Irvine High’s football team didn’t take Calvary Chapel lightly Thursday night. The Vaqueros expected a hard-hitting, tough battle and sure got one. They definitely earned their 28-7 nonleague victory at Irvine Stadium. “Calvary Chapel plays the game the way it is supposed to be played,” said Irvine coach Terry Henigan, who addressed and lauded Eagle players after the game about their performance. “I have so much respect for that program. We play them every year and I watch them every year and it doesn’t matter if they are way ahead or way behind, they just play hard.” Read More...

Three touchdowns in the second quarter and a big night by Michael Ernst led Irvine to a 28-7 nonleague victory over Calvary Chapel of Santa Ana on Thursday at Irvine High.
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Key Vaqueros: Senior running back Shane Whippo (22 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns); junior running back Tra’shon Young (three carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns); junior safety Chris Del Carlo (one interception) Read More...

For the rest of Thursday night, Irvine controlled the nonleague home game to win, 42-7, and hand Costa Mesa its third straight los Read More...

Ground game works for Vaqs in 42-7 win over Costa Mesa
Irvine's Tra'shon Young tires to get some more yardage while being taken down by Costa Mesa's Jeff Dye during Thursday's game.

MIGUEL VASCONCELLOS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Ground game works for Vaqs in 42-7 win over Costa Mesa
BY TIM BURT
Sports Editor
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Irvine High’s running game picked up the slack Thursday night as the Vaqueros pounded out a 42-7 nonleague football victory over Costa Mesa at Irvine Stadium.
Irvine (2-1) was playing without its starting quarterback, Brandon Allen, who is lost for the season with a knee injury.
So Irvine Coach Terry Henigan geared the team’s attack toward the run.
“Overall, I was happy with the performance, I thought we played hard,” Henigan said. “It looks like we’re going to get out of here without any injuries, and that’s always good in the pre-season.”
Junior Tra’shon Young led the way, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 83 yards on 12 carries.
Senior Justin Reihanifam also contributed, rushing for 94 yards on five carries, including a 57-yard TD run in the second quarter which put Irvine ahead, 28-7.
The Vaqueros used two quarterbacks who have limited playing time.
Junior Allen Merritt completed 2 of 3 passes for 30 yards while sophomore Brennan Leitao completed 2 of 4 passes for 27 yards. Each quarterback threw an interception.
“It’s a growing experience, we’re not going to ask them to win games for us, just manage games, and they’re getting better at it,” Henigan said.
Irvine got a boost early when Michael Ernst returned the first punt of the game 58 yards for a score.
Young scored on a 13-yard TD and Jake Day went over from 10 yards out later in the quarter to put Irvine ahead, 21-0.
Costa Mesa (0-3) made it 21-7 when Robbie Gemayel scored from 5 yards out with 7:25 left in the second quarter.
The Vaqueros led, 28-7, at halftime, then extended the lead to 35-7 on Young’s 9-yard TD run with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
Irvine moved ahead, 42-7, when Ruhullah Aghazadah scored on a 5-yard TD run midway through the final quarter.
“Physically, it was hard for us,” said Henigan. “The score, I don’t think, indicates how physically hard it was, but it’s a win.”
Gemayel led the Mustangs, rushing for 39 yards on 18 carries.

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Irvine quarterback Brandon Allen out for the season
BY TIM BURT
Sports Editor
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Irvine High's football team went into the season with three inexperienced quarterbacks.

One of the quarterbacks, senior Brandon Allen, who has played just four football games in his life, went down with a knee injury in the opening week against University.

Allen will be lost for the season, Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said Tuesday.

"Brandon Allen is having surgery and will be done for the year, he's got a torn ACL and some meniscus problems," Henigan said.

"But he is also a baseball player, so hopefully he will be able to get back for his senior year of baseball. That's what we're hoping."

Friday night, Henigan went with two back-ups in a 28-6 victory over Woodbridge.

Junior Allen Merritt started the game, completing 4 of 5 passes for 58 yards.

Henigan then called on sophomore Brennan Leitao, who completed 2 of 7 passes for 18 yards.

"We got to get them in some action and see how they respond," he said.

Turnovers help Irvine triumph
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By TIM BURT
OCVarsity.com

IRVINE - Irvine cashed in four Woodbridge turnovers to capture a 28-6 nonleague victory over the Warriors on Friday night at Irvine High.

Irvine (1-1) was tough on defense, recording three interceptions and recovering a fumble.

¡§Both teams played hard, and I think we got a couple breaks there,¡¨ Irvine coach Terry Henigan said.

Irvine also had a solid running game, led by Shane Whippo, who rushed for 151 yards on 10 carries, and Tra¡¦shon Young, who had 87 yards on 17 carries.

Young scored Irvine¡¦s first two touchdown, both on 2-yard runs, in the first and second quarter.

Woodbridge (0-1) made it 14-6 when Anthony Wimbley hit Ajmal Puyehgar on a Ĭ20-yard halfback option play.

