Orange Lutheran comes up clutch again, outduels Santa Margarita in Trinity League opener: 5 takeaways

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Orange Lutheran defeated Santa Margarita 28-26 in an instant classic on Friday to start Trinity League play with a bang.

After Santa Margarita scored a touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game, the Lancers stopped SM's 2-point conversion to secure the victory.

Here are five takeaways from the game:

OLU REMAINS LETHAL IN CLOSE GAMES

This game was close from start to finish – which appears to be how the Lancers like it.

They entered the game 7-1 in one-score games in the Rod Sherman era (the last two seasons). The only loss? Last fall against Santa Margarita in a game they nearly won.

The Eagles struck first on their first possession, finishing a long drive with Emmett Mosley's first touchdown catch from Jaxon Potter of the night. That came with a little under four minutes to play in the first quarter, and gave them a 6-0 lead before Jireh Moe blocked the PAT.

OLu responded with a long touchdown drive of its own capped off by a power run from RB Antonio Barrera. Following the PAT, the Lancers took a 7-6 lead.

Santa Margarita scored again on a dime from Potter to Mosley in the front left corner of the end zone to retake the lead at 12-7. It was set up by a highlight interception from Blake Wilson. Again, Moe blocked the PAT.

When the Eagles stopped Orange Lutheran's next drive, it seemed that they were on the verge of taking some of level of control of the game. But they fumbled at their own five, and the Lancers made them pay. QB TJ Lateef found TE AJ Ia diving in the end zone, and OLu took a 14-12 lead into halftime.

The back-and-forth battle continued in a similar manner in the second half. Santa Margarita put together another convincing drive that RB Taurian Nash finished with a one-yard blast, and led 18-14. With the PAT kick not working in the first half and the opportunity to go up 6 points, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that SM would go for 2, and it did, successfully. Potter found Mosley in the end zone once more, and the Eagles went up 20-14.

Once again, Santa Margarita seemed ready to take control of the game following a stop, a score, and a new lead. And the Lancers negated it by forcing another turnover, this time at SM's 38. The Eagles nearly avoided paying for it, but penalties got in their way as Orange Lutheran converted on three straight fourth-and-short downs to eek into the end zone on a short Barrera run. A good PAT put OLu up 21-20 with 8:34 left in the game.

What followed was the only time in the game either team scored twice in a row. Keon Washington picked off Potter to get the Lancers their third turnover in SM territory of the game. And for the third time in three tries, OLu's offense converted. They got the ball to the 1-yard line and Lateef finished it off through the crowd. Dieter Kelly's fourth consecutive good PAT kick gave Orange Lutheran a 28-20 lead with 4:14 left.

The Eagles weren't done. Potter led a gutsy drive from their 25-yard line that included a couple crucial 4th down conversions of their own. The first was a 4th-and-6 in which he sought to pass but eventually scampered the game to continuation. On the next, needing 4 yards around midfield, he found Trent Mosley for upwards of 20. Santa Margarita kept it going and Potter found Emmett Mosley for his third touchdown of the night with 17 seconds left.

The drama continued. Santa Margarita got backed up going for 2 points after a delay of game, and then got most of that yardage back its targeted receiver was held on the next play upon burning his defender.

But SM couldn't make one last play to send it to overtime. Potter's intended receiver fell to the ground amongst a few OLu defenders and was not able to make a play on the ball. After a failed onside kick, the game was over.

So, make that 8-1 in one-score games under Rod Sherman for the Lancers, who have now beaten the only team to get to them in a one-score game. And 3-0 in one-score games this season.

MOE'S BLOCKED PATs PROVE TO BE THE DIFFERENCE

Orange Lutheran's special teams department sure earned its keep on Friday. They kept an Eagles squad with some elite athletes from making any big plays on special teams, Moe's blocked PATs likely swayed the outcome of the game, and they took care of business by going four for four on Kelly's PATs.

LANCERS HOLD IT DOWN IN THE TRENCHES

With 4-star DE Collins Acheampong out, presumably for the season, with a torn meniscus, Santa Margarita isn't as formidable up front defensively as it otherwise would be. But it's still one of the better teams in the trenches – with some big names in the fold – on both sides of the ball.

However, the Lancers at minimum held their own around the line of scrimmage on Friday, and the film will likely show that they won the trench battle down the stretch.

While Lateef was sacked multiple times, he had all the time and space he could ask for to throw or scramble on many more occasions. Orange Lutheran's offensive line doesn't have a litany of big names like in many recent years, but it's once again formidable, with both the size and toughness necessary to compete in the Trinity League.

Meanwhile, the Lancers' defensive front was able to get to Potter quite a few more times down the stretch. And they stopped the run a bit better than their counterpart.

After the game, Lateef attributed a lot of OLu's offensive success in the clutch to the O-line.

"[It's a matter of] knowing what I worked on all practice, trusting my eyes, and believing in my front five. My front five is gonna do it all the time for me."

LATEEF A RISING STAR

In his first year as a starter, Lateef entered the game passing for over 270 yards per game. He's on a shortlist of the best 2025 QBs in the state already, and has the upside of a can't-miss prospect. Lateef is 6-2, 185, with the arm to throw downfield or to accurately laser short-range missiles, and he has dual-threat athleticism. Throw in the intangibles like guts and consistency he's already displaying as a sophomore, and the sky is the limit.

"It feels great," Lateef said of the win.

"First Trinity League game, to be able to come out with a dub, feels great man."

DIVISION 2, BEWARE OF BOTH TEAMS

The Southern Section Division 1/Division 2 playoff bubble is a little bit less predictable at this juncture of the season than a year ago. It's hard to say how the computer rankings will look on Monday after this result, and then there are four more weeks of regular season play.

But this game should have all projected Division 2 teams on notice. Orange Lutheran is the reigning D2 champ and would unquestionably be a title contender should it land in D2 again. If this loss moves Santa Margarita into Division 2, then that's a scary notion as well. Clearly, these teams are neck-and-neck, and SM is not only still adjusting to life without Acheampong but also missing star DB Donovan Comestro with an injury. 

It's possible but unlikely that both will end up in Division 1. And if this finish actually serves to bring SM down to Division 2 instead of move OLu up to Division 1, then Division 2 just got even tougher. If that's what happens, don't be surprised to see these teams run it back late in the playoffs.

Here are photos from Friday night's game in Costa Mesa:

All photos by Terry Jack