Brea-Olinda Opens Stadium With Victory

Brea-Olinda dedicated its new Wildcat Stadium Friday night with a 12-6 victory over Buena Park.

It wasn’t a pretty victory, but it got the Wildcats’ season off on the right note, after recording a 3-7 record last year.

“I’m not real tickled pink right now,” said second-year Brea Coach Jon Looney. “But I think we have the makings of a good team.

“I think after the season we had last year, it’s important to get off to a good start this year,” Looney said. “I told them (the players) before the game, they could establish any tradition they wanted. And this is the first step.”

The Wildcats capitalized on two Coyote turnovers in the first half and led, 12-3, at the intermission.

It was a night of firsts, to be sure.

For the Wildcats’ first game, fans began arriving more than two hours before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start. And by the opening kickoff, a line was still waiting to get into the 3,400 seat stadium, which was already full.

The first touchdown was scored by sophomore running back Marco Hernandez, who carried it in from a yard out with 3:03 remaining in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, senior quarterback Chad Marlow, celebrating his 18th birthday, found senior receiver Ryan Nicholson wide open in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass and a 12-0 lead.

Junior running back Lou Morales, who played cornerback on defense, carried nine times for 106 yards.