MaxPreps Staff Report
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VENTURA, Calif. --- Believe the hype.
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The mystery regarding Oaks Christian's place in the national picture came to statement-making end tonight as the Lions blasted St. Bonaventure, 59-13.
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"There have been a lot of doubters about this team and we wanted to show everybody who we were," Oaks Christian head coach Bill Redell said. "You do that by playing a great team like St. Bonaventure and we thank them for playing us because a lot of schools wouldn't play us."
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Oaks Christian produced points on its first drive as quarterback Jimmy Clausen tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sean Wiser for a 6-0 lead. The extra-point attempt failed.
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Running back Marc Tyler took over on Oaks Christian's second possession, taking it in on the ground from 13 yards out. Clausen connected with Chris Potter on a two-point conversion to extend the lead to 14-0.
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Following an interception, Clausen struck again, this time to junior Christopher Owusu for a 40-yard touchdown on a third-and-12 play.
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The Seraphs punched back early in the second quarter as quarterback Antonio Macarena hooked up with Patrick Hall for a score. St. Bonaventure carried that momentum into the next series, forcing the Lions into a three-and-out.
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But the Seraphs, winners in 98 of their last 101 contests before Friday, were unable to capitalize and the floodgates opened for the Lions.
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After a 30-yard field goal by Steven Vernardi to make the score 24-7, Tyler found the end zone twice on OC's ensuing two possessions, scoring on runs of 73 and 5 yards, respectively, to give the Lions a 38-7 lead heading into the intermission.
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"They are a great, great team with a great quarterback and a great running back," St. Bonaventure head coach Jon Mack said of Oaks Christian, Clausen, and Tyler.
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Tyler continued his tear in the third quarter, scoring his fourth touchdown of the night on a 25-yard run.
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The Lions tacked on a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter, giving them a resounding, 59-13 victory - arguably the biggest in school history.
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After building its resume by feasting on lower-division opponents, Oaks Christian now has a win against one of Southern California's proudest programs.
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The game also marked the latest stop on the MaxPreps USA Football Tour after tripping to Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio in previous weeks.
