Beckman gets some revenge with 35-14 victory over Crean Lutheran

Beckman’s football team, including quarterback Jason Cheng (No. 10) gets fired up Friday night during the game with Crean Lutheran.

Beckman’s football team had some added motivation before it took the field for Friday’s nonleague game with Crean Lutheran.

Many of the Patriots remembered last year’s game when Crean Lutheran won the first meeting between the two teams 28-21.

It was the the first game for Crean Lutheran against an Irvine public school.

The Patriots responded Friday night by notching a 35-14 over Crean Lutheran at Tustin, handing the Saints their first loss after three wins. Beckman is 2-2 entering a bye week.

“It was a big win, we lost to this team last year, it was pretty bitter throughout most of the year and through the off-season,” said Beckman quarterback Jason Cheng, who had four touchdown passes and threw for 148 yards.

“Throughout this week, we knew it was going to be a tough game. Our offense started changing up stuff and were gaining momentum throughout the week. The defense was obviously spot on and they’ve always bailed out the offense. We just played an overall good game.”

Beckman coach Marcello Giuliano was especially pleased with the effort of the defensive line and happy to see his team come out with a victory.

“We were happy because we’re still really young and still uncertain about what we can be,” he said. “Losing a game early on kind of set us back psychologically as much as anything else. And to play a really good 3-0 Crean team was a huge challenge and we needed to see how we were going to respond to adversity and how we were going to deal with the physical running attack and their super sound defense.

“Obviously, it’s pleasing to come out with the right answers.”

Crean Lutheran jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard TD run by Tyler Buban in the first quarter.

But Beckman responded. Cheng connected with Jacob Kissling on a 41-yard TD pass. Then in the second quarter he hit Dylan Somoza on a 40-yard TD pass. Later in the quarter, he and Somoza hooked up on an 8-yard TD pass.

Jett Daviss also starred for Beckman, rushing for 134 yards and a 24-yard TD run.

“We had three running backs pitch in and help out,” Giuliano said. “Obviously for Jett that was a breakout game for him.

“But in reality, it looks like we had a great offensive night but every one of our games starts with great defense. Outside of their first drive, which we helped them with penalties, our defense was able to get them off the field and get us the ball back and we finally put drives together and helped out our defense. The 35 points is a by-product of playing really great defense for three weeks and we finally got our act together.”

Nathan Folsom rushed for 70 yards an had a TD 34-yard TD run in the fourth quarter tor Crean Lutheran.

Kissling had in three catches (two for touchdowns) for 92 yards for Beckman.

Crean Lutheran quarterback Grant Olbricht, a junior, completed three passes for 30 yards. He has taken over for starter Michael Berelowitz, who according to Coach Randall Reynoso is out for about seven weeks with a wrist injury suffered in a previous game.

“It was a tough one, I think the physicality got to us,” Reynoso said. “I  think the lack of depth is an issue right now that we’re trying to work through but I like the way we finished that game.

“That was a very good Beckman team, much better than their 1-2 record, and we’re OK with that, as long as we’re making improvements. We’re just trying to control what we can control. That’s not the ball club we saw last year and we’re not the ball club that played this game last year.

“We have to learn from the film and we’ve got to correct the mistakes and realize our limitations and go from there.”

STATS

CLuth            7    0     0     7     –   14

Beck              7    7      7   14    –   35

RUSHING: Crean Folsom 8-70, Buban 11-49; Beck Daviss 19-134, Kissling 10-57.

PASSING: Crean Olbricht 3-7-1, 30 yards; Beck Cheng 6-12-1, 148 yards, 4 TDs.

RECEIVING: Crean Holbrook 1-20, Folson 1-10; Beck Kissling 3-92; Somozo 3-57

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone