Laguna Hills Capitalizes on Mistakes

MISSION VIEJO â€”  If Twenty-nine Palms learned anything Friday night, it was probably to leave well enough alone.

Laguna Hills (5-0) turned four turnovers into touchdowns on their way to a 58-18 thrashing of Wildcats (4-1) in a nonleague game at Mission Viejo High.

“They came out and changed everything they had done all year,� Laguna Hills Coach Steve Bresnahan said. “We had a hard time adjusting only because we convinced our players that this was a good team and that they wouldn’t change.�

It was Twentynine Palms that seemed to have trouble adjusting to its different look, a wider spread of its option attack, losing three fumbles and throwing two interceptions.

“That’s one thing they had done, is turn it over because of their high-risk, option offense,� Bresnahan said. “But they were 4-0 because their opponents hadn’t capitalized on it.�

Laguna Hills did not have that problem.

Steve Stand recovered a fumble on the first offensive play of the game. Three plays later, Justin Vedder hit Ryan Geyer for a 19-yard score. Twentynine Palms was able to get three plays into its next drive before Stand recovered his second fumble. This time, Dan Ciska ran nine yards for the score and Laguna Hills led, 14-0.

Leading, 17-6, early in the second quarter, Fred Kim, who hadn’t played in two weeks because of a shoulder injury, returned an interception 55 yards for a.

Laguna Hills, which had a commanding 31-18 lead at the half, scored on its first drive of the third quarter. Twentynine Palms fumbled on its first possession of the second half and then turned it over again on its second try. This time, Matt Stilson’s interception gave Laguna Hills the ball on the 50. Seven plays later, Vedder ran in from the one.