ORANGE LUTHERAN 13 - EAGLES 10
COSTA MESA, CA., October 18, 2024 – The Lancers came into the contest ranked No. 15 in the nation by MaxPreps.com. QB John Gazzaniga was 14/27 for 202 yards and 1 TD. RB Jaion Smith rushed 8 times for 34 yards. WR Jack Junker caught 10 passes for 88 yards. WR Sean Embree caught 2 passes for 64 yards and 1 TD. Ryan Gass kicked a 39 yard Field Goal. LB Dash Fifita led the defense with 19 tackles (14 solo, 5 asst.) with 1 sack and 2 Fumble Recoveries for 64 yards. DBs Logan Hirou, Luke Anderson and Ca'ron Williams each contributed 9 tackles.
| Orange Lutheran | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
OLU – Migirdichian 32 FG
OLU – Chavez 9 run (Migirdichian kick)
SM – Embree 32 pass from J. Gazzaniga (Gass kick)
SM – Gass 32 FG
OLU – Migirdichian 12 FG
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Ja. Smith 8-34, J. Gazzaniga 13-28; OLU - Chavez 22-124
Passing: SM - J. Gazzaniga 14-27-1-202; OLU - Lateef 20-26-0-234
Receiving: SM - Junker 10-88, Embree 2-64; OLU - Ia 5-116, Hennessy 5-40
Compiled by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
No. 3 Orange Lutheran football wins tough battle with No. 6 Santa Margarita
COSTA MESA, CA., October 18, 2024 – Orange Lutheran’s Aiden Migirdichian kicked a 20-yard field goal with two minutes remaining and the Lancers defense made big plays in the remaining time in a 13-10 win in a Trinity League football game at Orange Coast College.
The Lancers, No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25, improved to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the elite Trinity League. No. 6 Santa Margarita is 3-5 overall and 0-3 in league.
Orange Lutheran defensive lineman Jireh Moe and Marcus Fakatou sacked Santa Margarita quarterback John Gazzaniga twice in the final minute to seal the win.
Migirdichian’s field goal in the first half for the half’s only points.
Orange Lutheran senior quarterback TJ Lateef, who committed to Nebraska, completed 17 of 24 passes for 243 yards. Steve Chavez rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. Tight end AJ Ia had five catches for 112 yards.
Gazzaniga passed for 212 yards. Santa Margarita’s Jacob Junker had eight receptions for 72 yards.
The game was delayed 44 minutes by a medical emergency in the grandstands on the Orange Lutheran side of the field at Orange Coast College.
The Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran players went through a second round of warming up. Maybe the delay and distraction affected the first half’s lack of scoring from Orange Lutheran, which went into the game averaging 27 points a game, and Santa Margarita that was averaging 21 points a game.
Both teams punted to finish their first possessions. Santa Margarita punted on its second possession, and the first quarter ended 0-0.
Orange Lutheran got the first half’s only points on a 32-yard field goal by Aiden Migirdichian with 5:48 remaining in the second quarter.
The Lancers threatened to add a touchdown in the final moments of the half. Four consecutive completions by Lateef to, in order, Chris Flores, Steve Chavez, Flores again and AJ Ia and after an incompletion a 12-yard pass to Ia put Orange Lutheran on the Santa Margarita 13-yard line with a first down there. After two incompletions and an 8-yard complete to Ia the Lancers were in a fourth-and-2 situation at the Sana Margarita. Lateef rolled left, threw a pass intended for Nico Bland in the end zone but the pass was short and incomplete, leaving the Lancers with a 3-0 halftime lead.
Orange Lutheran scored a touchdown on its second half-opening possession. The Lancers recovered Santa Margarita’s onside kick to start the third quarter, taking the ball at the Santa Margarita 49-yard line. They took advantage of the excellent field position, with Chavez scoring on a 5-yard run for a 10-0 lead.
The Eagles responded with their first touchdown, a well-placed 32-yard pass to Sean Embree in the end zone to cut the Orange Lutheran lead to 10-7 midway through the third quarter.
Santa Margarita’s Ryan Gass kicked a 39-yard field goal with 3:46 left in the game to tie it 10-10.
By Steve Fryer
Friday, October 18, 2024
The Orange County Register
