COSTA MESA – This time, a great second half for Orange Lutheran’s football team resulted in a win.
The Lancers turned a slim halftime lead into a convincing 35-14 win over Serra on Friday in a nonleague football game at Orange Coast College, Orange Lutheran’s home field.
Orange Lutheran, No. 4 in the Orange County Top 25, improved to 3-1. Serra is 2-2.
Last week, the Lancers trailed 24–0 at halftime against Basha in Arizona. They outscored Basha by 24-6 in the second half but lost 30-24.
On Friday, Orange Lutheran had a 7-6 lead at halftime. The Lancers outscored the Cavaliers 21-0 in the third quarter to take control.
This season Orange Lutheran has outscored its opponents 83-28 in the second half.
Orange Lutheran junior quarterback Reagan Toki completed 15 of 18 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a 19-yard touchdown.
Lancers junior receiver Nico Bland had four receptions for 67 yards including a 49-yard touchdown catch. Chris Flores caught Toki’s other touchdown pass, one of his four receptions.
Orange Lutheran sophomore defensive end Marcus Fukatou (6-6, 375) had two sacks, including one that forced a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, and blocked an extra-point kick attempt. He is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 1 defensive end prospect in the nation.
Serra junior receiver/defensive back Duvay Williams scored on a touchdown reception and had an interception, both in the first half.
Orange Lutheran lost three turnovers in the first half.
Serra defensive lineman Khary Wilder recovered a Lancers fumble at the Orange Lutheran 45-yard line. The Cavaliers cashed in on that turnover, two plays into their possession on Williams’over-the-shoulder catch of a deep pass from Nicholas Johnson for a 40-yard touchdown.
The Lancers got their first touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Toki to Flores.
It was 7-6 at halftime.
On the second play of third quarter Fukatou sacked Johnson, his fifth sack this season, knocked the ball loose and Christian Panapa recovered it in the end zone for the touchdown and a 14-6 lead.
Toki’s 19-yard touchdown run with 4:16 to go in the quarter made it 21-6, the 49-yard touchdown pass from Toki to Bland pushed the lead to 28-6 and freshman quarterback Ezrah Brown, brother of ex-Mater Dei Orange County offensive player of the year quarterback Elijah Brown, scored on a sneak for a 35-6 lead.
Serra got a late fourth-quarter touchdown on a 12-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Malik Tunai to sophomore receiver Ikeem Crawford. Tunai stepped in at various times for Johnson, who has endured a foot injury in recent weeks.
Serra plays at home next Friday against Oaks Christian. The Cavaliers then play a Mission League opener against Sierra Canyon.
Orange Lutheran plays Sierra Canyon on Thursday at Orange Coast College. Sierra Canyon is No. 4 in the HSratings.com California rankings. That is Orange Lutheran’s final nonleague game before the Lancers play Mater Dei in a Trinity League opener at Orange Coast College on Oct. 3
In those HSratings.com rankings Orange Lutheran is No. 7 in California and Serra is No. 22.