ORANGE COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL : Western Upends Savanna in ‘Monstrous’ Win, 44-8

Late in the first half of Friday night’s Orange League game between Western and Savanna high schools, Western running back Richard Rodriguez had a 70-yard touchdown run called back on a holding penalty.

That was no problem for Rodriguez, however, as he ran 80 yards up the middle for a touchdown on the next play to give the Pioneers a 31-0 halftime lead.

Those two plays sum up Western’s (6-1, 2-0) 44-8 victory at Glover Stadium.

Rodriguez’s touchdown run was his second score of the game and capped a 24-point second quarter by the Pioneers.

Rodriguez’s early score came on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Joey Huy. Huy also connected on a five-yard scoring toss to Toby Howell during the second-quarter outburst.

Tackle Art Smith finished the scoring for Western with a one-yard touchdown run. Smith was one of three offensive linemen Western Coach Jim Howell employed in the backfield late in the game as part of the team’s “monster” offense.

Savanna quarterback Tony Osendorf was able to relieve the Rebels’ frustration with a 1-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion with 49 seconds left in the game.

The touchdown for Savanna (0-7, 0-2) snapped a string of 25 scoreless quarters that stretches back to the team’s first game of the year.

Next week, Western hosts Brea Olinda High School, while Savanna hosts Magnolia.