Flintridge Prep football has no answer for Orcutt Academy
It hasn’t been often that the Flintridge Prep football team hasn’t been competitive in the 13 games under second-year coach Russell White.
Perhaps Friday evening’s nonleague contest at Santa Maria Orcutt Academy falls into that category, however.
The Rebels trailed by 24 points after one quarter and never cut their deficit to less than 21 in a 51-23 nonleague defeat in Division I eight-man football.
The loss was the first for Flintridge Prep (1-1) since the squad was defeated in last year’s semifinals by top-ranked Mojave, 91-46, in the most lopsided result in White’s tenure.
The victory went against some numbers for the Rebels, who entered the game 6-0 on Friday regular season games with White at the helm. The team was also 3-1 on the road in a season plus.
Flintridge Prep quarterback John Lytle completed 16 of 26 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns versus one interception.
His first score came with 41 seconds left in the second quarter when he connected with senior wide receiver Nick Davis on a two-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was missed as the Rebels trailed, 31-9.
Unfortunately for Flintridge Prep, it didn’t take those good vibes into the locker room. Orcutt Academy responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Darin Miller to Aiden Heller with 24 seconds left to take a 38-9 advantage into the break.
Lytle’s last touchdown came on a nine-yard pass to Ramzi Beshir with 9:33 left in the third quarter with the two-point attempt again falling.
Flintridge Prep’s final touchdown came courtesy of a 17-yard run from senior running back Alex Smith with 21 seconds left in the game. This time Flintridge Prep converted the two-point try on a pass from Lytle to AJ Nicassio.
Freshman kicker Silas Chavez first put Flintridge Prep on the board in the second quarter with a chip-shot field goal at the 8:26 mark in the second quarter, which brought the Rebels within 24-3.
Smith finished with 87 yards on the ground on 16 carries, while Alex Payne rushed 12 times for 67 yards for Flintridge Prep. Charlie McCormick led the Rebels in receiving with four catches for 59 yards.
Orcutt Academy chewed up 332 yards on the ground with senior running back Eddie Lundberg leading the way with 148 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.
Friday was Flintridge Prep’s first of three games against Mt. Pinos League foes, which includes formidable opponents Carpinteria Cate (Sept. 16) and Ojai Thacher (Sept. 29).
andrew.campa@latimes.com
