ORANGE – It was a weird few days for the El Modena football team.
The Vanguards lost last week to Huntington Beach on a late Oilers touchdown that continues to be discussed and disputed. El Modena then had nothing close to a regular practice all week.
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El Modena played flat for most of three quarters Thursday before a couple of late big plays got the Vanguards a 21-14 win over Laguna Beach in a Delta League game at El Modena High.
The Vanguards are 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the Delta League. Laguna Beach is 4-3 overall and 1-1 in league.
In last week’s 24-21 loss to Huntington Beach, a Huntington Beach touchdown pass in the end zone with 15 seconds left in the game might have bounced on the turf before the Oilers receiver caught the ball. In these social media days, video of the play is readily available and easy to evaluate.
“There’s been a little bit of an emotional hangover from last week,” said El Modena coach Matt Mitchell. “Monday was hot, so we were indoors Monday and didn’t practice normally. Tuesday we went on the grass in the dark behind the stadium, trying to use the stadium lights in the dark and yesterday (Wednesday) it was hot and we tried to practice though that.
“Luckily we got through it and got the ‘W’ tonight.”
El Modena quarterback Ethan Sorenson rushed for 101 yards on eight carries. Hayden Esperanza rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. El Modena’s Mason Romo had four sacks.
El Modena was outplayed by Laguna Beach in the first half and well into the third quarter.
Laguna Beach went into the game with many obstacles.
The Breakers were shorthanded. They suited up only 26 players, an usually small number for a team that is in the Orange County County Top 25. (Laguna Beach is No. 21 this week.) Among the Laguna Beach players unavailable because of injury was senior quarterback Jack Hurst, who suffered a dislocated kneecap last week.
Laguna Beach coach John Shanahan said Hurst, a Foxtrot League co-MVP last season, will be out at least another three weeks.
Freshman Braden Hansen was the Breakers starting quarterback Thursday. started. Hansen completed 17 of 34 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns with one costly interception. Brady Stringham caught the two touchdown passes and kicked the two extra points.
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Hansen threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Stringham in the first quarter that gave the Breakers a 7-0 lead.
El Modena, No. 18 in the county rankings, tied it late in the second quarter on Esperanza’s 25-yard touchdown run. It was 7-7 at halftime.
Laguna Beach took the second half-opening kickoff and drove 79 yards on 11 plays, a drive that consumed 4 minutes and 53 seconds and ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Hansen to Stringham on fourth down. That put the Breakers up, 14-7.
The Breakers took that 14-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Sheehan flashed in front of the intended Laguna Beach receiver on the Laguna Beach sideline, intercepted the pass, twisted out of a couple of tackle attempts and returned the ball for a 28-yard touchdown that tied it, 14-14.
Romo’s third sack, at the Laguna Beach 6-yard line, forced a Breakers punt. A 38-yard pass from Sorenson to Noah Bates set up Esperanza’s 6-yard touchdown run that gave the Vanguards a 21-14 lead, their first lead of the game.
Sacks by Romo and Walker Duff thwarted the Breakers comeback efforts in the final minutes.
El Modena senior Jason Ramos took a tumble in the second quarter and was taken away by ambulance and an EMT crew. Mitchell said he understood that Ramos had a concussion, Ramos’ neck was tweaked on the play, and Ramos was able to move all of his extremities as Ramos was taken to the ambulance.
El Modena plays at home against Troy in a league game on Oct. 16. Troy was 1-0 in league going into this week.
Laguna Beach has a league home game against Dana Hills on Oct. 16. Dana Hills came into this week 6-0 overall and 1-0 in league.
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