Orange Lutheran 22 - Eagles 19
MISSION VIEJO, CA., September 23, 2005 – After throwing three interceptions and falling behind 19-0 at halftime QB Aaron Corp tossed a 17-yard touchdown to Kyle Cordova with 1:07 remaining to give the visiting Orange Lutheran Lancers a stunning 22-19 comeback victory over the Eagles before an overflow crowd of 6,000 at Saddleback College. The win improved the Lancers to 3-0 on the season and marked the last non-league matchup for these two teams before competing as Serra League members in 2006. The 19-point advantage was the Eagles largest blown lead ever and dropped them to 2-1. More disturbingly, it was their seventh loss in their last eight games at Saddleback College and reminicent of their heartbreaking loss to Bishop Amat in 2004 where the visitors overcame a 17-point lead to win.
The game was a tale of two halves. After Kyle Aldridge stopped Tyson Seneca on a fourth-and-two run on the Lancers first offensive series the Eagles went on an eleven-play 60-yard scoring drive capped by Jon Daniel’s seven-yard scoring strike to Ross Cumming (team leading 18 tackles) to make it 6-0. The PAT was wide and this proved pivotal later on. After forcing a punt the Eagles got the ball back but Daniels fumbled after scrambling for an eight-yard gain at the Eagle 45. The Lancers marched to the two where on fourth down Ryan Maxwell intercepted a pass in the back of the endzone with 9:26 left in the half to preserve the 6-0 lead. Jon Angelo (25 carries for 101 yards) ran 26 yards on the next series to set up a first down at the Lancer 38 however two carries later he fumbled at the 30 to end the Eagle threat.
Angelo more than made up for it as he stepped in front of a Lancer receiver with 2:57 left in the half and raced 45 yards to paydirt to increase the lead to 12-0. Daniel’s two-point conversion pass to Cumming came up short. On the next Lancer drive Conner Plante intercepted a pass and ran it back 20 yards to the visitors 24. A personal foul on the play made it first down on the 12. Two plays later Angelo punched it in from the five to make it 19-0 with 1:54 left in the half as the PAT by Hunter Bestard was good.
The Eagles who forced three turnovers and held the Lancers to 23 yards rushing on 15 carries in the first half stopped the visitors with 0:08 left in the half and forced a punt. With time for one play, Daniels hit Maxwell (five receptions for 89 yards) on a 41-yard pass play but the junior was stripped of the ball at the Lancer 10 as the gun went off. From that point on it was all Lancers.
After a 40 yard kickoff return Corp ran untouched 55 yards on the first play of the third quarter to make it 19-7. After an Eagle punt the Lancers went on a 14-play, 78-yard drive finished off by Seneca’s one-yard plunge to make it 19-14 with 2:23 left in the quarter. Angelo’s second fumble of the day gave the visitors a first down on the Eagle 16; however the defense held on downs as Corp’s fourth down pass came up short of the sticks. The Eagles were forced to punt again, but the defense came up big as they stopped the Lancers on downs with 8:29 left in the game. On second down from the Eagle’s 39 Daniels (10 of 18 for 131 yards) threw an uncharacteristic interception and once again the Eagle defense held. After one last Eagle punt the Lancers went to work from their 48 with 2:45 remaining. An incompletion was followed by a defensive offsides penalty and a nine-yard completion for a first down at the Eagle 38. A controversial holding call gave the Lancers a first down at the Eagle 28 with 2:00 remaining. On second down Maxwell intercepted a pass in the endzone but it was nullified by another defensive holding call with 1:43 remaining. On second down from the 16 Corp hit Cordova with the game-winning pass.
| Orange Lutheran | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| Santa Margarita | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
SM – Cumming 7 pass from Daniels (Bestard kick failed)
SM – Angelo 45 interception return (pass failed)
SM – Angelo 5 run (Bestard kick)
OL – Corp 55 run (Rammelsberg kick)
OL – Seneca 1 run (Rammelsberg kick)
OL – Cordova 17 pass from Corp (Corp run)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: OL - Corp 11-72, Seneca 14-52; SM - Angelo 25-101, Daniels 6-14
Passing: OL - Corp 14-28-3-125; SM - Daniels 10-18-1-131
Receiving: OL - Cadreau 2-32, Lucas 2-27; SM - Maxwell 5-89, Angelo 1-8
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Eagles grounded
They blow a 19-0 first-half lead as Corp rallies Orange Lutheran to victory.
MISSION VIEJO – The ebbs and flows of Orange Lutheran's game against Santa Margarita on Friday night left Lancers coach Jim Kunau quoting Charles Dickens.
The third-ranked Lancers rallied from a 19-point deficit to knock off No. 4 Santa Margarita, 22-19, at Saddleback College.
"It was the best of times and it was the worst of times," Kunau said.
Orange Lutheran junior quarterback Aaron Corp was picked off three times in the first half as the Eagles took a 19-0 lead at the break.
But Corp ignited the comeback with a 55-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. Corp used a play fake to his fullback to freeze the Eagles defense, then started right before cutting all the way across the field and beating the Santa Margarita secondary to the end zone to cut the lead to 19-7.
Corp completed the comeback when he hooked up with Kyle Cordova for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 remaining to give Orange Lutheran a 20-19 lead. He scored untouched on a run for the two-point conversion to make it 22-19.
"I'm very proud of the character and composure he showed," Kunau said.
The Eagles had an early lead and all the momentum in the first half. Santa Margarita quarterback Jon Daniels orchestrated an 11-play, 60-yard scoring drive on the Eagles' second possession. Daniels hooked up with Ross Cumming for a 7-yard touchdown pass and a 6-0 lead with 3:45 left in the opening quarter.
The Lancers (3-0) had a golden opportunity when they drove inside the Eagles' 10, but Santa Margarita came up with a goal-line stand. Ryan Maxwell got the first of his two interceptions, picking off Corp in the end zone on fourth down.
The Eagles (2-1) added two touchdowns in the second quarter. Jon Angelo scored on a 45-yard interception return and Maxwell's second interception set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Angelo.
Orange Lutheran's Ricky Pemasa kick-started the comeback when he broke a 40-yard return on the opening kickoff of the second half to set up Corp's touchdown run.
The Lancers went on a 13-play, 77-yard drive on their second possession of the third quarter. Tyson Seneca capped the drive with a 1-yard power run as the Lancers cut their deficit to 19-14 with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
Santa Margarita turned it over five times, but the Eagles defense did its best to keep them in the game, stopping Orange Lutheran on fourth down twice in the fourth quarter.
But the Eagles' mistakes finally caught up to them. Santa Margarita had two defensive holding penalties to keep Orange Lutheran's final drive alive. One of those penalties wiped out a Maxwell interception in the end zone.
By Carlos Arias
Saturday, September 24, 2005
The Orange County Register - Varsity 1
