Breakers seek first league win
Laguna Beach High will celebrate its 60th homecoming football game Friday.
The Breakers will be looking to break into the win column in Orange Coast League play when they play host to Estancia at 7 p.m. Friday at Guyer Field.
“It’s time to go to work for homecoming and Estancia,” Laguna Coach Ted Clarke said after the Breakers had just finished playing league rival Saddleback Oct. 16.
Laguna went to Segerstrom High in Santa Ana to do battle with Saddleback. The Breakers opened and ended the game’s scoring but the Roadrunners (1-1 league, 4-3 overall) twice came back from a touchdown deficit early in the game and surged to a comfortable lead before claiming a 49-28 victory in their homecoming game.
Laguna is 0-2 in league play and 2-5 overall.
“What we have is a young team that continues to learn as the season continues,” Clarke said. “Every snap, we are getting better. It’s hard to take a loss like this but you can’t get down on the kids because they continue to work hard and get better.
“When we go up against finesse teams, we do OK. But when we go up against a physical team, like Saddleback, we don’t do well. We had a tough time stopping them.”
A physical Saddleback rushing attack (286 yards) was spearheaded by junior Geovanni Estrada who ran for a game-high 187 yards and four touchdowns. The Roadrunner offense, directed by its veteran quarterback, senior Ozzy Zuno, took over in the second quarter.
The game, however, couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for Laguna.
On the opening kickoff, Saddleback return man Rene Gonzales fumbled and the ball was grabbed in mid-air by Laguna’s Ryan Blaser who returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. George Cracknell’s point-after gave the Breakers a 7-0 lead 10 seconds into the game.
“That was a great way to open the ball game,” Clarke said.
Saddleback answered on its first offensive series to tie the score, but Laguna came up with another takeaway when Jack Simon intercepted Zuno at the Saddleback 46 and returned it to the 29. Simon also had another big play moments later when he delivered a strike over the middle to receiver Matt Hayes for a touchdown. The play came on third-and-14 from the 16.
Earlier in the drive, the Breakers converted key third- and fourth-down plays.
The point-after was wide left, but Laguna led, 13-7, a lead it took into the second quarter. The game, however, got away from the Breakers late in the second quarter on a 21-0 explosion by Saddleback in the final 4:39 of the half.
The Roadrunners went into the break holding a 28-13 lead.
Trailing 35-13 early in the second half, Laguna came up with an impressive, 65-yard scoring drive that took only five plays. Simon went 43 yards untouched around left end for the score, and then hit Hayes with a two-point pass, to pull the Breakers to within 35-21 with 5:18 left in the third quarter.
Laguna put together one final scoring drive late in the game which ended when Simon went around left end to score on a four-yard run.
Simon (19 of 27, interception) threw for 141 yards and rushed for 90 more. Hayes had 10 receptions total 114 yards.
Simon now ranks No. 6 in career total offense (3,525 yards) at Laguna.
Estancia (2-5 overall) picked up its first league win impressively last week by routing city rival Costa Mesa, 23-0.
Laguna has posted a 21-37-1 record in 59 pervious homecoming games.
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Football Season Log (2-5)
0...Valley Christian...50
16...Bolsa Grande...12
0...Segerstrom...45
18...Westminster...28
21...Sage Hill...17
9...*Costa Mesa...14
28...*Saddleback...49
Friday: *Estancia (homecoming), 7 p.m.
Oct. 30: at *Calvary Chapel (Ocean View High), 7 p.m.
Nov. 6: at *Godinez (Segerstrom High), 7 p.m.
(*denotes Orange Coast League game)
