LEUZINGER 14 - EAGLES 13
LAWNDALE, CA., September 20, 2024 – The Eagles lose a tough game to the Olympians.
- Team gained 412 yards of total offense
- Ja’ion “Duce” Smith: Rushed for a career high 76 yards and 1 touchdown
- Sean Embree: 7 receptions for 147 yards (21.0 average)
- Leki Holani: Scored the go ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter on a 3-yard reception -- The first offensive touch of his career
- Via Manutai and Jason Perez: Collected 1/2 sack each
- Logan Hirou: Registered 1 interception -- Now has 7 interceptions in his career -- tied for fifth all-time at SMC
| Leuzinger | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Santa Margarita | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
SM – Ja. Smith 14 run (Gass kick)
SM – L. Holani 3 pass from Johnson (Gass kick failed)
LEU – Tonga 6 run (Paniagua kick)
LEU – Tonga 5 run (Paniagua kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Ja. Smith 22-76, J. Gazzaniga 5-59; LEU - Tonga 17-101
Passing: SM - Johnson 8-17-0-144, J. Gazzaniga 7-16-0-86; LEU - Sekona 10-25-1-115
Receiving: SM - Embree 7-147, Junker 4-73; LEU - Sandoval 4-68, Tonga 3-35
Compiled by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
Leuzinger football scores late touchdown to knock off Santa Margarita
LAWNDALE, CA., September 20, 2024 – The Leuzinger football team is off to a fast start this season, winning its first three games entering Friday night’s showdown against Santa Margarita from the Trinity League.
The Olympians (4-0) held strong throughout and survived the night with a 14-13 win.
With 2:03 remaining, the Olympians got the ball at midfield, trailing 13-7.
With Leuzinger facing a fourth-and-8 from the Eagles’ 35-yard line, Sekona found an open Nick Sandoval who caught the pass and ran to the Santa Margarita 6-yard line with 45 seconds left.
On second-and-goal, Sekona handed off to junior Journee Tonga, who was initially stopped at the 3, but bulldozed his way into the end zone for the touchdown with 36 seconds left. Sophomore Julian Paniagua made the extra point and the Olympians took the lead 14-13 and eventually held on for a big nonleague win.
“Our defense plays a big role on our team – The Darkside. They played smash-mouth football all night long, which gave us a chance at the end to win the game,” said Sekona, who was 8-of-17 passing for 115 yards. “I just tried to make a play there and found Nick open for the first down. Once I gave the ball to Journee I knew he was going to get it in there. We built a strong relationship, a brotherhood this summer. I feel like it was our family vs. their team tonight.”
Tonga has emerged this season as one of the top running backs in the region and he delivered again. He rushed for 101 yards on 21 carries and scored both of Leuzinger’s touchdowns.
“I knew I had to make a play there,” he said. “The ball was in my hands. I knew I had to win the game for us. I had to score.
“I just kept my legs moving and my linemen helped push in the end zone. We represented for the city (Lawndale) tonight. We are trying to do something special this year.”
It looked like Santa Margarita was going to have its way with Leuzinger. On the first drive of the game, the Eagles marched down the field, scoring on a Duce Smith 12-yad touchdown run.
Later, Santa Margarita was moving the ball again but the Olympians’ defense stepped up, stopping the Eagles on a fourth-and-6 inside the Leuzinger 30-yard line. The Olympians’ defense stopped Santa Margarita six times on fourth down in the game.
In the third quarter, Tonga caught a bubble screen and took it to the Santa Margarita 17. Three plays later he scored, tying the game at 7-7.
Santa Margarita answered as James Johnson entered the game at quarterback and moved the Eagles down the field quickly with his legs and his arm. On third-and-goal, he found fullback Leki Holani for a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 13-7 lead with 4:20 to play in the third quarter.
Santa Margarita made a crucial mistake after the touchdown as they got called for a dead ball personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, forcing a 50-yard extra-point attempt that came up short.
The Leuzinger defense held the Eagles one final time on third-and-7 from their own 31, forcing a punt with 2:15 left, giving the ball to the offense at the 50.
“Russell Sekona showed a lot of poise for a freshman on that last drive, making a big-time conversion on fourth-and-8,” Leuzinger coach Jason Miller said. “Journee (Tonga) was battered and bruised the whole game. He was stopped three yards short of the goal line but he still got it in. That just who Journee Tonga is. He is not the biggest, not the strongest but he is the hardest worker.
“Our kids worked hard for this in the preseason, getting here at 4:30 in the morning and they will never give up. This is the biggest home win in 39 years since we won CIF here back in 1985.”
By David Rice
Friday, September 20, 2024
The Orange County Register
