High School Football : ALPHA LEAGUE

Western Christian 21, Village Christian 7--Led by junior running back Hix Cortes, who gained a game-high 176 yards in 21 carries and scored 2 touchdowns, Western Christian handed the Crusaders their first loss in the game at Charter Oak High.

Cortes scored on a 64-yard run on the third play of the game. Village Christian, aided by a Lancer fumble, scored on Craig Hudspeth’s 7-yard touchdown run with 5:18 left in the second quarter to move ahead, 7-6.

Western Christian scored on its first possession of the third quarter on Ralph Velasco’s 1-yard run. A 2-point conversion gave the Lancers a 14-7 lead.

The Crusaders gained 153 yards, including 55 on the ground. Running back Joe Everett led Village Christian in rushing with 60 yards.