SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Workhorse Webber Carries Hawks : Division VII: Laguna Hills running back does the job, but Maceranka makes key interception in 35-28 victory over Trabuco Hills.

MISSION VIEJO —  Dave Webber carried the ball 42 times Friday night for the Laguna Hills football team.

Defensive back Mike Maceranka touched the ball only once.

But both players had a big hand in the Hawks’ 35-28 victory over Trabuco Hills in the Southern Section Division VII championship game at Mission Viejo High School.

Webber, a senior tailback, had 278 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner on a seven-yard run with 1 minute 53 seconds remaining in the game.

But, it was Maceranka, a senior quarterback who missed seven games with a broken collarbone, who had a big play down the stretch. With Laguna Hills leading, 35-28, Maceranka intercepted a pass by Trabuco Hills’ Pat Barnes at the Hawks’ 30-yard line with 50 seconds left.

The interception helped Laguna Hills (10-3-1) avenge a 34-21 loss to Trabuco Hills (8-5-1) during the Pacific Coast League season, and it gave the Hawks their first section title.

Webber was unstoppable in the second half, carrying 26 times for 200 yards. His game-winning touchdown was set up when Laguna Hills’ Matt Stilson recovered a Trabuco Hills onside kick at the Hawks’ 45 with 6:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“If Trabuco would have got the ball back there, who knows what would have happened,” Laguna Hills Coach Steve Bresnahan said.

Trabuco Hills Coach Jim Barnett said the onside kick was the turning point in the game. He said he chose to kick it short instead of deep for fear the Hawks would run out the clock with another long drive.

“I thought we got the ball on the onside kick,” Barnett said.

Sophomore quarterback Justin Vedder, a transfer from Mater Dei, threw touchdown passes of nine and two yards to Sergio Jimenez, and scored on a five-yard run in the third quarter for the Hawks.

Trabuco Hills tailback Jeff Clayton rushed for 112 yards in 12 carries, including touchdown runs of four and 17 yards in the fourth quarter.

Trabuco Hills relied on Barnes’ passing (13 of 21 attempts for 178 yards and a touchdown) to move down the field quickly.

Laguna Hills broke a 14-14 halftime tie with a long drive kept alive by Webber. He carried nine times for 77 of the Hawks’ 82 yards in the drive. Vedder’s five-yard touchdown run was the only play on which Webber didn’t carry.

Then the teams started trading touchdowns.

Trabuco Hills tied it, 21-21, on a four-yard run by Clayton with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter.

But Webber put Laguna Hills back in front, 28-21, on a three-yard touchdown run with 7:47 left.

Less than two minutes later, Clayton scored again, on a 17-yard run, to tie it, 28-28.

The onside kick recovery set up the game-winning drive--45 yards in 10 plays--that ended with Webber pounding through the middle for a seven-yard touchdown run.

The victory ended years of frustration for Laguna Hills. The Hawks were a combined 0-20 in the two seasons before Bresnahan arrived in 1988.

It was especially sweet for Webber, who finished with 2,048 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, as well as fellow seniors Maceranka, Ryan Brubaker, Roman Vasquez and Greg DeFelice.

“This group has been together for a long time,” Webber said. “This ends four great years for us.”