Saddleback Celebrates in Style

WESTMINSTER â€”  Football players don’t normally break out singing loudly after games.

But when Saddleback Coach Jerry Witte joined his players after a 22-20 victory over host Westminster Friday in a Golden West League game, they belted out a rousing version of “Happy Birthday� for the coach.

The sometimes gruff Witte smiled as his players finished the song.

Chances are there would have been no postgame serenade had Westminster made a two-point conversion with less than a minute left in the game.

Westminster moved 68 yards for a touchdown that came on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Scott Spradling to wide receiver Chris Brewer in the left side of the end zone with 57 seconds to play.

After a timeout, Spradling rolled left but his pass for two points fell incomplete.

The on-side kick didn’t go the required 10 yards and Saddleback ran out the clock after that.

It was the fifth consecutive victory for Saddleback (6-1, 2-0). Westminster (1-6, 0-2) has lost six in a row since opening the season with a 41-19 victory over La Quinta.

“I told the kids this was going to be a tough game and that it would be close in the fourth quarter,� Witte said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told them that.�

Saddleback took a 15-14 lead midway in the third quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Victor Licea.

The key play in the drive was a 57-yard run by tailback Joseph Tagaloa that started as an off-tackle play. He finished with a game-high 159 yards in 19 carries.

Saddleback went ahead, 22-14, with 40 seconds left in the quarter thanks to a fourth-down gamble at the Westminster 11.

Quarterback Juan Cabral dropped back rapidly, then tossed a screen pass to Frankie Gonzalez in the right flat. Gonzalez broke a tackle at the five-yard line and another at the goal line, then fell into the end zone.

Saddleback’s first-half touchdowns came on runs of six and three yards by Tagaloa. The second touchdown was set up by a blocked punt by Saddleback’s David Pedroza that gave the Roadrunners a first down at the Westminster 18.

Westminster still led at the half, 14-12, thanks to an impressive late rally. Spradling moved the Lions 79 yards in 1:23.

The touchdown came when wide receiver Erick Arthur raced past three Saddleback defenders to grab a 35-yard pass in the end zone with seven seconds left.

Spradling finished 10 of 16 for 162 yards and Brewer caught six passes for 97 yards.