St. Monica in the first round of the Division XI playoffs Friday at Orange Coast College.

Talmage, the second-leading receiver in Orange County, had all 10 catches in the first half and was relegated to extra-point and kick-off duty after halftime as the Lancers (9-2) played their reserves for most of the final two quarters.

Talmage wasn’t the only offensive star for third-seeded Orange Lutheran. Steve Newsome rushed for three touchdowns in the Lancers’ 36-point second quarter.

The Lancers scored on all seven of their first-half possessions and their first eight in the game. Orange Lutheran’s defense limited St. Monica to 35 yards of offense in the first half and the Mariners (4-7) did not cross midfield until midway through the fourth quarter.

Robby Hobbs and Jason Taylor split time at quarterback for the Lancers in the first half. Hobbs completed 12 of 15 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown. Taylor was six for six for 83 yards and scored on a 10-yard naked bootleg with 2 minutes 22 seconds left in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.

Newsome’s 38-yard run up the middle early in the second quarter and Ryan Cecil’s seven-yard run with 7:35 left in the first half gave the Lancers a four-touchdown lead.