Neal Leads Paramount Past Katella

Paramount High School junior tailback Leon Neal scored three first-half touchdowns, two on long runs and the other on a pass play, to lead the Pirates to a 34-6 victory over Katella Friday night in a nonleague game in front of 2,000 at Paramount.

Neal ran for 121 yards in six carries and caught a 29-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jack Manu midway through the first quarter. He added 45- and 47-yard scoring runs as Paramount (2-0) opened a 27-6 lead at the intermission.

“Our kids just aren’t used to that kind of speed,” said Katella Coach Larry Anderson. “That kid (Neal) is a good back. He was just too quick for our defense.”

Manu, the Southern Section Division III player of the year last season, completed the first-half scoring for Paramount with an eight-yard run.

Katella (1-1) got its only score about a minute later when Bond Ren raced 55 yards through the Paramount defense with 50 seconds left in the half. Ren led Katella rushers with 119 yards in 19 carries.