Guards Able To Regroup, 28-21!

BURBANK - The Bell-Jeff Guards fall behind early but are able to come back to win opener against Saddleback. It didn’t take long for the Bellarmine- Jefferson High football team to be tested this season.

In the season opener Friday for both teams — a battle of ranked squads — the Guards took on host Saddleback Valley Christian in a nonleague Zero Week game at Junipero Serra High in San Capistrano.

Bell-Jeff is ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division preseason poll, while the Warriors are ranked No. 5.

Despite falling behind early, the Guards battled back to earn a 28-21 victory.

“We’re very excited about this win,” said Bell-Jeff Coach Rolando Aguirre, whose team had limited practices this week because of the fallout from the nearby fires. “We were struggling a little in that fourth quarter, but we were able to hold on.”

Junior quarterback Philip Diaz threw four touchdown passes for the Guards, who trailed, 13-0, after the first quarter. Micah Shirley caught two touchdown passes and Abdo Hajj and Kevin Yuenyonskul had one each.

“Philip started getting a little tired late in the game, but he’s only going to get better,” Aguirre said.

After the early deficit, the Guards battled back with two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-13 lead into halftime.

In last season’s game, Bell-Jeff fell in a defensive battle to the Warriors, 6-0.

It was only one of four losses on the season in 2008 for the Guards, which finished 8-4. Bell-Jeff placed second in the Santa Fe League and advanced to the playoff quarterfinals.

The Guards return to action next week with a nonleague game at 7 p.m. Friday at host Mountain View.

Please enjoy this pictorial re-cap of the Saddleback Valley Christian Game compliments of Katie Watkins-Dorsey. (Click on gallery name or arrows to view!)