Crean Lutheran quarterback Caden Jones hands the ball to running back Eden Gamiz. (Photos courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs, Wendy Rueter).
After Crean Lutheran’s football team dropped two games in non-league play the Saints felt like they had something to prove to their future Bravo League opponents.
And on Friday night at Tustin, Crean Lutheran accomplished exactly what it set out to do with a 21-7 victory over the Tillers.
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Cal Poly commit Caleb Bey Jr., rushed for 144 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Saints (4-2, 1-0) to a hard fought win.
With Crean Lutheran leading 7-0 early in the fourth quarter, Bey Jr. broke a 44-yard touchdown run that upped the Saints lead to 14-0.
“We knew sooner or later we were going to pop one,” said Bey Jr., who carried the ball 21 times. “This felt like a reset of our season.”
On Tustin’s ensuing possession, Colorado State commit Jeremiah Salvant took a handoff on a reverse and broke an 86-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7 with 5:58 to play.
The Saints responded by going on an 8-play, 60-yard drive that was capped off by Bey Jr.’s 8-yard touchdown run, increasing Crean Lutheran’s lead to 21-7 with 2:13 remaining.
The Tillers tried to rally but the Saints defense, led by defensive linemen Luke Smith and Yahushua Foster, recorded sacks to crush Tustin’s comeback hopes.
“It all starts with our discipline at practice,“ said Foster, who along with his defensive teammates recorded six sacks in the game. “We were all focused, disciplined, and we all did our jobs.”
Crean Lutheran ‘Coach Rick Curtis was all smiles following the game.
“We knew it would be a slug-fest,” said Curtis. “The bye week helped us get healthy and the guys were really disciplined tonight. I think our conditioning paid off. The guys worked hard throughout the summer and our defensive linemen applied a lot of pressure and the offensive linemen helped move the ball in the fourth quarter. It was a well balanced attack.”
“It was my favorite win of my four years,” said Saints linebacker Ethan Haugsland, who along with Aaron Nicasio, Leland Anderson, Nasir walker, Smith and and Foster were relentless in applying heavy pressure on Tustin’s quarterback Ayden Edwards.
Walker said applying pressure was the Saints’ game plan.
“The defensive line kept pushing and we made the their quarterback move around more than he wanted to,” said Walker. “In the second half, the offense picked us up.”
The Tillers (4-2, 0-1) drove into Saints territory three times in the first half but came up empty. Crean Lutheran’s defense stopped Tustin on fourth-down plays three times in the opening half.
With 16 seconds remaining in the half and the Tillers at the Saints 11-yard line, Haugsland knocked down a fourth-down pass attempt, nullifying Tustin’s best scoring opportunity of the half.
The Tillers defense also flexed its muscles on the Saints first drive of the game. Crean Lutheran had its 9-play, 40-yard drive stopped when strong safety Khalili Terry picked up a fumbled ball at the Tustin 8-yard line and returned it 20 yards, foiling a Saints scoring opportunity. However, the Tillers couldn’t capitalize.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Saints broke on top when Bey Jr scored on a 10-yard touchdown run, giving Crean Lutheran a 7-0 lead with 2:57 to play in the second quarter.
The Saints scoring drive was highlighted by a 41-yard pass play from Caden Jones to Braylen Ross that set up Bey Jr’s touchdown run.
Tustin narrowly out-gained Crean Lutheran in the first half 114-104. Each team committed 2 turnovers in the game. Hayden Koo led Tustin with six receptions for 55 yards.
“We have to learn from our mistakes tonight, get back to practice on Monday and work on getting better,” said Tustin wide receiver Josh Salvant.
The Tillers will be tested in the weeks ahead as they have three consecutive road games beginning next week vs. Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor, followed by Villa Park and La Habra. The Saints will host Capistrano Valley next week. The Cougars are coached by Sean Curtis, son of Crean Lutheran’s head coach Rick Curtis.
At halftime, Tustin High inducted six former athletes and coaches (Myron Miller, Boyd Philpot, Milorad Cavic, Evelyn Furtsch, Ringo Bossenmeyer, Dominique Degrammont) into the Tustin High Sports Hall of Fame.
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