Aldaz Takes Abuse, Loara Takes the Win Against Anaheim, 10-7

For most of the game against Loara High School, Ted Mullen’s Anaheim team did what Mullen teams usually do. It played defense.

But in the last five minutes of the game, Loara did what Coach Herb Hill’s teams usually do. It won the game.

Hill recorded his 176th victory as a head coach, as the Saxons rallied from behind to defeat Anaheim, 10-7, in front of a home crowd of 2,500 at Glover Stadium. With 5:34 remaining, Loara mounted a dramatic 67-yard drive, that culminated in receiver Bill Gaynor’s leaping touchdown catch, sandwiched between two Anaheim defenders.

“I was proud of our players,” said Hill, the third most victorious active coach in Orange County. “They were tough and they came back. In the first half they played terrible. They made some critical errors.”

Both teams played sloppily in the first half. Anaheim’s offense suffered from numerous miscues and dropped balls. Its defense, which held Loara to 35 yards in the half, couldn’t hold on to one sure interception.

But it was a Loara mistake that led to Anaheim’s second-quarter score--the one that looked like it might be the only touchdown of the game.

At the end of the first-quarter, Anaheim faced a third-and-11 situation. Quarterback Robert Aldaz’s on-target pass to Joaquin Garcia slipped through Garcia’s hands. But Aldaz took a hard hit from Saxon Steve Nichols after releasing the ball and Loara was slapped with a 15 yard roughing-the-passer penalty.

Instead of punting, Anaheim had a first down on the Loara 34-yard line and nine plays later Garcia scored on a one-yard pitchout from Aldaz.

Before the game, Hill said one of his priorities was to slow down Garcia, and the Saxons were successful. Garcia, who rushed for 135 yards last week against Fullerton, gained 60 yards in 21 carries, most coming on two and three yard runs.

In the second half, after Loara had moved within four points on Don Bradshaw’s 30 yard field goal, it seemed that another Loara mistake would seal an Anaheim victory.

Facing fourth and 11, Anaheim attempted a 42 yard field goal. Aldaz, who was replaced at quarterback by junior Dan Pacillas after the roughing the passer penalty, came on to kick. The kick dropped short but Aldaz, once again, was dropped himself. Loara received a roughing the kicker penalty, giving Anaheim a first down on Loara’s 11-yard line.

But the Colonists made mistakes of their own, marching backwards on a holding call and a quarterback sack.

When Loara got the ball back, they went to work. Jarman, who finished 7 of 17 for 71 yards, directed his team up field with two 12 yard completions to Korey Kawata. On fourth and 2, Nichols got the first down and Gaynor scored on the next play.

“We had a long way to go,” Jarman said. “But we just sucked it up and did all we were supposed to.”

Anaheim kept the excitement going with its best offensive drive of the game. Pacillas completed a long bomb to Garcia for 27 yards to bring the team into Loara territory. But Aldaz, who Mullen said was banged up but OK, missed a 42 yard field goal attempt with seven seconds left and Loara had its fifth victory over Anaheim in as many years.