Eagles 41 - Poway 17
Thomson sparks Santa Margarita
MISSION VIEJO, CA., September 11, 2009 – Spencer Tyson might be Santa Margarita’s bread and butter this season, but Friday night it was Cory Thomson who provided the jam.
Thomson scored twice and set up a third touchdown as the junior led Santa Margarita to a 41-17 nonleague victory over Poway at Saddleback College.
Thomson scored on a 46-yard run, a 96-yard kickoff return, and ran 38 yards on a fake punt to set up a quarterback sneak as Santa Margarita (1-1) took a step forward after last week’s loss to Dana Hills.
Those were Santa Margarita’s first three touchdowns of the game, and the kickoff return came after a Poway TD had tightened the score to 14-10.
“Cory’s our change of pace guy, he’s got good wheels,” Santa Margarita coach Mike Jacot said. “But Spencer’s going to carry the load.”
It wasn’t all Thomson. The defense, led by Andrew Spangenberg, was outstanding. Although it gave up 259 yards, 116 came in the fourth quarter after Santa Margarita had built a 28-10 lead.
The Eagles defense held Poway to 27 yards in the first half in building a 14-3 lead.
As good as the defense was Thomson might have been better. He carried seven times for 106 yards. Fellow running back Tyson finished with 24 carries for 108. He scored on a 7-yard carry with 2:43 left in the third quarter to make it 28-10. He also ended the game with a school-record 98-yard kickoff return.
If things go Santa Margarita’s way, Thomson’s performance was a foreshadowing of what to expect.
"We expect exactly what you saw," Santa Margarita coach Mike Jacot said. "Make some big special teams plays, make long runs on the perimeter. We knew he had speed, but in the fall practice he showed his toughness, and if he hits a crease he’s going to be gone."
Thomson gave the Eagles (1-1) a lead with 3:52 left in the first quarter when he bounced off the line, then discovered the entire left side of the field open. Thomson peeled off a 46-yard scoring run and John Reisinger’s point-after made it 7-0.
Thomson made another big play in the second quarter when he lined up as the up back in punt formation and took the snap 38 yards to the 1-yard line. Two plays later, backup quarterback Bobby Crane scored from inches for a 14-0 lead.
Led by Spangenberg, Doug Woodward, Christopher Martello and John Reisinger, Santa Margarita’s defense in the first half held Poway to 10 yards rushing on 18 attempts, and only 27 yards total.
Fittingly, the defense scored before the game was over. Jeff Emanuel intercepted a pass and returned it 33 yards for a 35-10 lead with 2:40 left in the game. Earlier in the quarter, Reisinger returned an interception 102 yards for an apparent score, only to have it nullified by an unnecessary penalty behind him.
| Santa Margarita | 7 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 41 |
| Poway | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
SM – Thomson 46 run (Reisinger kick)
SM – Crane 1 run (Reisinger kick)
Pow – Diaz 27 FG
Pow – Sharpe 4 pass from Kirkegaard (Diaz kick)
SM – Thomson 96 kickoff return (Reisinger kick)
SM – Tyson 7 run (Reisinger kick)
SM – Emanuel 33 interception return (Reisinger kick)
Pow – assallo 5 pass from Kirkegaard (Diaz kick)
SM – Tyson 98 kickoff return
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Tyson 24-108, Thomson 7-106; Pow - Soffer 2-16, Sharpe 4-68, Vassallo 5-28, Verne 25-94
Passing: SM - Higgins 1-4-0-19, Crane 4-7-0-51; Pow - Kirkegaard 12-26-2-123
Receiving: SM - Reisinger 2-34, O'Brien 2-32
By Martin Henderson
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Orange County Register - Varsity 2
