By ARTIE CASAS
OCVarsity staff

ANAHEIM -- Loara kicker Jonathan Negrete made a 32-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give the Saxons a 27-24 victory over Los Amigos on Thursday at Glover Stadium.

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> “I’m just a soccer player that was asked to come kick some field goals,” Negrete said. “But I felt like a champ when I saw it go through.”

Loara (2-0) quarterback Marcus Meraz found James Gonzalez open down field for a 50-yard completion with 2:11 left to set up the winning kick.

“I saw him down field and just put everything I had into that throw,” Meraz said. “We got a lot of momentum from that play.”

After Anthony Bautista, who carried the offense with 141 rushing yards, inched his way to the center of the field, Negrete came in and connected for his second field goal of the night.

“None of this would have been possible without the blocking from our lineman,” Bautista said. “It was an amazing win.”

The Lobos (0-2) battled back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24 with 3:18 left on a 5-yard touchdown run by Ricky Vu.

“They played their hearts out and left it all out on the field,” Los Amigos coach Carl Agnew said. “Today they learned what it takes to win, we fell just a little short but I think we will get it right and be okay the rest of the way.”

It was a sloppy game that featured plenty of turnovers and penalties by both teams.

On the second play of the game the Saxons fumbled the ball.

The turnover resulted in a touchdown on the very next play when quarterback Jose Gonazlez connected with Fidel Mendoza to give the Lobos a 7-0 lead.

Loara answered back when Nathonn Carmona capped a nine play, 71-yard drive with a four yard touchdown run with 6:35 left in the first quarter, but a missed PAT left the score at 7-6.

The Saxons grabbed their first lead of the game with a quarterback sneak by Meraz from one yard moments after John Werner had intercepted the ball and nearly ran it back.

Then Los Amigos wide receiver Francisco Pullido took over the show for one drive. Pullido caught four straight passes for 71 yards, including a tipped pass in the endzone for an 8-yard TD to tie it, 14-14.

Loara came right back and got a 23-yard FG from Negrete, 17-14.

On the next drive Bautista finally got a taste of the endzone after doing so much damage on the ground for the Saxons early on when he capped a 12-play, 58-yard drive with an 11-yard TD run up the gut.

In the fourth quarter Gonzalez knocked in a 26-yard FG to put the Lobos within a touchdown of Loara, 24-17.

Los Amigos get that game tying touchdown on the next drive when Vu scored from five yards out with 3:18 left in the game, 24-24.

“You have to credit Los Amigos they played hard and never quit,” Loara coach Dean Lappin said.

The Saxons got a huge defensive effort from Howard Gauta, two interceptions, and Isaac Falealili, three sacks.

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