Saporito, O’Rourke, and Evans Shine as Marina Edges Foothill 13-7 (2025)

Westminster – Boswell Stadium (WHS)

The Marina Vikings opened their season in dramatic fashion Thursday night, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat Foothill 13-7 at Huntington Beach High. First-year starting quarterback Francis Saporito delivered in crunch time, scoring the tying touchdown on the ground before connecting for the game-winning pass in the final two minutes.

Saporito, who started at running back last season before stepping into the quarterback role following the graduation of Garrett Hunnicutt, showed poise in his debut under center. “It’s really nice to be in control sometimes,” Saporito said. “It’s all from God, all just from being a leader and just wanting to get everybody hyped, just to be proud to be a Marina Viking.”

Both teams entered the contest with new faces at key positions, and it showed early. The defenses dominated as the game stayed scoreless for nearly three quarters. Foothill broke through first, when running back Aidan Faraj dashed 20 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter to give the Knights a 7-0 lead.

Marina wasted no time responding. On the ensuing drive, the Vikings marched 68 yards, capped off by Saporito’s 1-yard plunge on the first play of the fourth quarter to even the score at 7-7.

The game’s momentum swung back and forth late. Marina forced Foothill to punt, but the Vikings’ offense stalled on downs, giving the Knights possession deep in Marina territory with under five minutes to play. Foothill appeared poised to retake the lead, but senior linebacker Braydon O’Rourke came up with a clutch interception at the Marina 25-yard line, swinging momentum back to the Vikings with just 1:48 left.

From there, Saporito seized the moment. He scrambled for runs of 8 and 4 yards, then benefitted from a pass interference penalty to push Marina to midfield. On the very next play, Saporito raced 25 yards downfield before hitting Carson Hunnicutt in stride for a 25-yard touchdown pass, giving the Vikings a 13-7 advantage.

Foothill had one final chance to answer, but Marina’s defense held firm. With the Knights driving in the closing seconds, senior defensive end Cameron Evans broke through for a 9-yard sack with 12 seconds remaining, sealing the victory.

Marina coach Charlie TeGantvoort praised his new quarterback’s poise and leadership, saying, “The best thing about Francis isn’t his ability, it’s his leadership. He’s a true, true, true leader and the team follows him without question.”

The win starts Marina at 1-0, while Foothill falls to 0-1 after the hard-fought opener. Marina will return home next Friday, August 29, to take on Woodrow Wilson in their second nonleague matchup of the season.