PHOTOS: Irvine rallies past Portola to win Fence Post and share of league title

Irvine players celebrate after winning the Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy Friday night. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Irvine High’s football team captured the Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy, rallying with a late fourth quarter touchdown to defeat Portola 21-17, in a Pacific Hills League showdown in front of a capacity crowd at Portola Friday night.

The Vaqueros (9-0, 2-0) also clinched a share of the league title with one remaining game in league play next Friday vs. Laguna Hills at Irvine Stadium.

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Portola scored the only points of the first half on a field goal, but the excitement picked up in the second half and both teams battled to the end. It was homecoming for Portola.

“Our goal was to show everyone we’re the best team in Irvine and we’re taking Irvine back one high school at a time, that was our goal all week,” said Irvine Coach Tom Ricci. “City champs, league champs, now we’re looking forward to next week and then CIF. I can’t wait.”

It was the first time Irvine has won the Fence Post since 2013. Portola was the last winner in 2019. Irvine won the Pacific Valley League title in the abbreviated spring season but the Fence Post Trophy was not awarded.

Portola (7-2, 0-2) gave Irvine all it could handle from the start and held a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter following a 3-yard TD run by Nova Kebeli. But Irvine responded with a 48-yard TD run by Cameron Goods late in the third quarter and took the lead 21-17 on a 3-yard TD run by Jack Condon with 3:32 left in the game.

The touchdown was set up when, Goods, with Irvine deep in its own territory on second down threw a 51-yard pass to Matthew Prak which moved the ball to the Portola 31.

“Coach (Peter) Abe had a great scheme for us,” Ricci said. “If they’re going to go and key on Cameron (Goods) that hard we got to start using some of other guys and I threw everything but the kitchen sink at them. We wanted the win, however we were going to get it.

“It was a team effort all the way around, we knew we couldn’t just rely on Cam, they were taking him away so we had to use two different QBs, a couple different receivers, some gadget plays and our defense played real tough. It was great all-around.”

Abe, the Portola coach, was proud of his squad’s effort and said the Bulldogs still have a shot at the CIF playoffs.

“It’s not in our hands anymore, we’ve got to go win (vs. Dana Hills), Irvine’s got to win, if we get some help, if we win, we got a three-way tie for second place and then a quarter decides everything (with a coin flip),” Abe said.

“I couldn’t be more proud; these guys did exactly what we needed to do. We were asking them to respond after a rough one last week and they did that. Best week of practice, most locked in, most focused. We definitely played how we practiced so I was very excited to see.”

The game was also a match-up of two of the county’s best running backs: Kebeli and Goods, who both led their teams offensively but had to work for every yard. Kebeli rushed for 155 yards on 31 carries while Goods had 152 yards on 21 carries.

“I always told you our first goal is to win league and be city champs because the past couple of years we haven’t been able to do that, it’s been rough, but it’s so sweet to be able to win a game like this in the fashion that it was,” Goods said. “Winning this Fence Post and to be able to hold it means the world to us. I’m so proud of my boys that they didn’t fold. They came through and they pulled through.”

Goods was pleased to see his teammate Prak haul in a big catch.

“Coach put that play in a while ago,” Goods said. “I’m so happy because that’s my boy’s first reception, he’s been putting in a work all year and he hasn’t got his time to shine. I told him big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. I was just happy I was able to give him his first reception.”

Portola took an early 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal by Tyler McMullen late in the first half.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-0 in the third quarter when Micah Talapatra intercepted a pass and returned it 65 yards for a score.

Irvine cut the lead to 10-7 when Condon connected with Logen Wilson in the third quarter to stay within striking distance.

Portola used two quarterbacks: Sonny Tierney passed for 49 yards and Samuel Sandoval passed for 45 yards. Irvine also used two quarterbacks with Joseph Tierney (Sonny’s brother) starting the game. He passed for 34 yards but Portola’s defense recorded three interceptions.

–Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

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