Irvine’s Defense Proves Too Much for Loara

After the teams had shaken hands, Irvine Coach Terry Henigan tracked down Loara quarterback Jeremy Ellis and put his arm around him.

“You’re every bit as good as us,” Henigan said. “We’re going to try to win it for you guys.”

Henigan and his team will try to win a Southern Section title, its fourth of the 1990s and first since winning three in a row (1991-93), when it plays Sea View League rival Newport Harbor for the Division VI championship next week.

The Vaqueros are back in the title game after getting a huge effort from their defense and special teams to defeat Loara, 15-9, in a wind-blown semifinal at Irvine in front of an overflow crowd of about 3,600.

Irvine (10-2-1) lost to Newport Harbor during the regular season, 12-10. Loara finished 10-3, losing twice to Irvine and once to Mater Dei.

Irvine’s final points came with 3 minutes 1 second left, when Mike Patterson sacked Ellis in the end zone for a safety. It was Irvine’s fifth sack of Ellis.

Loara’s last gasp was squeezed from it when Jack Egan intercepted Ellis’ pass meant for Rudy Acosta with 21 seconds left.

Irvine’s defense, led by Patterson and linebacker Jeff Patty, shut down Loara’s offense. Ellis was the Saxons’ leading rusher with 13 yards. Running back Billy Chavez (1,755 yards, 21 touchdowns) was held to minus-two yards in 13 carries.

“The defense is the best,” said Irvine quarterback Mike Ricci, who completed seven of 16 pass attempts for 80 yards and one touchdown, a 27-yard play to Chris Sinner with 2:39 left in the third quarter.

It was Irvine’s first play after Miguel Gonzales’ 13-yard punt, just another victim of a 40-50 mph head wind. Ricci wasted no time in taking advantage of the wind at his back.

Loara had done the same thing earlier, when it took a 9-7 lead in the second quarter.

Trailing, 7-0, Ellis hit Chavez in stride for a 40-yard touchdown pass play. Gonzales’ point-after attempt was blocked by Dan Beuchat.

Keith Short fumbled on Irvine’s next play, giving Loara possession at the 20. Loara’s offense, unable to advance the ball, relied on Gonzales to kick a 37-yard field goal for a 9-7 lead.

Irvine was lucky to be so close. Its first touchdown came courtesy of its special teams.

With the ball at his own one-yard line, Gonzales’ punt was blocked by Joe Bollard. The ball bounded high in the air, swept to the left side of the field by the wind, and Short juggled it before finally catching it. Reisbeck, who had just had a 22-yard field goal attempt blocked, converted the point-after for a 7-0 lead.

Irvine held Loara to only 56 yards total offense. Ellis completed three of 10 pass attempts for 34 yards and threw one interception. Two of Ellis’ three completions were for negative yards.

Patterson, Bollard and Short each had one sack and Brian Porteous had two.

“They deserved it,” Ellis said of Irvine. “They made the big plays in the game.”