Santa Ana Gets Tricked Up in 34-7 Loss to Long Beach

It was a trick play, called to get Santa Ana College out of the offensive rut it was in throughout the first half of its season opener against Long Beach Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium.

Instead, the play, called slot motion gadget pass, gave momentum to Long Beach, which scored 20 unanswered second-half points for a 34-7 victory.

The loss was the sixth in a row in a season opener for Santa Ana, which has won three of the last six Mission Conference Central Division titles, and prevented Coach Dave Ogas from reaching his 100th career victory.

With the score tied, 7-7, early in the third quarter, quarterback Grant Wagner handed to receiver Derrick Barnes on an apparent reverse. Barnes pulled up, however, and lofted the ball downfield. Long Beach’s Bryan Lentz intercepted the pass and the Viking offense turned it into a field goal and a 10-7 lead.

The Vikings forced a Santa Ana punt on the next possession, then went 57 yards in four plays, capped by a 41-yard touchdown run by Justin Russell.

After another Santa Ana punt, Long Beach drove 27 yards for a touchdown--its third score in the 10 minutes following the failed pass play--and a 24-7 lead.

“That play really put the dagger in us,” Ogas said. “It was a gamble because we haven’t executed that play worth a hoot all week. But that’s OK, I don’t question the play calling, just the execution.”

After putting up just 170 total yards in the first half and then gaining three yards in three plays on its first drive of the second half, the Santa Ana offense needed a boost.

The lone Santa Ana score was a three-yard pass from Wagner to Barnes in the second quarter. Wagner, who completed nine of 19 passes for 114 yards, left the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.