Eagles 38 - Orange Lutheran 31
The Eagles used a 21 point fourth quarter to rally back and win the final regular season game against Orange Lutheran, 38-31
MISSION VIEJO, CA., November 3, 2017 – For the second consecutive week, the Eagles found themselves with shovels in hand after digging deep holes that they needed to get themselves out of late in the game. Just as they did last week in beating JSerra, as the competitors tire late in the game, the Eagles hit their stride and began to pull away. Trailing 24-17 going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles managed 21 fourth quarter points to defeat the Lancers 38-31 and closed out the regular season 7-3 overall and 3-2 in league. It is worth noting that according to Max Preps Excellent 25, the three Eagle losses were to the first, seventh, and 16th ranked teams in the United States of America.
Back to last week, as he has done all year, senior quarterback Josiah Norwood was effective with his arm and his legs. Norwood completed 13 of 17 (77%) of his passes for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Norwood distributed his passes to multiple Eagle receivers. Malone Mataele had five catches for 61 yards, Chad Magyar had one catch for 54 yards, and Jake Peters had two catches for 24 yards. The lone receiving touchdown went to Jake Ebach who had one catch for 10 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. On the ground, Magyar was the leading Eagle with 28 carries for 182 yards and a rushing touchdown. But when the Eagles needed scores, Norwood called his own number, rushing the ball nine times for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Caden Fitch was again the leading tackler for the Eagles with 12 total tackles and a sack. The Eagle secondary struggled to contain two of California’s top recruits in quarterback Ryan Hilinski and receiver Kyle Ford, who connected eight times for 224 yards and three touchdowns, but Richie Caragao was able to step up with a pass break up that sealed the game for the Eagles on the Lancers final fourth down attempt of the game.
From a special team’s standpoint, Dylan Brady was a perfect seven for seven on touchbacks, five for five on PAT’s, and made his only field goal of the night which was 39 yards.
Tonight opens the first round of the Division 1 CIF-SS Playoffs with the Eagles traveling to take on the Nighthawks of Murrieta Valley. The Nighthawks are 8-2 and 5-0 in league with their only two losses coming by the hands of Santiago Corona and San Clemente. Tonight’s game has been selected to stream live on Fox Sports West Prep Zone.
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
| Orange Lutheran | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
OLU – Ford 35 pass from Hilinski (Loya kick)
SM – Norwood 5 run (Brady kick)
SM – Brady 39 FG
OLU – Loya 29 FG
OLU – Ford 14 pass from Hilinski
OLU – Mojaro 9 pass from Hilinski (Loya kick)
SM – Ebach 10 pass from Norwood (Brady kick)
SM – Magyar 5 run (Brady kick)
SM – Norwood 15 run (Brady kick)
OLU – Ford 80 pass from Hilinski (Loya kick)
SM – Norwood 70 run (Brady kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: OLU - Strong 13-98; SM - Magyar 28-182, Norwood 9-116
Passing: OLU - Hilinski 21-32-0-348; SM - Norwood 13-17-2-168
Receiving: OLU - Ford 8-224, Loya 5-33, Strong 3-43; SM - Mataele 5-61, Peters 2-24, Magyar 1-54
Sean Zeitler
Sports Information Director
Santa Margarita continues its thrill ride with comeback win over Orange Lutheran
MISSION VIEJO – Santa Margarita running back Chad Magyar believes his team plays its best football in the fourth quarter.
That doesn’t do any favors for second-year head coach Rich Fisher, who said his blood pressure is riding high after back-to-back come-from-behind wins, the latest a 38-31 comeback win by the No. 3 Eagles over No. 7 Orange Lutheran on Friday night, Nov. 3, at Trabuco Hills High.
The win gave the Eagles (7-3, 3-2) sole possession of third place in the Trinity League. Last week, the Eagles overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat JSerra by one point.
“We live for those big moments,” Magyar said. “Whenever it’s close, we step up and do our best. We really come up big and we got the win tonight.”
Fisher said the Eagles sleep-walked through the first two-and-a-half quarters against Orange Lutheran before turning it around and scoring 28 points in the final 15:06 of game clock.
“Give credit to OLu, they battled and we didn’t play our best football,” Fisher said. “We did answer the bell when we needed to. We can’t go into the playoffs next week playing like that.”
Eagles quarterback Josiah Norwood tossed two interceptions in the first half, which the Lancers (5-5, 0-5) turned into touchdowns. Orange Lutheran led 17-10 at the break.
Lancers quarterback Ryan Hilinski hit tight end Elijah Mojarro for a 9-yard touchdown on Orange Lutheran’s first drive of the second half to extend the lead to 24-10 midway through the third quarter.
That’s when the Eagles turned it around, scoring 21 consecutive points. Norwood capped the first with a 10-yard TD to junior receiver Jake Ebach.
Magyar scored on a 5-yard TD run on the next drive and, after a Lancers’ three-and-out, Norwood raced to the corner of the end zone on a 15-yard keeper to give the Eagles a 31-24 lead.
But it didn’t last long, as Hilinski hit Kyle Ford for an 80-yard TD on the next play to tie the score.
Hilinski and Ford were a force, hooking up nine times for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Hilinski threw for 341 yards on the night.
Norwood capped the scoring two plays later with a 70-yard TD run.
Eagles linebacker Caden Fitch came up with a sack on Hilinski to force a fourth-and-long. The Eagles double-covered Ford on the ensuing play and the ball fell incomplete.
With its 5-5 record, Orange Lutheran still has a chance for an at-large berth into the playoffs.
By Nathaniel Percy
Friday, November 3, 2017
The Orange County Register
