Freeway League : Weatherspoon Runs for 294 Yards for La Habra

La Habra High School running back Chuck Weatherspoon rushed for a season-high 294 yards Friday night, leading the Highlanders to a 39-17 victory over Fullerton in La Habra Stadium before 750 fans.

Weatherspoon scored two touchdowns rushing and threw another for 376 yards in total offense.

“He’s the same every week,” Coach Bob Rau said. “He just runs hard and is very difficult to bring down.”

Fullerton’s defense could do very little to stop the 5-foot 8-inch, 190-pound senior, who got his yardage in only 16 carries. He averaged more than 17 yards a carry.

Weatherspoon has 1,103 yards rushing in 8 games.

La Habra (3-0, 6-2) was penalized before the kickoff for being late, but quickly recovered.

On the first play Weatherspoon picked up a one bounce lateral pass from sophomore quarterback Matt Shackelford and threw an 82-yard pass-play touchdown to Adolf Renaud.

Fullerton kicker Mick Mineni kicked a 30-yard field goal making the score 8-3.

Weatherspoon gave the Highlanders a 14-3 lead on the last play of the first quarter. He scored on a 15-yard run around left end.

He finished the first quarter with 116 yards on 8 carries.

While La Habra was effective on the ground, Shackelford struggled completing only 2 of 15 passes for 92 yards and 2 interceptions. Both his completions were for touchdowns.

Wide receiver Paul Peppard caught both touchdown passes. After the Indians closed to 14-8 late in the second quarter Peppard outran two defenders on his way to an 80-yard touchdown.

He later capped a La Habra scoring drive of 87 yards with a 27-yard reception from Shackelford making the score 26-17 early in the fourth quarter.

The Indians are 1-2 in the Freeway League and 5-3 overall.

Weatherspoon ended the scoring in the game late in the fourth quarter. The Highlanders had the ball on their own 22 when he took a hand off and cut across the field on his way to a 78-yard touchdown.