Ward Ties National Mark With 7 Scores

SANTA ANA —  Steve Ward tied a national high school record with seven touchdown receptions as he led Servite to a 76-0 victory over Santa Ana in Golden West League play Friday night.

Ward scored all seven touchdowns in the first half as the Friars took a 56-0 lead. He caught touchdown passes of six, 27 and 12 yards from Greg Cicero as Servite took a 21-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. Servite added a fourth touchdown with 7:46 left in the first quarter when Danny Rubalcava scored from nine yards.

Ward added touchdown receptions of 14, six and seven yards from Cicero and 17 yards from Ryan Garko giving the senior receiver nine catches for 156 yards and seven touchdowns.

He caught three more passes in the second half, the final one a 14-yard pass on the Saint three, before leaving the game.

“We were going for a school record of 188 yards receiving,” said Servite Coach Larry Toner, explaining why Ward was in the game in the second half.

He was unaware that Ward had surpassed the state mark of six touchdown passes and tied the national mark set by Robert Tolbert of Memphis Whitehaven in 1994. He was even surprised Ward had set a county record.

Cicero completed 16 of 21 passes for 306 yards and county second-best six touchdowns in less than one half.

Tony Dinunzio paced the Friar rushing attack in the second half, finishing with 151 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.