Colton Rolls Past San Gorgonio

All one needs to know about Colton High and its dominance on Friday is this: The Yellowjackets had 140 yards in penalties--in the first first half--and led by two touchdowns.

Colton’s running game, the offspring of misdirection in its single-and double-wing formation, was too much for visiting San Gorgonio, and the Yellowjackets scored a 38-28 San Andreas League victory before a homecoming crowd of about 2,500.

“We’re bigger, stronger and faster,” San Gorgonio Coach Tony Barile said before the game, “but we can’t afford to be fooled.”

Colton improved to 6-0, its best start since 1981, and 1-0 in league. San Gorgonio is 4-2, 0-1.

Colton’s first-half dominance was too much for San Gorgonio, which had scoring runs of 86 yards by Shannon Dorsey, 54 yards by Daniel Figueroa, an 82-yard kickoff return by Dorsey, and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Cordova to Chris Simms.

Colton wasn’t sharp. The penalties were embarrassing, but despite 35 yards in penalites on its opening drive, the Yellowjackets used their quickness to march 90 yards in 19 plays for their first score, capped by Mark Vingua’s one-yard touchdown run.

Colton scored on its first three possessions of the first half, and ran out of time on its other, missing a first-down field goal attempt of 41 yards as the first half expired.

But Hector Calderon’s missed field goal was practically moot the way Colton dominated. Robby Pope passed 12yards to Vingua, and Calderon ran in for a two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead, on the first play of the second quarter. That 33-yard drive was set up by Vingua’s 22-yard punt return.

Pope, a cousin of San Gorgonio quarterback Anthony Cordova, passed 21 yards to Bryan Sorensen, and Anthony Wilkerson’s two-point run, gave Colton a 22-0 lead.

--Martin Henderson

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No. 2 Mission Viejo 21, San Clemente 18--Three second-half fumbles by Mission Viejo, The Times’ second-ranked team, opened the door almost all the way for host San Clemente.

The Tritons (3-3), considered Mission Viejo’s most formidable obstacle on the way to the South Coast League title, held the Diablos scoreless in the second half, while recording 15 points of their own.

San Clemente running back Cheyne Verhagen, who replaced leading rusher Eddie Madrid, who was out with a season-ending knee injury, carried 10 times for 35 yards and two touchdowns in the second half, pulling San Clemente to within three points with 2:56 remaining.

However, the Tritons’ onside kick failed and the Diablos ran out the clock.

In the first half, Dubois carried the ball 19 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns. In the second half the Tritons held Dubois to just 57 yards while forcing him to fumble twice. Dubois, who scored on runs of three and 55 yards, finished the game with 29 carries for 231 yards, giving him 1,201 this season.

The only other score for the Diablos (5-0, 1-0) came on a 93-yard interception return by Joe Pleskowski off a Beau Budde pass in the second quarter. Budde completed 19 of 29 for 234 yards with two interceptions.

--Melanie Neff

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No. 15 Santa Margarita 28, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul 14--Ashton White, showing no ill-effects from flu symptoms he felt all week, rushed 26 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles in a nonleague victory at St. Paul.

The Swordsmen (3-2) had pulled to within 21-14 on an 11-yard touchdown run Michael Weber with 11:53 to play, but White, a junior tailback, took over. He carried eight consecutive times for 73 yards on the Eagles’ next drive and capped it with a bruising 16-yard scoring run that included three broken tackles and gave Santa Margarita (4-1-1) its decisive advantage with 7:31 to play.

St. Paul drove to midfield on its next possession, but Santa Margarita’s Jeff Prenevost ended the threat when he intercepted a pass at the Eagles’ 44-yard line with 5:31 left.

White’s 26 carries and 171 yards were career highs and his two touchdowns marks the sixth consecutive game he has scored at least twice--a school record.

--Peter Yoon

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Irvine University 19, Laguna Beach 7--Scott Pickett carried 34 times for 204 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Trojans opened their Pacific Coast League campaign by beating the previously undefeated Artists at Laguna Beach High.

Pickett scored his first touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, a 13-yard burst up the middle to culminate a 65-yard drive in which Pickett also had runs of 16, 10 and nine yards.

University (5-1, 1-0) scored again 3:43 later when quarterback Nick Gerakos hit Ryan Ferguson with a 20-yard touchdown pass. The point-after attempt failed and Universityled, 13-0, at halftime.

Laguna Beach (5-1, 0-1), which managed only 32 yards of total offense in the first half, scored late in the third quarter on a 22-yard run by Donelle Darling, who finished with 88 yards in 17 carries.

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Mark Alai

Fullerton 7, La Habra Sonora 7--Jeff Patton’s 47-yard field goal felt short as time expired, leaving La Habra Sonora tied with Fullerton in a Freeway League game at La Habra High.

Fullerton (4-1-1, 0-0-1) played without running back Ryan Murray, who sat out after suffering a concussion last week against Orange El Modena. Murray, who rushed for 1,252 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, said he was cleared to play Wednesday, but Fullerton coaches kept him out as a precaution.

Sonora (4-1-1, 0-0-1) never got closer than the Indian 32-yard line until early in the fourth quarter, when the Raiders took over at their 37 after stopping Fullerton on downs. David Mayfield had runs of 14 and nine yards before breaking loose on a 35-yard touchdown run with 10:34 remaining.

--Dan Arritt