Breakers run away in opener

By Mike Sciacca

Sept. 15, 2011 12 AM PT

Talk about running roughshod.

The start to the 2011 prep football season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for Laguna Beach High and first-year Coach Mike Churchill. A 55-7 victory Sept. 9 against Webb of Claremont contained plenty of superlatives that could set the tone for the Breakers the remainder of the year.

All the Breakers did was wreak havoc on the school’s football record book. The marks that fell or were tied were:

•Most rushing yards in a single game: (579; old record: 443 set in 2009).

•Most yards, total offense: (579; old record: 519 set in 1956).

•Most PATs/game: Robbie McInerny (seven; ties record)

•Most touchbacks on kickoffs: Robbie McInerny (seven)

The Breakers also scored four touchdowns in their first nine plays of the game. They only attempted one pass the entire night.

“I think the most important thing is that this is the first time a Laguna team has won an opener since I’ve been here,” said Churchill, who began as Laguna’s athletic director five years ago. “I didn’t have to say anything to get our guys fired up for this game. They’ve been waiting so long to go out and play and get after it. And they got after it. Before you knew it, we had 14 pointes in the first two minutes of the game.

“I think three greats things to come out of this was, one, we won. Two, we played some really good defense, especially for us, and three, everybody got to play, and got to play early on.”

During Laguna’s scoring barrage, junior Robert Clemons scored on runs of 23 and 76 yards and junior Drake Martinez scored three times (53, 18, 35 yards), sophomore Nathan Lancaster had an 80-yard jaunt to the end zone and both senior Zach Jaffe and junior Ricky Coury scored on 18-yard runs. Lancaster rushed for 171 yards on 15 carries, Martinez for 124 yards on five rushes and Clemons averaged 33 yards on three carries.

“All of our guys did a really good job,” said Churchill, who added that he was “extremely impressed” with McInerny’s seven kickoffs to the end zone. “We have all new kids on our offensive line and they all played real well. Our line coach (Spencer Harrell) is a Laguna Beach graduate and he’s done a super job with these kids.

“What’s also key from this game is that, amazingly, we didn’t have a single injury. Last year at this time, we were already banged up.”

Laguna returns to Guyer Field on Friday to face an Ocean View team that last week also picked up an impressive victory. The Seahawks piled it on during the final three quarters against Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana, where it scored all of its points in a wild 62-34 triumph. Quarterback Timmy Robinson rushed for four touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes to Elijah Nolasco-Blas. Robinson, a senior, had 174 yards on the ground and 119 through the air.

Last year, Robinson played at running back and gave Laguna fits in the second week of the season.

“What I remember vividly is them (Ocean View) running over us last year,” Churchill said. “He (Robinson) is just as good this year but now, he has his hand more on the ball as quarterback. We’ll need to stop him and their running back (Travis Sparks-Jackson), who is pretty good, too.”

Ocean View is 1-1, having lost to Western in its opener Sept. 2.

“It looks like we will have our hands full with Laguna Beach,” Ocean View offensive coordinator Eli Atol said. “Our defense has been getting a little better every week and we are in for a good challenge to try and slow Laguna’s rushing attack.”

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Twitter: @MikeSciacca

Schedule/Results

55…Webb…7

Friday: vs. Ocean View, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23: vs. Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30: at Mary Star of the Sea, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7: at Jurupa Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 14: vs. *Estancia, 7 p.m.

(homecoming. Guyer Field)

Oct. 20: vs. *Calvary Chapel, 7 p.m.

(at Estancia High)