The Orange Lutheran Lancers are taking a road trip to square off against the Santa Margarita Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Santa Margarita took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Orange Lutheran, who comes in off a win.
Orange Lutheran headed into their last contest having not scored more than 13 points for three straight, but JSerra Catholic let them put that streak behind them. The Lancers breezed past the Lions to the tune of 63-23 on Friday. The Lancers have beaten the Lions the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Lions has come to flipping the script.
Orange Lutheran's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Ezrah Brown, who threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns on perfect 17-for-17 passing, and Sean Morris Jr, who gained 148 total yards and two touchdowns. Chris Flores Jr also helped out as he racked up 114 receiving yards.
Orange Lutheran didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited JSerra Catholic to a completion percentage of just 41.4%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from seven players: Marcus Fakatou, Chauncey Washington II, Josh Paquette, Samuel Tejan, Hunter Schnakenberg, James Tuia, and Anthony McClure, who each logged one passes deflected. Orange Lutheran wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 85.7%.
Orange Lutheran didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tuia and Washington II. Tuia got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Santa Margarita faced St. John Bosco in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Eagles fell 27-14 to the Braves.
Orange Lutheran will have to contain Trent Mosley as he made an impact in Santa Margarita's last game. He rushed for 94 yards and a pair of TDs on only nine carries. Mosley's longest rush was for an incredible 70 yards.
Orange Lutheran's win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 4-4. As for Santa Margarita, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-3.
Orange Lutheran came out on top in a nail-biter against Santa Margarita in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, sneaking past 13-10. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lancers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
