By TOM CONNOLLY
Special to OCVarsity

ANAHEIM — Ruben Ortega’s 22-yard touchdown run with 1:25 remaining lifted Western to a 20-14 victory over Savanna in an Orange League game Thursday at Western High.

After the Pioneers’ touchdown, Western missed the PAT setting the stage for a wild finish.

Dashawn Miller, who rushed for 147 yards, broke off a 47-yard run down to the Pioneers 15-yard line, giving Savanna (2-6, 0-3) an opportunity to win.

However, Vito Zaccaria’s fourth-down pass from the Western 8-yard line was broken up in the end zone by Dominic Orman with 18 seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Pioneers (6-2, 3-0).

“I missed a tackle on the final drive, and I had to redeem myself and make a big play,” Orman said.

Trailing 7-0 after the first quarter, Sean Morales scored two second-quarter touchdowns to give Western a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Zaccaria capped an 11-play drive with a 6-yard TD run with 5:19 remaining to tie the score, 14-14.

Zaccaria gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run.

Ortega finished with 110 yards rushing and went over the 1,000 yard mark (1,042) for the season.

“I was thinking touchdown, and I needed to score,” said Ortega, who did not play in the first quarter but still rushed for more than 100 yards. “I read the defense and made my cuts and scored.”

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