But Irvine took control when quarterback Brennan Leitao scored on a 1-yard keeper late in the second quarter to make it 21-6.

Woodbridge coach Rick Gibson, trying to find a clear-cut starter, used three quarterbacks.

Contact the writer: tburt@ocregister.com

Vaqs cash in turnovers to beat Warriors, 28-6
BY TIM BURT
Sports Editor
Comments 0 | Recommend 2

Irvine High's football team cashed in four Woodbridge turnovers to capture a 28-6 nonleague victory Friday night in front of a capacity crowd of 3,500 at Irvine Stadium.

Irvine (1-1) was tough on defense, recording three interceptions and recovering a fumble.

"Both teams played hard and I think we got a couple breaks there," Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said.

"Once we got ahead, we were able to hold on. The turnovers gave us some good field position and that's what it usually comes down to, it's mistakes.

"We're going to keep on working to get better."

Irvine also had a solid running game, led by Shane Whippo, who rushed for 151 yards on 10 carries and Tra'shon Young, who had 87 yards on 17 carries.

Young scored Irvine's first two TDs, both on 2-yard runs, in the first and second quarter.

Woodbridge (0-1) made it 14-6 when Anthony Wimbley hit Ajmal Puyehgar on a 20-yard halfback option play with 6:02 left in the second quarter.

But Irvine took control when quarterback Brennan Leitao scored on a 1-yard keeper late in the second quarter to make it 21-6.

Whippo broke free on a 47-yard TD run with 6:56 left in the third quarter to break the game open.

Woodbridge coach Rick Gibson, trying to find a clear-cut starter, used three quarterbacks: Nate Loop, Charlie Kelley and Max Neser.

The three combined for 49 yards and with Wimbley's pass, Woodbridge totaled 69 yards passing.

"I got to give credit where credit is due," Gibson said. "I think Terry had his team ready. I thought we had the ball rolling in the first half and we turned the ball over twice on first down plays.

"Turnovers aren't good at any part of the game. I thought our defense was going to step up and I didn't think they played to their capabilities.

"We've got some work to do."

Irvine's Henigan used two quarterbacks. Allen Merritt started, completing 4 of 5 passes for 58 yards. Leitao then came on and completed 2 of 7 for 18 yards with one interception.

Crosstown rivals Woodbridge and Irvine will battle it out Friday night in a nonleague football game.
It will mark the first game of the year for Woodbridge while Irvine is 0-1 after losing to University, 14-13, Friday night.
Irvine defeated Woodbridge last year, 42-13, and holds a 13-8-1 series advantage. Read More...

It started out kind of dull, but it was quite a finish in the first of two meetings this season between University and Irvine.

The Trojans held off a second-half comeback by the Vaqueros to win, 14-13, in a nonleague game in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Irvine High in front of a capacity crowd of 3,500. Read More...

Irvine vs. University, part I, was quite a show.
Imagine what the sequel will be like in 10 weeks.
The Trojans held off a second half comeback by the Vaqueros to win, 14-13, in a nonleague game in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Irvine Stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 3,500. Read More...

Irvine High’s football team is shooting for another trip to the CIF playoffs and the chances appear solid.
    Irvine was 8-3 last year, 1-2 in the Pacific Coast League and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the CIF playoffs, losing to Valencia, 38-14.
    “We’ve got some great kids who have worked real hard, we don’t have a lot, like every high school, we’re thin, but we’ve had a great offseason, spring and summer and we’re excited about the effort,” Coach Terry Henigan said. Read More...

The Northwood football team has a new offensive coordinator. Phil Roh, who had been working with the wide receivers, took over the position.
“We are more of a spread offensive attack this year under Phil,” Coach Rick Curtis said. “We are running some multiple things as a lot of people are. It is exciting.”
Curtis had been running the offense.
Curtis will now coach special teams and the offensive line. Read More...

Irvine's high school football teams are under way with two-a-day workouts in preparation for their season openers.

Irvine and University will open the season with a nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 5 at Irvine Stadium.

It will be the first of two games this year between the two teams, who will also play a Pacific Coast League game on Friday, Nov. 14. Read More...

Crosstown rivals Irvine and University will be at it again Friday night, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. when the 2008 high school football season kicks off in the city with a nonleague game at Irvine Stadium.

It's the first of two meetings between the two teams, who are in the Pacific Coast League. Read More...

Irvine High football coach Terry Henigan has earned a reputation as one of the most respected coaches in the county.

Since 1981, he's been the Vaqueros head coach and he's been coaching football in the county for 40 years, including a stint at Cypress from 1976 to 1979.

"It's still fun, it's still exciting," said Henigan, who celebrated his 200th career victory last year when the Vaqueros defeated Calvary Chapel.

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Kickoff is fast approaching for three of Irvine's high school football squads.

Crosstown rivals Irvine and University open the high school football season Friday night with a nonleague game at Irvine Stadium beginning at 7 p.m.

University will be the home team for the game.
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