The O.C.: Reruns

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Orange County things that were worth watching over the weekend:

• A two-point conversion in the final minute decided Garden Grove Pacifica’s fate for the second week in a row. Last week, the Mariners scored it to beat Troy, 43-42. This week, the Mariners stopped it with 1:02 to go to beat Cypress, 35-34, in Empire League play. Is there a more exciting team in football?
• Ronnie Hillman took a short pass from Chris Morales and raced through the secondary 49 yards for a touchdown with 56 seconds remaining to give La Habra a 29-22 victory over Troy in what should determine the Freeway League champion. Hillman also had a 93-yard kickoff return to set up another score. It avenged last year’s 42-38 loss to Troy. Have two teams played more exciting games in back-to-back years?
• Linebacker Max Haase had two sacks, an interception and recovered a fumble that he caused as Corona del Mar scored a 22-3 Pacific Coast League upset of previously unbeaten Beckman. Beware those teams with tougher schedules and deceiving records.

• Newman Collett scored on a 36-yard run, and completed four passes for 139 yards and another touchdown, for Orange in its 22-20 victory over Segerstrom. One local reporter (not me) picked Segerstrom to win the Golden West League, so imagine how good the boys at Orange are feeling to win their second game of the season, and do it without their best player, running back Dejon Deason (knee).
• Danny Rujchanarong rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns for Garden Grove Santiago in its 26-0 Garden Grove League victory over Bolsa Grande. Be glad you don’t have to spell that name three times on deadline.
• Foothill scored on its first five possessions in its 56-6 Sea View League victory over Woodbridge. Coach Doug Case challenged his squad to play a perfect game, but better to save it for Friday against Trabuco Hills.
• Sophomore Brantynn Washington rushed for 74 yards -- all on a 77-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter -- to lift Los Alamitos to a 13-9 Sunset League victory over Edison. In the last two games, he has averaged 13.1 yards a carry. Watch out for the Griffins if they have a runner besides quarterback Clark Evans.
• Roland Guerrero of Westminster rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-14 Golden West League victory over Saddleback. I wonder if any of his tennis buddies call him Roland Garros?
• Matt Barkley was near-perfect before getting pulled midway through the third quarter of Mater Dei’s 56-0 victory over JSerra in the latter’s Trinity League debut. Barkley was 21 of 23 for 428 yards and five touchdowns. And there are those who insisted JSerra not play with the small schools.

- Martin Henderson