SANTA ANA – Santa Margarita’s defense came through at critical times, making crucial stops in the second half Friday in the Eagles’ 17-7 win over Servite in the Trinity League football opener for both teams at Santa Ana Stadium.
Servite had the ball four times in the second half. The Friars punted on their first second-half possession and were stopped by Santa Margarita’s defense on three fourth-down plays.
Santa Margarita, ranked No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25, is 4-2 overall. No. 5 Servite is 4-2.
Santa Margarita had a 14-7 lead at halftime, pushed it to 17-7 in the final minute of the third quarter on a 23-yard field goal by Tyler Wiegand and maintained that lead through the fourth quarter.
Eagles senior quarterback Trace Johnson completed 22 of 36 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown.
Santa Margarita sophomore running back Jaion Smith rushed for 63 yards including a 5-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Even with that touchdown, Smith had minus-3 yards rushing at the end of the first half because of Servite’s often outstanding defense Friday.
Smith rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries in the second half.
Servite sophomore quarterback Kale Murphy had a rough night throwing the ball, completing 11 of 24 passes for 67 yards. He scored the Friars’ touchdown on a 24-yard run in the second quarter.
Senior running back Gavin Gutierrez was the Friars’ most productive offensive player. Gutierrez rushed for 58 yards on nine carries in the first half.
With Servite having to play catch up in the second half, Gutierrez was limited to two carries in the second half for zero yards.
Servite’s first possession of the game ended after three plays and a punt. Santa Margarita’s first possession ended after three plays and a punt, but a muff on the catch of the Santa Margarita punt was recovered by the Eagles’ Ty Swanson at the Servite 15-yard line. On the next play, Johnson connected with Jayden Crowder for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Eagles lead.
Servite tied it on Murphy’s 24-yard touchdown run. Murphy dropped back to pass, found no open receivers, then bolted to his left and down the Santa Margarita sideline for a touchdown that made it 7-7.
Santa Margarita took its 14-7 lead on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jaion Smith with 3:17 left in the second quarter. Two Servite penalties, a pass interference call and a personal foul call, helped the Eagles move downfield.
Wiegand stretched the Eagles advantage to 17-7 with his 23-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Santa Margarita’s defense had two sacks. Senior linebacker Vaimaona Manutai had one, and Arizona-committed senior nose guard Manoah Faupusa (6-2, 360) had the other.
Santa Margarita returns to Santa Ana Stadium next Friday to play Mater Dei, a Mater Dei home game.
Servite,which had won four in a row coming into this week, plays a league game Friday against JSerra at Cerritos College, which was been the Friars’ home site for a few years.
Servite earlier this season played a home game at Mt. San Antonio College. The Friars’ regular-season finale, a league game against Orange Lutheran, is at Orange Coast College, which Orange Lutheran uses for its home games, but that one is a Servite home game.