Breakers pull away from Uni

There was plenty of buzz surrounding University High’s first home game of the season on Sept. 12, but Laguna Beach Coach Corey Brown only made passing reference of it to his football team.

“I mentioned to it them briefly, but that was it,” he said. “I didn’t care where we were playing or on what field. All I cared about was us being prepared to play University and coming away with a win.”

The Breakers did get what Brown requested: a victory.

A big University home crowd and a boisterous student body section, clad in unison in blue T-shirts, were on hand to usher in a new era in the program’s history with the inaugural football game being played in the school’s new stadium.

The record book will show Laguna Beach as the winning team on that night.

The Breakers led the entire way in the nonleague contest and used an opportunistic defense to take a 32-7 victory over the Trojans. It was the second win of the season for the Breakers who are 2-0.

Perhaps the Trojans, who fell to 0-2, suffered from a bit of stage fright in their new surroundings. They committed five turnovers, and Laguna took advantage of those miscues throughout the night.

“I had mentioned to the team before the game that how lucky they were to be playing the first game in a new stadium, and to play on such a beautiful field,” Brown said. “This was a hard-fought win, and the kids earned it.

“The whole team contributed. We played assignment football.”

The last Laguna win in the series with University came in 1985. Prior to Thursday’s win, the Breakers had been 0-14-1 against the Trojans.

Laguna actually won a 21-20 overtime game in 2004, but later had to forfeit the game due to using ineligible players. The Breakers have only won four times in 26 games against the Trojans in a series dating to 1971. They previously won games in 1976, ’77 and ’85.

The teams played to a 36-36 tie last year.

“This was a big game for us,” Brown said. “It was important for us to get the win, to keep the momentum going from last week.”

Laguna, which started its season Sept. 6 with a 48-17 victory over Bolsa Grande, passed their first road test of the young season. The Breakers return home Friday to face Long Beach Rancho Dominguez Prep. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Guyer Field.

“I think they are a dangerous team,” Brown said of the Lobos. “This is only their second year playing varsity football, and their first year playing with seniors. They will be hungry.”

Brown also said Rancho Dominguez will present the Breakers, ranked fifth in this week’s CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll, a much different look than their first two opponents.

“They will give us a different look in terms of being big and fast, and more athletic,” Brown said. “They will be the most athletic team we’ve faced yet.”

The Lobos are 1-1 and earned their first win of the year last week by defeating Hollywood, 26-16.

In its 32-7 win at University, Laguna scored four times following a Trojans turnover but the Breakers were far from error-free themselves: they turned the ball over three times.

“I can’t equate that to anything, other than nerves, maybe,” a puzzled Brown said of the miscues, a few which ended potential scoring drives deep in University territory.

The turnovers didn’t prove costly for the Breakers who scored first. Senior defensive back Andres DeLaRosa recovered a muffed punt return by the Trojans at the University 44. Five plays later, DeLaRosa finished off what he had started by taking off around right end for a 35-yard touchdown run. The senior running back hugged the Laguna sideline the final 20 yards to score.

The score came one play after senior running back Nathan Lancaster had gained five yards on a fourth-down run to keep the drive alive.

DeLaRosa scored his second rushing touchdown early in the second quarter on an eight-yard burst up the middle. A tackle-breaking, 15-yard run by Lancaster, followed by an 18-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jack Simon to senior tight end Keaton Martinez, preceded DeLaRosa’s run.

It was 14-0 less than two minutes into the second quarter, but the lead would quickly expand moments later. Lancaster, who also handles Laguna’s kickoff chores, sent a line-drive squib kick that shot off a University player and was recovered by the Breakers at the University 47. Three plays later, junior running back Ethan Chesley went straight up the middle and scored on a 40-yard run. Chesley broke away from the grip of the Trojans defensive back Brad Huber at the five to reach the end zone.

The score pushed Laguna’s lead to 20-0, a score that stood at the half. It was another big opening half for the Breakers who two weeks ago held a 48-3 halftime lead on Bolsa Grande.

“I thought our line really opened up holes in the first half, just like they did in the Bolsa game,” Brown said. “I was pleased with the way they played.”

University had three turnovers in the first half. Two minutes into the second half, the Trojans turned the ball over again. Junior lineman Adam Luecke recovered a fumble at the University 21 and two plays later, Lancaster took a pitch around right end for a 16-yard touchdown run. The lead was 26-0.

Leading 26-7, Laguna senior outside linebacker LG Graves thwarted a University drive by recovering a fumble at the Laguna four yard line in the fourth quarter. That set up the game’s final score, as the Breakers needed only five plays to cover 96 yards. DeLaRosa rambled for a 27-yard gain to move the ball out to the 46 and Lancaster broke two tackles on the next play en route to a 54-yard scoring run with 3:45 left.

Lancaster gained 176 yards on 18 carries against the Trojans. DeLaRosa rushed four times for 70 yards, and Chesley had 62 yards on eight carries.

Lancaster has rushed for 399 yards in two games.

The Breakers did suffer a blow in the victory, as senior lineman Colin Gauthier suffered a broken collarbone during the game, Brown said.

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Breakers Schedule (2-0)

48...Bolsa Grande...17

32...at University...7

Friday: vs. Rancho Dominguez, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27: at St. Margaret’s, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4: Northwood, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11: vs. *Saddleback (at Segerstrom High), 7 p.m.

Oct. 18: *Estancia (homecoming), 7 p.m.

Oct. 24: vs. *Calvary Chapel (at Estancia High), 7 p.m.

Oct. 31: vs. *Godinez (at Segerstrom High), 7 p.m.

Nov. 8: *Costa Mesa (Senior Night), 7 p.m.

(*denotes Orange Coast League game)