SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – It looked like an upset, from the outside. But inside the minds of the Servite football team the Friars win over JSerra was expected.
Servite beat JSerra 20-7 on Friday in the Trinity League opener for both at JSerra High.
Servite went into the game No. 5 in the Orange County Top 25 and No. 13 in the Calpreps.com state rankings. JSerra is No. 3 in the county and No. 6 in the Calpreps.com state rankings.
Both teams took 5-0 overall records into Friday’s game.
“We expected to win the game,” said Servite coach Chris Reinert. “These guys are strong because of their belief, they’re strong because of their belief.”
Servite plays Mater Dei next Friday, Oct. 11, in a league game at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. That’s a Servite home game. Mater Dei beat Santa Margarita on Friday.
JSerra plays Orange Lutheran in a league game next week at Orange Coast College. Orange Lutheran lost to St. John Bosco on Friday.
JSerra’s lowest points total before Friday was 28 points in a win over the CIF San Diego Section’s best team, Lincoln.
“The defense has been spectacular,” said Reinert, in his second season as Servite’s head coach. “(Defensive coordinator) Chris Redfern has been a godsend. The players on that side of the ball are playing hard and making plays.”
Servite senior running back Quaid Carr rushed for 131 yards on 24 carries. Carr, who committed to San Diego State, scored on a 1-yard run and on a 6-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Colin O’Connor.
Two important players for both teams, both seniors bound for major college football programs, did not play: Servite quarterback Leo Hannan, who committed to Michigan State, and JSerra linebacker Madden Faraimo, who has offers from every college that thinks it has a chance at him. Hannan, who has a leg injury, and Faraimo who has an injured wrist, could be back as soon as next week.
“We wanted to step up to the challenge that we had,” said Servite senior linebacker Thomas Cernius who had a sack. “We’re going to fight for our brothers in everything we do, every single play, every single down and that’s what we did.”
After a scoreless first quarter Servite scored on the first play of the second quarter. Carr scored on his 1-yard run. Carr and O’Connor had back-to-back 35-yard runs on the drive.
The point-after kick attempt was blocked, leaving the Friars with a 6-0 lead.
JSerra answered quickly, scoring on a 12-yard run by quarterback Ryan Hopkins. Carter Meza’s point-after kick was good to put the Lions on top 7-6.
Servite constructed an excellent scoring drive to conclude the second half. Starting at their 14-yard line, the Friars went 86 yards on 12 plays. On fourth down at the JSerra 6 with four seconds remaining, on a well-designed play, O’Connor passed to Carr coming out of the backfield for the touchdown. An unsportsmanlike penalty after the play pushed Servite back to the 18-yard line from where a two–point conversion try was an incomplete pass that was overthrown beyond the end zone.
The Friars had a 12-7 lead at halftime. Servite scored the second half’s only touchdown on another ling drive, this one covering 90 yards on 12 plays that included a 15-yard run by Gavin Gutierrez and a 29-yard run by Carr. O’Connor scored on a 4-yard run around left end. His pass to tight end Luke Vanskiver added two points.
Servite’s offensive line of seniors Brandon Bass and Gavin Jones, junior Jaden Rasic and freshmen Keiden Lokeni and Elijah Mueller opened the holes for Carr and Gutierrez consistently Friday.