Laguna Beach can’t keep up with Santa Ana

SANTA ANA — Laguna Beach High football coach John Shanahan said it best.

His Breakers were going to have play a perfect football game to have a shot at defeating No.1 seed Santa Ana in Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 13 semifinal at the Santa Ana Bowl.

That didn’t happen.

Instead it was the Saints who played near flawless football and surge to the Division final with a 66-27 victory over the Breakers.

The 66 points is a season-high for the undefeated Saints (13-0), who are playing for a CIF title for the first time since 1985, according to their coach, Charlie TeGantvoort.

Laguna Beach finishes 8-5 in Shanahan’s first season, a complete turnaround for its 2-8 record a year ago.

“It was a combination of them playing great, preparing well, playing their butts off, being the best team in Division 13 and us not playing real clean,” Shanahan said. “When that happens, teams beat you 66-27.”

The Breakers were severely outsized by the Saints on both sides of the line and it showed.

Santa Ana running back Jorge Briseno carried 30 times for 203 yards and five touchdowns.

Laguna Beach meanwhile was forced to abandon its running game, which accounted for zero yards.

“They didn’t go away from the run,” Shanahan said of the Saints. “They kept pounding and pounding and pounding.”

The game featured a wild first half, which included three kickoff returns for touchdowns and a combined 63 points.

Briseno’s one-yard touchdown run capped a game-opening seven-play, 60-yard drive to give Santa Ana a quick 7-0 lead.

The Breakers’ Bruce Knill returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

Santa Ana then scored touchdowns on drives of 77, 53 and 55 yards to take a 29-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Laguna Beach quarterback Curtis Harrison connected with Sean Nolan on a 19-yard touchdown to get the Breakers to within two scores.

But an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Pablo Aguirre on the ensuing kickoff snatched the momentum right back for the Saints, who were now ahead, 35-14.

Santa Ana then made it 42-14 on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Damian Macias to Jonathan Briseno.

It appeared as though that would be the halftime score.

But Adam Armstrong’s 92-yard kickoff return with 10 seconds left in the half made the score 42-21.

Laguna Beach received the second-half kickoff but the Saints got possession back right away on an interception by Macias.

Santa Ana converted the takeaway to a one-yard touchdown run from Briseno, putting, the Saints ahead 49-21.

An eight-yard touchdown pass from Curtis Harrison to Ryan Blaser accounted for the Breakers only points in the second half.

Briseno’s fifth touchdown put the Saints ahead by 40 points, invoking a running clock for the game’s final minutes.

After the game, TeGantvoort said he was proud of both teams.

“Just to have Laguna Beach and Santa Ana playing in the semifinal … both our programs have come a long way,” the coach said. “I don’t think anyone chose that to be a semifinal at the beginning of the year.”

CIF Southern Section Division 13 playoffs

Semifinal

Santa Ana 66, Laguna Beach 27

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Laguna Beach 7 - 14 - 6 - 0 -- 27

Santa Ana 22 - 20 - 14 - 10 -- 66

FIRST QUARTER

SA – Jor. Briseno 1 run, (Mojica kick), 9:27.

LB – Knill 96 kickoff return, (Nolan kick), 9:13.

SA – Jor. Briseno 6 run, (Mojica kick), 4:19.

SA – Pacheco 1 run, (Bucio run), :43

SECOND QUARTER

SA – Jor. Briseno 1 run, (Mojica kick), 9:06.

LB – Nolan 19 pass from Harrison, (Nolan kick), 5:40.

SA – Aguirre 85 kickoff return, (kick failed), 5:26.

SA – Jon. Briseno 52 pass from Macias, (Mojica kick), :22.

LB – Armstrong 92 kickoff return, (Nolan kick), :10.

THIRD QUARTER

SA – Jor. Briseno 1 run, (Mojica kick), 6:10.

LB – Blaser 8 pass from Harrison, (kick failed), 3:34.

SA – Pacheco 7 run, (Mojica kick), :16.

FOURTH QUARTER

SA – FG Mojica 38. 10:28.

SA – Jor. Briseno 9 run, (Mojica kick), 8:52

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

LB – Hayes 5-3.

SA – Jor. Briseno 30-203, 5 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

LB – Harrison 13-22-1-161, 2 TDs.

SA – Macias 2-9-0-60, TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

LB – Blaser 4-23, TD.

SA – Jon. Briseno 1-52, TD.