Slow starts plague Breakers

Playing a game of catchup the past three weeks has been the M.O. for the Laguna Beach High football team. The pattern? Fall behind early, rally and play a better second half, but come up short in the end.

For the third straight game, the Breakers trailed their opponent, this time, St. Margaret’s, in the opening quarter of a nonleague game Sept. 26. They trailed by a pair of touchdowns and that would be the catalyst for an eventual 35-14 defeat.

Slow beginnings also had done in the Breakers in previous games against University and Westminster.

“For some reason, we have gotten off to a slow start in the first half these last few weeks,” Laguna Coach Corey Brown said. “That has killed us in those games.

“We were immediately down when they (St. Margaret’s) went up 14-0 in the first quarter. The team that came out in the second half for us, showed what type of football team we have. The score was 35-14, but it was a competitive game and much closer than that. There are no ‘moral’ victories, but I was pleased with how we played in that second half.”

St. Margaret’s, which has held down the top spot in the CIF Southern Section East Valley rankings the entire season, took its two-touchdown lead by the end of the first quarter, and doubled its advantage to 28-0 by halftime. The Breakers, as they did a week earlier at Westminster, played the Tartans tough in the second half.

Laguna (1-3), in fact, scored twice in the second half to trim its deficit to 28-14. The Tartans (4-0) used a late touchdown to seal the win.

Laguna’s defense did manage a small victory: St. Margaret’s had scored no fewer than 40 points in its first three games and came into the game averaging 46 points per contest.

“We just sort of figured it out at halftime,” Brown said of his team’s ability to rebound from its first half woes. “Penalties and turnovers have hurt us, and having to play in catchup mode, again, is not the way you want to start a game.

“All of our guys played really well in the second half. (Running back) Nick Krantz had upward of 30 carries, (receiver) Brett Tracy once again had a great game, and Chris Krantz (brother of Nick Krantz) had his first start at center and did a great job.”

Sophomore Nick Krantz scored Laguna’s first touchdown when he reached the end zone from 2 yards out in the third quarter. Another sophomore back, Bruce Knill, took in a 30-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Jack Simon in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter.

Krantz rushed for a season-high 128 yards on 31 carries. His previous top effort was a 108-yard performance in the Breakers’ 45-12 season-opening win at Bolsa Grande.

Laguna played its final nonleague game Thursday against Northwood at Irvine High. The Timberwolves, also playing their final nonleague game, brought a two-game win streak into Thursday. They were coming off a 38-34 win over Katella.

The score from Thursday’s game wasn’t available at press time.

“Our goal always is to win, and it’s important for us to close out nonleague (play) with a strong performance,” Brown said. “We have league coming up next week, and we want to have momentum heading into our opener.”

The Breakers begin their Orange Coast League season and second-half of the regular season at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 when they face defending league champion Costa Mesa at Jim Scott Stadium at Estancia High.

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Results/Schedule

Laguna Beach

45...Bolsa Grande...12

10...University...37

21...Westminster...57

14...St. Margaret’s...35

Thursday: Northwood (score not available)

Oct. 10: *at Costa Mesa (at Estancia High)

Oct. 17: *Saddleback (homecoming)

Oct. 24: *at Estancia

Oct. 31: *Calvary Chapel

Nov. 7: *Godinez

(*denotes league game)