Seahawks run past Loara

It took awhile for it to get going, but once Ocean View found its running game in the second half of Friday’s Golden West League encounter with Loara, there was no slowing the Seahawks.

Ocean View picked up a key league victory by routing the Saxons, 42-7, a win that kept the Seahawks in the thick of the league race and in second place, one game behind league-leading Segerstrom. They got the win by unleashing a run game in the third quarter that was spearheaded by quarterback Timmy Robinson and running back Travis Sparks-Jackson.

The Seahawks erupted for 21 third-quarter points to pull away from a 14-7 halftime lead.

“A couple of times we talked to Travis and Timmy, and we told them to take control out there,” Ocean View Coach Harold Eggers said of two of his senior leaders. “We wanted them to lead, whether it was running the ball or getting the offense pumped up. They both did a nice job in taking that leadership role for us.

“I thought Travis ran real well tonight. He got injured a few weeks ago but he knew this was a big game tonight and wanted to play. I thought he did a great job running the ball. And Timmy, well, he had another big game for us.”

Sparks-Jackson picked up some nice yardage in the second half but the night belonged to Robinson.

The two-way starter, who also made some big hits from his linebacker position on defense, reached the end zone six times. He scored on runs of one, five, one, seven, 60 and 32 yards, and finished with a game-high 237 yards.

Sparks-Jackson, meanwhile, ran for 84 yards.

Ocean View took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on Robinson’s one-yard run. He ran for 56 yards in a 66-yard, eight-play drive with one of his runs a 41-yard gain. After Loara had tied the score late in the first quarter, Hernandez’s interception of Loara quarterback David Gistlinck’s pass at the Loara 41-yard line and 12-yard return put the Seahawks in business at the 29 two minutes into the second quarter. Robinson then ran 20 yards on a draw and then powered his way to a five-yard scoring run on a keeper. It gave the Seahawks a 14-7 lead at the half on senior night.

Hernandez made another big defensive play at the start of the second half, recovering a fumble by Loara’s Ricardo Fernandez after the Saxons had taken the second half kickoff and reached the Ocean View 35-yard line. The takeaway led to Ocean View’s next score, another one-yard keeper by Robinson. Sparks-Jackson had runs of 19 and 18 yards early in the drive and a 23-yard gain on a keeper by Robinson put the ball at the one.

On the Seahawks’ next drive, another 23-yard run by Robinson and a 20-yard gain by Colton Johnson on a reverse, put the ball at the Loara 12, Two plays later, Robinson powered his way straight up the middle and scored untouched on an eight-yard run. Before the third quarter was through, Robinson scored on a tackle-breaking, 60-yard run that put the Seahawks in front, 36-7.

His 32-yard scoring run with 10:44 left in the game capped the scoring.

Ocean View is now 2-1 in league and 4-4 overall. Friday’s win also eased the sting of last week’s 41-40 home loss to Orange, a game in which Sparks-Jackson sat out with a high-ankle sprain.

“The kids came to play tonight, and that’s what we wanted to see,” Eggers said. “We had a real disappointing loss last week and the kids took a positive step and played well.

Allen rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown for Loara which fell to 1-2 in league and 2-6 overall.

Ocean View’s defense held the Saxons to their season low in points. Lineman Speiser Alani and strong safety Elijah Nolasco-Blas had some big hits on defense for the Seahawks.

“I was glad to see Alex do so well tonight,” Eggers said of Hernandez. “He had a tough game last week and this was a nice bounce back for him.

“Trevor Martin, our defensive coordinator, also deserves some credit. Our defense has been criticized for giving up a lot of points in some games this year but they did a nice job tonight against a pretty decent team. I thought those guys did a great job in just giving up seven points.”

Ocean View plays its homecoming game Nov. 4 against Santa Ana. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca