Mater Dei 17 - Eagles 7
SANTA ANA, CA., October 21, 2005 – Ahmad Mokhtar scored on a three-yard run with 1:29 left to cap a 98-yard drive to help secure a 17-7 win for Mater Dei over Santa Margarita before a crowd of 5,500 at the Santa Ana Bowl. After starting the season 1-3 the Monarchs have now won three in a row and sit atop the Serra League standings with a 4-3, 2-0 mark. The loss dropped the Eagles to 3-4, 0-2.
After a scoreless first quarter that saw neither team mount much offense the Monarchs took a 7-0 lead with 8:14 left in the half on the strength of a 10-yard scoring run by fullback Travis McNaughton on a fourth-and-one play. The Eagles who only crossed midfield once in the first half saw the Monarchs increase the lead to 10-0 when Adam Sutter kicked a 21-yard field goal with only 46 seconds left before intermission.
In the third quarter the Eagle offense started to come to life after getting only two first downs in the first half. Ryan Maxwell picked up a key first down on a reception from Jon Daniels (12 of 22 for 104 yards) and a 25-yard run on a fake punt by Maxwell gave the Eagles a first down at the Monarch 38. Unfortunately a sack and overthrown pass forced the Eagles to punt. Seven plays later Kyle Aldridge intercepted a pass from Matt Barkley and returned it 16 yards to the Eagle 49. A first down run by Angelo, a reception by Connor Plante and a 10-yard run by Daniels moved it to the Monarch 19 where Angelo (16 carries for 73 yards) raced around right end for a touchdown with 11:43 remaining in the game.
With score 10-7 and the momentum on the Eagles side the visitors faced a fourth and seven from the Monarch 40 with six minutes left. A fine punt by Thomas Hull (seven tackles) pinned the hosts down on their two. However, Mokhtar ran for 42 yards on first down then proceeded to carry the ball on seven consecutive plays including the TD at the 1:29 mark.
The Eagles managed to get the ball back twice more but could not capitalize. JD Dawson and Ross Cumming led the team with 11 tackles while sophomore sensation Logan Harrell registered 1 ½ sacks to set a new sophomore record for sacks in a season with 8 ½ surpassing Matt Rupp’s record of 8 set in 2001.
| Mater Dei | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
MD – McNaughton 10 run (Sutter kick)
MD – FG Sutter 21
SM – Angelo 19 run (Reisinger kick)
MD – Mokhtar 3 run (Sutter kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Angelo 16-73, Maxwell 2-30; MD - Mokhtar 26-152, McNaughton 2-27
Passing: SM - Daniels 12-22-1-104; MD - Barkley 11-18-1-151
Receiving: SM - Angelo 5-54, Maxwell 4-25; MD - Dubrish 8-105, Burbage 1-27
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Mokhtar means momentum
The Mater Dei back breaks loose on a big run to help hold off Santa Margarita.
SANTA ANA – Football often is a game of momentum. Mater Dei had it when it was most important Friday night.
Ahmed Mokhtar ran for 42 yards when Mater Dei was pinned back at its 2-yard line, then later on the drive scored on a 3-yard run to secure a 17-7 victory over Santa Margarita in a Serra League game at Santa Ana Stadium.
Mater Dei, ranked No. 6 in Orange County, improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in league. Ninth-ranked Santa Margarita is 3-4, 0-2.
Monarchs coach Bruce Rollinson said it was a crucial game for both teams' place in the standings of the CIF-Southern Section Division I league, which often is called the most competitive league in Southern California.
"Somebody's going to be 2-0 or 1-1, or 0-2 when this thing's done,” he said. "This was a big one."
Santa Margarita had that momentum on its side before Mokhtar's big run.
With Mater Dei ahead, 10-0, in the third quarter, the Eagles' Kyle Aldridge made an interception to give them the ball at their 49-yard line.
A few plays later, Santa Margarita running back John Angelo sprinted around right end for a 19-yard touchdown that cut the Monarchs' lead to 10-7.
The Eagles kept the pressure on when Mater Dei got the ball. Logan Harrell and Fred Carrera recorded back-to-back sacks and the Monarchs were forced to punt from their 22.
Santa Margarita could advance only to Mater Dei's 40, and the Eagles punted and downed the football at Mater Dei's 2.
Mokhtar, a 6-foot, 210-pound junior, then popped loose around left end for his 42-yard run.
He then carried twice for 12 yards and once for 25 as the Monarchs collected first downs and marched to the Eagles 3, from where Mokhtar busted through a hole in the middle for the clinching touchdown with 1:29 remaining.
"That 98-yard drive there was a great testimony of how far our young offensive line has come," Rollinson said.
After a scoreless first quarter, Mater Dei took a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard touchdown run by fullback Travis McNaughton. fourth-and-1 at the Eagles 10, McNaughton ran up the middle, got nowhere, then slid to his right and bolted into the end zone.
The Monarchs pushed their lead to 10-0 on a 21-yard field goal by Adam Sutter with 46 seconds left in the half.
Mokhtar finished with 152 yards on 26 carries.
Mater Dei freshman quarterback Matt Barkley was 11 for 18 for 151 yards.
His chief target was senior receiver Robert Dubrish.
Dubrish had eight receptions, a few of them spectacular, for 105 yards.
He made a 29-yard reception for a first down to keep alive the drive that led to McNaughton's touchdown.
And Dubrish made back-to-back leaping catches for first downs to keep the chains moving on the drive that produced Sutter's field goal.
Angelo rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries. He also was Santa Margarita's leading receiver, with five catches for 53 yards.
Eagles quarterback Jon Daniels was 11 for 19 for 97 yards, and threw an interception.
Mater Dei plays at St. John Bosco of Bellflower in a Serra League game next Friday, Santa Margarita is at Bishop Amat of La Puente in a league game.
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, October 22, 2005
The Orange County Register - Varsity 1
