Eagles Fly Over Dorsey

If anyone ever doubts whether Ryan Maxwell of Santa Margarita has legitimate speed, all he needs to do is pull out a videotape from Friday night’s intersectional game against Los Angeles Dorsey and let them watch him run away from startled Don players.

Maxwell, the Serra League 100- and 200-meter track champion last season as a sophomore, returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown, caught a 60-yard touchdown pass and ran 21 yards for a third touchdown on a reverse in Santa Margarita’s 27-21 victory over City Section power Dorsey at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“Against Dorsey, you know they’re going to be fast,” Maxwell said. “It’s good having an Orange County kid come out and show the Dorsey kids how I could run.”

Santa Margarita (2-0), ranked No. 5 by The Times, hadn’t played in three weeks after traveling to Hawaii, but the Eagles tackled well and took advantage of a stumbling Dorsey offense that continues to search for a quarterback.

Santa Margarita held a 21-7 halftime lead. No. 15 Dorsey (1-1) appeared ready to make a comeback after Stafon Johnson ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter. But the Dons’ offense committed turnovers on its next three possessions. The Eagles’ Ross Cumming had an interception, J.D. Dawson made a sack while forcing a fumble and Kyle Aldridge recovered another fumble.

Johnson, Dorsey’s heavily recruited All-City running back, started the game at quarterback, taking snaps out of a shotgun formation. He was limited to nine yards rushing in the first quarter. After switching to tailback, he finished with 205 yards in 26 carries and scored three touchdowns.

Junior Sule Tate was effective at times playing quarterback for the Dons, raising the possibility Coach Paul Knox might abandon the experiment of playing Johnson there.

Meanwhile, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Maxwell was turned loose, giving Santa Margarita a big-play weapon for the rest of the season as it tries to become a Southern Section Division I title contender.

He became the first player in school history to catch a touchdown, run for a touchdown and return a punt for a touchdown in a game.