Defensive stand sends Ocean View football over Laguna Beach and to playoffs

For the second straight season, the Ocean View High football team showed that it could not be counted out when all the chips were on the table.

The Seahawks again experienced the feeling of elation in their regular-season finale.

A defensive stop in the red zone gave the host Seahawks a 27-20 victory over Laguna Beach on Friday, clinching second place in the Pac 4 League and a berth into the CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoffs.

On fourth and goal from the Ocean View three-yard line, Jobe Belles came up on Tyler Fields after he made a catch in the flat, making the tackle for a loss with just seconds remaining in the contest.

“I just had to make sure no one was outside of me, and I pretty much did that,” Belles said. “I made the best tackle. That felt great.”

The year prior, Ocean View upset Western on the road with a 45-7 victory, which gave the Seahawks a share of their first league championship since 1989.

Ocean View (7-3, 2-1 in league) will await the release of the Division 12 bracket on Sunday. Third-place Laguna Beach (5-5, 1-2) will apply for an at-large berth, but its fate will not be in its own hands.

“It’s just great to get into the playoffs in back-to-back years,” said Seahawks coach Luis Nuñez, whose team finished a game back of league champion Western (9-1, 3-0). “In our division, it’s tough for the schools in Division 11 and down.

“It means more for us small schools to get into the playoffs. In the higher divisions, you got teams going in at 1-9 and 2-8. It takes away the allure of making the playoffs.”

Ocean View faced a nail-biter against the Breakers, making a pair of individual records secondary in the storylines.

Josh Roberts had a school-record five sacks for the Seahawks in his return to the lineup. He even served as the emergency quarterback for a series of downs after Braden Crabtree exited following a sack by Brady Soloff in the third quarter.

“Josh Roberts hasn’t practiced in two weeks,” Nuñez said. “He got hurt against Western, and he’s got a really bad sprained knee.

“He didn’t play against Godinez. Tonight, he kept coming to me and saying, ‘Coach, I got you. This is not our last game.’”

After the game, Roberts spoke of a team effort in which he said the Seahawks found a different gear. He chimed in with his thoughts on the late defensive stand.

“Pure ecstasy,” Roberts said. “Just happiness, that’s all I felt, just love for my teammates.”

Brandon Alcaraz also surpassed the school mark for receptions in a single season, a record previously held by Phillip Smith. Alcaraz had six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns, taking his season totals to 63 receptions for 983 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The senior receiver scored his second touchdown on his fourth catch of the night, which set the record. It was announced to the crowd that Alcaraz had broken the single-season record after the scoring play.

Alcaraz took off his helmet. He waved his arms in celebration, looking straight at his father, Victor.

“He’s been pushing me since I was three years old, ever since I could hold a football,” Alcaraz said. “I give that man everything. I owe him everything. This game was for him and my family.

“He keeps me in this game. He pushes me to do the best, to get these records.”

Crabtree completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 39 yards, including a touchdown on a quarterback sneak that put the Seahawks ahead 27-20 with 8:48 to go.

Raul Villalobos had three catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns for Laguna Beach, with all of that production coming in the first half.

Andrew Johnson threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including a 31-yard touchdown to Connor Fink that tied the score at 20-20 for the Breakers with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

Ocean View has gone 5-0 on the road this season, but the Seahawks came through when it mattered most at home.

“These kids never gave up,” Nuñez said. “We had an up-and-down season. They could have easily quit. We struggled early on, but I had faith that these kids were better.”

Pac 4 League

Ocean View 27, Laguna Beach 20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Laguna Beach 6 – 7 – 7 – 0 — 20

Ocean View 7 – 13 – 0 – 7 — 27

FIRST QUARTER

LB – Villalobos 61 pass from Johnson (Crawford pass failed), 4:29.

OV – Polo 28 pass from Crabtree (Hilario kick), 2:20.

SECOND QUARTER

OV – Alcaraz 12 pass from Crabtree (Hilario kick), 5:12.

OV – Alcaraz 38 pass from Crabtree (Hilario kick failed), 1:23.

LB – Villalobos 17 pass from Johnson (Kesler kick), 0:18.

THIRD QUARTER

LB – Fink 31 pass from Johnson (Kesler kick), 4:55.

FOURTH QUARTER

OV – Crabtree 1 run (Hilario kick), 8:48.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

LB –Golden, 5-24.

OV – Ramirez, 20-76.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

LB – Johnson, 18-23-0, 251, 3 TDs.

OV – B. Crabtree, 18-21-0, 288, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

LB – Villalobos, 3-104, 2 TDs.

OV – Alcaraz, 6-120, 2 TDs.

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