High School Football: Marina fails to finish

WESTMINSTER — The Marina High football team was off to the program’s best start since 2000, but visiting Santa Ana proved the Vikings still have a little work to do on their finish.

The Saints (3-0), ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 13, scored four of their five touchdowns in the final seconds of quarters, including a clinching interception return with 35 seconds left, to claim a 33-21 nonleague victory on Thursday at Westminster High.

Marina (3-1), ranked No. 8 in CIF Division 12, scored on its first possession of the game and its first two of the second half to take a 21-12 lead with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.

But Santa Ana quarterback Damian Macias, who hit sprinting receivers in stride all night on his way to 203 aerial yards and three touchdown passes, connected with Chris Nava for an 83-yard scoring bomb on the ensuing snap to pull the Saints within 21-19.

That’s where it stood until 1:45 left in the game, when Santa Ana running back Allen Pacheco bounced eight yards around the left side for the go-ahead touchdown.

Trailing, 26-21, Marina quarterback Ian Green threw 47 yards to Noah Holmes, who made a leaping catch in traffic at the Saints’ 28-yard line with 1:07 remaining.

But after an overthrow of an open receiver in the end zone, Macias stepped in front of a pass at his own one-yard line and outraced the pursuit for the clinching touchdown.

“It was the big play that really hurt us,” said Marina Coach Jeff Turley, whose defense surrendered scoring passes of 83, 65 and 30 yards, two of which came on the first play of a series.

Marina’s defense was more successful protecting its red zone, turning away the Saints four times in their first six possessions after the visitors had penetrated the Vikings’ 20-yard line. Marina also surrendered five runs of between 47 and 20 yards, as well as a 47-yard kickoff return.

One of Marina’s red-zone stops was a goal-line stand after Santa Ana had first-and-goal at the two-yard line early in the second quarter.

Holmes had three receptions for 124 yards, including a 37-yard scoring streak that put Marina on top, 14-12, early in the third quarter.

After Cooper Malerstein raced 45 yards on a draw to the Santa Ana three-yard line, Brandon Savea capped Marina’s next possession with a three-yard scoring run to create a 21-12 cushion.

Malerstein had a team-best 61 rushing yards.

Marina running back-linebacker Blaine Reiderich carried 17 times for 41 yards and was a catalyst on defense with three sacks.

Malerstein and linebacker Seth Bontrager were additional defensive standouts for the Vikings, who started the 2000 season 5-0.

Marina drove 65 yards on eight plays with the opening kickoff as Ian Green ran 23 yards on fourth-and-three for a touchdown.

“I take my hat off to [the Saints],” Turley said. “They never quit and just kept coming at us.”

Nonleague

Santa Ana, 33, Marina 21

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Santa Ana 0 – 12 – 7 – 14– 33

Marina 7 – 0 – 14 – 0 – 21

FIRST QUARTER

Mar – Green 23 run (Riederich kick), 8:01.

SECOND QUARTER

SA – Levao 30 pass from D. Macias (kick blocked), 0:47.

SA – Jor. Briseno 65 pass from D. Macias (run failed), 0:04.

THIRD QUARTER

Mar – Holmes 37 pass from Green (Riederich kick), 4:41.

Mar – Savea 3 run (Riederich kick), 0:31.

SA – Nava 83 pass from D. Macias (Mojica kick), 0:14.

FOURTH QUARTER

SA – Pacheco 8 run (Mojica kick), 1:45.

SA – D. Macias 99 interception return (Mojica kick), 0:35.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

SA – Pacheco, 11-1-5, 1 TD; D. Macias, 13-90.

Mar – Makenstein, 8-69; Riederich, 17-41.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

SA – D. Macias, 7-10-0, 203, 3 TDs.

Mar – Green, 6-13-2, 132, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

SA – Nava, 1-85, 1 TD.

Mar – Holmes, 3-124, 1 TD.