Messersmith and Haiduc Combine to Rally Servite, 14-10

Servite High School rallied for two touchdowns in the final six minutes to pull out a 14-10 victory over Fountain Valley in a nonleague game Thursday at Sheue Field in Huntington Beach.

Servite quarterback Jason Messersmith found flanker Nick-John Haiduc in the corner of the end zone on a seven-yard play-action pass with 1:22 remaining for the winning score.

That was the second time in the fourth quarter that Messersmith had thrown a touchdown pass to Haiduc, a 5-foot 11-inch, 180-pound senior. For the game, Haiduc caught 5 passes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Those touchdowns came just in time for Servite (3-1), a team that was dominated by Fountain Valley (0-4) through much of the game. Servite seemed to be its own worst enemy Thursday night, being called for several penalties and dropping passes before Messersmith rallied the Friars for the final two scoring drives.

“Fountain Valley played a very fine football game,� Servite Coach Leo Hand said. “The way it ended had to be a tough pill for them to swallow, but (Fountain Valley Coach) Mike Milner can be very proud of his team. They played hard.�

Following a scoreless, raggedly played first half, the Barons opened the scoring on a 19-yard run by tailback Ray Luckey with 3:38 to play in the third quarter.

The touchdown culminated an 11-play, 78-yard drive that was aided by three major penalties on the Friar defense.

The key play in the drive was a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty that gave Fountain Valley a first down at the Friar 30. Three players later, Luckey scored to put the Barons in front, 7-0.

Fountain Valley upped its lead to 10-0 on a 21-yard field goal by Dana Potts early in the fourth quarter, but after that, the Barons let the game slip away.

Servite’s first scoring drive was a six-play, 70-yard march that ended with the 42-yard scoring pass play from Messersmith to Haiduc. Messersmith found Haiduc on the left sideline at about the 20-yard line, and Haiduc carried it in from there.

Fountain Valley regained possession after the kickoff, but it was three plays and punt, giving the Friars the ball on their 34-yard line with 4:15 to play. Messersmith then marched the team to the Fountain Valley seven, from where he found Haiduc in the corner of the end zone for the winning score.