Byrum Basks in Spotlight

VENTURA-At 6 feet 3 and 202 pounds, St. Bonaventure High tight end Joe Byrum is a little too large to be lost in the shadows.

But for most of the season, that’s exactly where the Seraphs’ second-leading receiver has been found, trailing receiver Pepe Villasenor in catches, yardage and publicity.

But Saturday night Byrum stole the spotlight with seven catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns to lead St. Bonaventure to a 21-17 comeback victory over Orange Lutheran in a Southern Section Division X semifinal at Ventura High.

Third-seeded St. Bonaventure (11-1-1) will travel to play top-seeded Nordhoff (12-0-1) in a rematch of an early season meeting, won by the Rangers, 14-8, in week three.

Byrum’s heroics made him the first-half hero, but give the second-half caveats to the Seraph defense, which made the halftime lead stand up as the final score.

Defensive back David Chaparro made two interceptions, defensive lineman David Bernal knocked his blockers into the backfield and the entire unit pinned the Lancers (11-2) in their end of the field after they took possession of the ball at their 25 with four minutes one second to play.

But back to Byrum. With St. Bonaventure trailing, 14-9, late in the second quarter, the senior caught touchdown passes on consecutive completions by quarterback Teohua Sanchez.

The first, a 37-yard play, capped a three-play, 54-yard drive. Byrum curled off the line and into the flat, caught a short pass behind Lancer linebacker Eric Lerch and bolted for the end zone.

Orange Lutheran was forced to punt on the next series and St. Bonaventure took over on its 42.

On the next play, Sanchez drilled the ball down the middle of the field to Byrum, who broke a tackle by Dee Meza and scored on a 58-yard play.

St. Bonaventure had a lead it would not relinquish.

After Byrum’s touchdowns gave St. Bonaventure a 21-14 advantage, a 43-yard field goal by the Lancers’ Nelson produced the final score.

Sanchez completed 18 of 31 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. With 10 catches for 76 yards, Villasenor broke Leodes Van Buren’s Ventura County record for receptions, set in 1993 with 101.