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Warriors fall in opener to Laguna HillsWoodbridge’s season concludes with an end zone interception in the first round of playoffs.-TV • 'Ev v *m ,4 KMm4,**- '•M?' ■—-iHfe- sv»a;:-TS■ * ,'-«’{••. .....‘ M v; -#r~ ^ TvV..i» -w£»*•**gMK;. . ./^ELSa , ‘ ’'•♦M'V Xl\.... ..m?'..fisBMSWRlt;P0fsp:y^ •. - , • £j4 . -« *.. i ,pr'-^T. -w»• '--'.y 'r~Ti-; ST fpllmw*: IWoodndqes Jared Kaitikini runs downfield as Laguna Hilts* Owen Fellows reaches to stop him during a Southwest Division playoff game at University High.bv TIM BURTSTAFF WRITERWoodbridge s footballteam came close to advancing to the second round of the OF Southwest Division playoffs Friday night.But Laguna Hills made abig defensive stand to preserve a fiMD victory over the Warriors at University and advanced into the second .round Friday against top-seeded: La Habra.“They played their hearts out. It’s unfortunate someone had to lose that one, said Woodbridge Coach Rick Gibson. “The kids played real hard and all the wav until the end, it was in doubt.”The victory extended thecareer of Hawks head coach Bruce Ingalls, who announced before the season he is retiring.“My hats off to our team, obviously,” Ingalls said. “They did a phenomenal job of hanging in there and making a play when they needed to. But what a jobWoodbridge did. It was a phenomenal game plan. We were having a heck of a time trying to stop them and (Connor) McBride is certainly a force to reckonwith.“Rick and his staff did anawesome job. It’s really difficult to beat a team twice in the same season but somehow we found a way at the end.”Laguna Hills defeated. Woodbridge, 42-20, in a nonleague game on Sept.. 18 at Laguna Hills.There were times Friday when it looked like it might be Ingalls' final game,Woodbridge (6-5) w as on the verge of sending the game into overtime or winning it. Behind the .strongrushing of McBride, the Warriors marched to the Laguna Hills 10-yard linewith less than two minutes left.The Warriors were then backed up to the 20. On a third-and-goal play, Sam Warren sealed the win with an interception in the back side of the end zone with 35 seconds left. Warren also rushed for 56 yards.“In that situation, we justtried to put our best player in a situation to make a play and their player made a play and my hats off to them,” Gibson said. “Weweren’t thinking field goalWe wanted a win.” Harrison. Avila put Laguna Hills (8-3) ahead, 13-10', with a 30-yard field goal, with 8:28 remaining. Avila also made a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter to make it 10-0. Logan Montgomery opened the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown reception from. Mitchell O’Hair.Woodbridge tied thescore, 10-10, when Drew Phillips kicked a 37-yardfield goal with 7:25 left in the third quarterMcBride led Woodbridge. .rushing for 162 yards on 25 carries,.“We went to him in the third and the fourth and that’s when things happen,” Gibson.Phillips also hauled in a 29-vard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Spencer Weston with 50 seconds left 'in the first half which cut the lead to 10-7.“Drew Phillips made a great catch,” Gibson said.Weston completed five passes for 108 yards in his first start. He got the start because of season-ending injuries, to the Warriors other quarterbacks, Nick Nash and Chase Bradley'“What’s so impressive about that is that he played football his freshman year/’ Gibson said. “He sat out last year with an injury in baseball and then he came out late for it (football) thisyear jjfe llfel“With injuries to Chase' Bradley and Nick Nash we were saying, ‘next man up.Weston was used at quarterback in practiceTuesday and Wednesdayand came through under the lights.“He came up big,” Gibson said. “Drew Phillips made a great catch.”
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Irvine World News
Irvine, California, US
Thu, Nov 19, 2015
Page 14
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CA, USA 30 Jun 2021
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