Seniors look to go out on top

The five senior members of the Laguna Beach football team will take their final bows of their prep careers tonight at Guyer Field.

The Breakers close out their 2010 season by hosting Saddleback in the Orange Coast League finale for both teams.

Four of those seniors, quarterback Austin Paxson, receiver/free safety/kick returner Chris Paul, running back Mike Hyden and offensive lineman/linebacker Taylor Preston will suit up one final time. A fifth senior, two-way lineman Ben Hanson, is sidelined with a knee injury that has kept him out of league play.

Laguna, the defending league champion, will be out to finish league at 2-3 and cap its injury-riddled fall campaign with a 3-7 record.

A win also would send the Breakers into the offseason with a two-game win streak. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

“All of our seniors have contributed heavily to this team, and they’ll be missed,” Laguna Coach Jonathan Todd said. “This week has been all about them. I want them to relish this game and go out and give it their all one final time.”

The Breakers picked up their first league win of the season last Friday by defeating Costa Mesa, 21-14, at Estancia High.

Paul, who had been sidelined with a separated shoulder, returned to the Laguna lineup and caught two touchdown passes from Paxson in the first half. The first came on a 20-yard completion for the game’s first score in the second quarter and the second was a 36-yard scoring play late in the quarter that allowed the Breakers to go up, 21-7, at the half.

Also in the quarter, Hyden scored on a six-yard run to give the Breakers a 14-0 lead.

Paul ended up with 149 yards and two scores on eight receptions.

With his performance Friday, Paul set the school’s career scoring record at 246 points. His total topped the previous record of 238 points set between 2000 and 2002 by running back Donelle Darling.

In addition, Paul also set the new school career record for receiving yards (2,354), eclipsing the previous mark of 2,252 set between 1989 and 1991by Eric Fegraus.

Paxson had another big night, this time by completing 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards with an interception. The 317 yards are the fourth most thrown in a single game in school history.

Defensively, junior back Miles Shirley and sophomore back Robert Clemons each had an interception.

Saddleback stumbles into today’s game on an eight-game losing streak. The Roadrunners, 1-8 overall and 0-4 in league, haven’t hit the win column since a season-opening 19-15 victory against Rancho Alamitos on Sept. 9.

Roadrunners running back Luis Soto has rushed for 1,500 yards and is averaging nearly six yards per carry. Soto rambled for 282 yards in an Oct. 22 loss to Costa Mesa.

Last week, Saddleback played Godinez tough before falling, 27-19.

“They’ve had it tough this year but they have a good defensive line, a good running back and are tough. It will be a battle for us.”

Todd said the Breakers will be without the services today of junior running back/linebacker Norty Penney, junior receiver/linebacker Derek Reigel and sophomore receiver/defensive back Kevin Ulibarri, all of whom are out with knee injuries.