Servite Runs Record to 7-0

Anaheim Servite wasn’t ready for what Santa Margarita brought Thursday night, but the Friars showed that an ill-prepared Servite is better than a short-handed Santa Margarita with a 35-20 Serra League victory at Cal State Fullerton.

Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said Ashton White, the team’s leading rusher, did not attend the game because he was nursing an injured knee and was ill. It forced the Eagles to the air early and often.

Santa Margarita (5-2, 0-2 in league play), ranked No. 14 by The Times and No. 7 in the Southern Section Division I poll, moved the ball against a Servite defense that had prepared to stop White, but the Friars (7-0, 2-0) tightened when it mattered and allowed Santa Margarita into the end zone only once in four trips inside the Servite 20.

Santa Margarita’s two other scores came on an 87-yard kickoff return and a 58-yard pass reception by Bobby Whithorne.

“That surprised us that [White] wasn’t playing,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said. “But we adjusted and made some good plays in the second half.”

Santa Margarita quarterback Case Colaw completed 23 of 40 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and Whithorne had 13 catches for 197 yards, but Colaw threw three interceptions in the second half. Servite, ranked No. 8 by The Times and No. 4 in Division I, turned those turnovers into 14 points.

Joel Rubalcaba led Servite with 186 yards and two touchdowns in 28 carries. Dillon Bedard had two interceptions and rushed for three touchdowns. Servite, 7-0 for the first time since 1985, plays Mater Dei next week.

-- Peter Yoon

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Irvine 28, Newport Harbor 20 -- Terrell Vinson carried 29 times for 289 yards and accounted for all but six of Irvine’s points in a Sea View League victory at Irvine.

Vinson scored on runs of 65 and 94 yards, caught a pass for a 32-yard touchdown and had a two-point conversion reception to help Irvine (5-2, 1-1) rally from a 14-6 halftime deficit and leave Santa Ana Foothill (5-1, 1-0), ranked No. 2 in the Division VI poll, as the only unbeaten team in the league.

Newport Harbor (5-2, 1-1), ranked No. 4 in the division, was led by Dartangan Johnson, who finished with 187 yards in 22 carries and had first-half scoring runs of 24 and 14 yards.

-- Paul McLeod

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Covina Northview 38, Pomona Ganesha 13 -- Harold Frazier had a 56-yard touchdown reception and returned a punt 69 yards for another score and the Giants (6-1, 2-0) amassed 364 yards rushing in a Valle Vista League victory at Ganesha (5-2, 1-1).