Ocean View players after Thursday night’s league victory. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Ocean View’s football team survived a second half comeback by Los Amigos with a touchdown in the final minute to capture a 20-13 victory over the Lobos in the Sigma League opener Thursday night at Bolsa Grande.
The Seahawks (5-1, 1-0) built a 13-0 lead early in the third quarter before Los Amigos (3-3, 0-1) battled back to tie the score.
Junior running back Jodey Sok, in his first game with Ocean View, scored on a 4-yard TD run with 48 seconds left to lift the Seahawks to the win. Sok transferred from Long Beach Jordan and became eligible this week, according to Coach Daniel Hernandez.
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“Los Amigos is a tough, physical well coached team,” Hernandez said. “Melo Guess (head coach) and his staff get those kids ready to play every week. You saw it tonight, we jumped out 13-0 and I kept waiting for the onslaught to come and it was coming. Amari’e Maddox is probably one of the best players in our league, if not the best.
“I just think we had a couple breaks go our way tonight and we had some key stops and did a great job. I thought our coaches did a good job preparing our kids with the bye week last week.”
Trevor Luapo was the Seahawks leading rusher with 126 yards on 17 carries before leaving the game with an injury.
Sophomore quarterback Dean Northam led the Ocean View offense completing 7 of 14 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, including a 67-yard TD pass to sophomore Zack Zentgraf in the second quarter that gave the Seahawks an early 7-0 lead.
Northam also had some key gains running the ball, including a 25-yard run on the Seahawks final drive that put them in position to win the game.
Hernandez said he was prepared to have his team kick a field goal if the drive stalled.
“It was a great game, props to the other team,” Northam said. “They played hard, they fought and they never really gave up. That pushed us to really work as hard as we really can. I feel like our offensive line, our defense, overall we played pretty well as a team. We still have things to work on to prepare for Santa Ana Valley next week.”
Sok, a junior, told Hernandez, “‘if I get in the game, I’m going to score,'” Hernandez said.
He kept his promise.
“I came in hungry, I wanted to get the ball and score for my brothers,” he said. “I saw some of my teammates go down (with injuries). The game was tied, I knew I had to score no matter. At the end of the day, I got to win this game for my brothers.”
Ocean View held a 7-0 lead at halftime. The Seahawks extended the lead to 13-0 when Northam connected with Christopher Vincent on a 70-yard TD on a shovel pass in the third quarter. The Seahawks were unsuccessful on a two-point conversion attempt.
But Los Amigos, which was without injured starting quarterback Trell Smith, found a way to stay in the game and closed the gap to 13-7 on a 56-yard TD run by Maddox late in the third quarter.
Then in the fourth quarter, Maddox scampered 40 yards for a score to tie the game 13-13. The Lobos were unable to convert the kick on the point after, leaving the score tied.
Maddox, who rushed for 117 yards on six carries, came out of the game later in the game with an injury and did not return. He was later treated by paramedics and taken to a local hospital, according to Coach Coach Guess, who was not sure about his condition.
Using four different quarterbacks, Los Amigos had just 29 yards passing. But Guess was pleased with how his team battled back.
“They’re scrappers, one thing I know we’re going to hang our hat on we will never say die and we will never wave the white flag,” Guess said. “I told my boys I was proud of them because they played four quarters, they didn’t lose because of a lack of effort, that’s for sure.”
Los Amigos was also without its starting center.
“We played four quarterbacks tonight, that’s never ideal for the offense, we were trying to get one into a flow,” Guess said. “Those dudes try but you try to prep four quarterbacks at practice … that was a tall order coming in but we make no excuses, that’s what we were faced with and we have to find a way.”
Guess said Smith was injured in last week’s game and he’s hoping he will return next week.
The Lobos coach praised the effort of Maddox, who tried to lead his team back.
“He had a great game, that dude is a Warrior, every game he goes out with a sword and shield in his hand, that’s what we love about him and we’re going to pray for him that he’s OK and he can recover and bounce back soon. I’ll be checking in with him once we get back to school, hopefully he’s OK.”
Hernandez, the Ocean View coach, congratulated his players after the game, adding in the interview he has high expectations.
“I’m happy with where we’re at,” Hernandez said, attributing a vigorous off-season weight training program for much of the team’s success.
“But I keep telling our kids our biggest moment is yet to come. Our kids have put in a lot of work and I’m very proud of them, the staff as well. It’s not me, the staff has done a great job getting the kids to be 5-1.”
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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