PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS / CENTRAL CONFERENCE : Saddleback Rolls, 24-0, Behind Therien; Western Loses Again in 1st Round

Sean Therien, Saddleback High School quarterback, ran for one touchdown and passed for another and the Roadrunners’ defense recorded six quarterback sacks Friday night in a 24-0 victory over Western in front of 1,000 fans in Handel Stadium at Anaheim.

The victory advances the Roadrunners (6-4-1) into the second round of the Central Conference playoffs, where they will host top-seeded Bolsa Grande (11-0) next week.

Western finished at 7-3-1, losing in the opening round for the sixth time in seven years.

Therien operated the Roadrunners’ option attack to near perfection in the first and third quarters, when Saddleback scored all of its points.

The Roadrunners scored on their first two possessions of the game, making it clear very early that they were ready for the playoffs.

“I was anxious to see how we would play tonight,” said Jerry Witte, Saddleback coach. “We’ve been misfiring all year, but we had great practices all week. This was one of our better games.

“I thought Sean played a fine game, (Juan) Valle made some nice runs and our defense shut them down. It was a very good team effort.”

The Roadrunners amassed 250 yards rushing while limiting Western to only 79 yards on the ground.

Fans in Saddleback’s student section began chanting “We Want Bolsa” midway through the fourth quarter with a comfortable 24-0 lead.

Afterwards, Witte was asked if his team could do what no other team in the past 20 games has been able to accomplish--beat Bolsa Grande.

“I can’t give you an honest evaluation right now because I haven’t seen them play,” he said.

“I know the school is located some place in Garden Grove and the whole world has picked them to win the championship.

“As far as our fans chanting at the end of the game, well, all they have to do is show up. They don’t have to figure out how to stop that great offense.”

All kidding aside, Saddleback certainly looked capable of giving Bolsa Grande a competitive game. The defense features middle linebacker Joe Hester and a steady secondary that allowed Western quarterback Joey Huy only 72 yards passing.

The Roadrunners’ offense is balanced, with Therien triggering a tricky option.

Valle, playing fullback, led all rushers with 117 yards in 12 carries, including a 22-yard touchdown run.