SCORECARD / COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 5

EMOTIONAL VICTORY

With tears in his eyes, Los Amigos fullback Shaun Tagatauli tried to explain how his team rallied for a 23-20 victory over previously undefeated Pacifica Friday.

“We knew the team that had the most heart was going to win the game,” he said. “We kept attacking them and they got weak.”

Tailback Najja Kee, a junior transfer from Orange Lutheran, carried the ball 42 times for 207 yards and two touchdowns but didn’t seem to mind the workload a bit.

“I was expecting it,” he said. “We knew they couldn’t stop us and we just kept taking it to them.”

Kee and Tagatauli combined for 329 yards in 59 carries.

“Me and Shaun were unstoppable tonight,” Kee said.

GOOD TIMING

Because of the dance after the game and a 20-minute halftime to celebrate homecoming, the Huntington Beach-Westminster game Friday was played under the old timing rule and lasted less than two hours. When asked which timing method he prefers, one game official said, “It doesn’t matter to me, I’m a married man.”

IN MEMORY

Trabuco Hills’ players wore a sticker on the back on their helmets Friday that read: “Caitlin Rose, 1989-1996.” It was done in memory of the younger sister of Mustang kicker and wide receiver Brandon Heaney. Caitlin, 7, died from an allergic reaction on Sept. 27, the night Trabuco Hills defeated Villa Park.

STRIKING EARLY

The Tustin football team has scored 225 points this season and has a 5-0 record as it prepares for Golden West League play next week. One reason for the team’s success is Tustin’s ability to score early and force opponents to play catch-up. In the Tillers’ 42-0 victory over Canyon Friday, the team scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. Tustin has now outscored its five opponents, 56-0, in the opening quarter.

ON THE RECORD

‘We needed a tough game like this. This gave us a lot of stuff to handle and we pretty much did.’

--Sean Stein, Los Alamitos quarterback, talking about the value of a 43-28 victory over Riverside Poly going into a Sunset League showdown with Esperanza next week.

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HOW TOP 10 FARED

Results of games involving teams in the Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll:

1. Mater Dei (5-0)

defeated No. 2 Servite (4-1), 41-7

2. Servite (4-1)

lost to No. 1 Mater Dei (5-0), 41-7

3. Los Alamitos (4-0)

defeated Riverside Poly (1-4), 43-28, Thursday.

4. Esperanza (3-1)

defeated Pasadena Muir (3-2), 30-14, Thursday.

5. Capistrano Valley (3-2)

lost to Bakersfield (5-0), 31-14.

6. Laguna Hills (5-0)

defeated Dana Hills (3-2), 42-14.

7. Santa Margarita (4-1)

defeated Fountain Valley (3-2), 42-14.

8. San Clemente (3-2)

lost to Irvine (3-2), 42-35.

9. Aliso Niguel (5-0)

defeated Woodbridge (0-5), 38-7, Thursday.

10. El Toro (3-2)

lost to Trabuco Hills (3-2), 16-13.

Week’s Best

RUSHING

1. Billy Newman

Santa Margarita vs. Fountain Valley

227 yards in 19 carries

*

2. James Dawkins

Estancia vs. Katella

224 yards in 18 carries

*

3. Najja Kee

Los Amigos vs. Pacifica

207 yards in 42 carries

*

4. Mike Jones

Laguna Hills vs. Dana Hills

202 yards in 23 carries

*

5. Chad Staffieri

Fullerton vs. Cerritos Gahr

200 yards in 17 carries

*

PASSING

1. Sean Stein

Los Alamitos vs. Riverside Poly

21 of 36,358 yards

*

2. Doug Baughman

Bolsa Grande vs. Rancho Alamitos

13 of 29,319 yards

*

3. Chris Hayward

San Clemente vs. Irvine

28 of 41,298 yards

*

4. Luis Gomez

Anaheim vs. Orange

17 of 37,250 yards

*

5. Damian DeFeo

University vs. Saddleback

12 of 27,249 yards